Stella jumped from the car, happy to be home after visiting the vet. She walked inside, proudly flashing her purple bandaged paw. Rocky and Jango zoomed to her side and began sniffing. 

 

Rocky said, "Yup, you're Stella."

 

Jango asked, "What happened to your paw, Stell?"

 

Stella took a big, dramatic breath and said, "It all happened when dad took me out this morning. We were jogging up to the playground when a school bus stopped to pick up some kids. A whole bunch of kids piled in and they all waved goodbye to their moms and dads." 

 

"Suddenly, the bus took off! It flew down the road, running through stop signs and red lights. Dad and I chased after it as fast as we could! The kids were screaming and the bus driver shouted, 'The breaks are out!'"

 

"I knew it was up to me! I yanked myself free from dad's grip and picked up the speed. Dad was screaming for me to stop, but I couldn't stop. The bus was going downhill right towards the cliffs! I dodged the cars and crossed all the streets, racing after it!"

 

"Then, I couldn't believe my puppy-dog eyes! The bus drove right off the cliff! It crashed into the ocean and the engine blew up! Fire and smoke poured from the bus and the kids were all shouting out the windows! There were so many! So I jumped off the cliff and swam over to the bus. I fetched one kid out at a time and swam each one over to the rocks where they could rest and wait for help. I did not stop until every last soul was rescued from that school bus."

 

Rocky's jaw dropped to the ground and Jango said, "Whoa, Stella, you're a hero!"

 

Rocky composed herself and said, "So how did you hurt your paw? Did you run too hard on the pavement?"

 

Jango chimed in. "Did you get nicked by a car when you ran across the street?"

 

"Did you burn it in the fire from the bus?"

 

"Did you get bitten by a shark?"

 

"Did you strain it from all the swimming?"

 

"Or all the running?"

 

Stella said, "I stepped on a rock on the way home."

 

 

 

-H.C. Herman