CHAPTER 1 DODGE THE TRASH It was a very windy night in The City. The branches shook, and the windowpanes rattled in the pizza parlor where I lived with my family. I don't know about you, but I love windy nights. That's because I get to play one of my favorite games, Dodge the Trash! The rules of the game are simple: Don't get hit by any of the trash that flies your way! I stepped outside onto the sidewalk with my brothers, Pepperoni and Veggie. We got into position, crouching low to the ground. Our fur stood straight up, our ears were tucked back, and our bellies scraped the pavement. WHOOOSH! Suddenly, a huge cardboard box came tumbling down the sidewalk, carried by the wind. "Whoa!" Pepperoni squeaked. We all scuttled out of the way in the nick of time. Next, an empty juice bottle rolled toward us. My brothers and I all leaped into the air, and the bottle rolled beneath our paws. "This game is easy-cheesy, saucy-squeezy!" Veggie said. His squeaks were cut off by another big WHOOOOSH . A shiny piece of paper blew our way. I narrowed my eyes to see what it was. Could it be a candy wrapper? I gather those for my treasure collection. But as the paper flew closer, I picked up a greasy scent that told me it was just a burger wrapper. Veggie and Pepperoni scurried out of the way, but I was too late. THWAP! The wrapper blew right into me, covering my face. "Argh!" As I tried to pull the wrapper off my face, my brothers laughed. "The game is called Dodge the Trash," Pepperoni said. "Not Get Smacked in the Face by Trash!" Another burst of wind howled by. It swept the burger wrapper--and ME--right into the air! The wind tossed me upside down and untangled me from the wrapper. For a moment, I was glad to be free. But then I began falling straight toward the ground. I somersaulted in the air, trying to get my feet below me. Somehow, I managed to land on my paws. "Whoa!" Pepperoni and Veggie cheered. "You looked like a super rat!" "Yeah," a mysterious voice chimed in. "A super DUPER rat!" Excerpted from Right on Your Tail! by Cam Higgins All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
