Balto ran across the snow into the centre of Nome

Balto ran across the snow into the centre of Nome. He was going to play with his friends, Nikki, Kaltag and Star. He had been friends with them ever since his wolf mother abandoned him. Sometimes they make fun of him a little for being half and half, but Balto doesn’t care. He tripped slightly in the deep snow as he ran round a corner. Balto got back up and started running again. He could her the playful barks of his friends. He barked back to let them know he was there. Balto didn’t like howling, he didn’t like being half wolf, so he never howled. Just barked.

Balto could now here them speaking. “Tag! Your it Kaltag!” said the giggly voice of Star. Kaltag jumped at him, slightly irritated. Balto climbed over a fallen barrel and jumped down to where his friends were. “Hey Balto,” said Kaltag. Suddenly Star pounced on Balto just as he was about to speak and started chewing his ear playfully. Balto laughed and shook him off. He started playing as well.

“What should we do today?” Nikki asked his friends.

“We could have another adventure!” Star barked eagerly,

“What do you think Balto? Can we have another adventure Balto?”

Star always looked up to Balto. He thought he was the greatest friend a dog could ask for. “Well…” Said Balto, “We could have another adventure,”

“Yes! Yes!” Star yipped happily, “Please! Nikki, Kaltag? Please!”

“Be quiet!” Shouted Kaltag getting infuriated by his yippy voice.

“Why don’t we go to the shore?” Said Nikki.

Balto agreed with him, “Okay! Lets go to the shore!”

Star squealed with excitement and starting leaping all over the place. Kaltag tried to hit him and missed. He got annoyed even more and started running after him barking. Balto sighed cheerfully at them and began to run up to them with Nikki at his side. What would I do without them, he said to himself.

 

The entire shore was covered in small paw prints. Yipping and barking could be heard throughout the whole of Nome. Star ran through the water sending cold splashes of clear water flying all over the place. He laughed joyfully. Balto was running through the water too, but with less splashes. He collapsed as he leaped finally into the sea covering his body in water. As he stood back up it glistened in the setting sun. Kaltag sat in the water still shouting at Star for being far too hyperactive. One of his most favourite hobbies was to tell Star off. Balto knew though that Kaltag really liked Star, but of course wasn’t going to tell him. Nikki yawned as his eyes dropped. Balto yawned too. “We should probably call it a day,” he said, “See you tomorrow guys!”

“Bye Balto!” said Star, disappointed that it was time to go back home.

“Yea, bye Balto,” Kaltag said.

The three dogs walked back into Nome as Balto walked back to his lonely boat. He climbed in and dug under his blanket and curled up to keep warm. Balto shut his eyes.

 

The next morning, Balto was woken up by loud cheering coming from the centre of Nome. He rubbed his eyes slightly with his paw and came out from under his blanket. From the side of the boat, he looked out to Nome and saw large crowds of people. “Hmm…” Balto said to himself, “I wonder what’s happening in town?”

He jumped off the side on too the sand but fell over slightly. He was only small and it was quite a high jump. Balto yawned once more then ran done the sand and on to the snow to see what was going on. As he ran through the streets, he noticed a pretty husky standing with a girl. She was yipping and playing with the girl. Balto stopped to watch her. He had seen her before but never spoken to her properly. Many times he has happily barked “Hello!” but the next moment he would become shy and run away before she could say anything back.

All of a sudden, Kaltag and Nikki bumped into Balto. They had been running too.

“Hello Nikki, Kaltag,” He said, “ Umm… where’s Star?”

Kaltag answered rather grumpy, “He ran ahead, he was so exited! He’s pathetic”

“Why? What’s going on?” Balto asked confused.

“You haven’t heard?” Said Nikki rather surprised, and laughed at the thought of him not knowing. “No,” Balto told them and asked again. “What’s going ON?”

“The most bestest, best racing dog is here in Nome!” Kaltag declared.

“The most bestest, best?” Balto said, now completely bewildered, “Who’s that?”

But they didn’t answer him.

“Oh! Look!” Kaltag suddenly shouted, “There he is! Come on! Lets go see!”

Nikki and Kaltag ran off into the crowd leaving Balto puzzled in the snow. He looked around with a frown on his face. Everything was upside down too him. From within the crowd he could hear people speaking about, the greatest racing dog in Alaska and how he had had a pup. Balto got rather scared as people were rushing by him and dogs were barking everywhere. He got up suddenly as he nearly got trampled by a crowd of people and ran off to hide. There were boxes piled up by the back of a store. Balto walked over too them quickly and hid behind a large but rather damp box. He peered out from behind the box and watched the madness out side.

What was going on?

 

After everything had calmed down a little. Balto stepped out from his hiding place and stared out of the alley. He walked out into the open street and saw that most people had gone back home. Balto turned to the left quickly to head back home and bumped into someone. He fell back in shock and looked up at the face. It was a large black and white husky with a sneer on his face. “Watch where you’re going stupid!” He barked at him. Even though this dog was the same age as him, he couldn’t help feel a little small and scared. “S-s-sorry,” he stuttered. The dog growled as he looked down at him. “Who are you, anyway?!” He said nastily as he examined Balto’s scruffy fur and strange appearance. “I’m B-B-Balto,” Balto said still stuttering.

“Why do you look so strange?”

“I’m, umm… umm…”

“Spit it out will you! I don’t have all day!”

“I’m, umm… part wolf,”

Balto looked down at his feet. He didn’t want to see what the dogs’ expression was. He could hear him laughing meanly with a hint of a growl in it as he watched Balto

“Half what?!” He shouted out still laughing, “If I were you I would die of shame!”

Balto didn’t like this dog one bit. He was mean and could tell he was going to make even more fun of his wolf side. The dog pretended to howl like a wolf. Balto looked up at him now getting slightly annoyed. The other dog began to brag about himself,

“My name is Steele, the pure breed husky. Son of the best racing dog in Alaska!”

“Congratulations,” Balto said to him in an irritated sort of way.

The dog named Steele continued, “One day I will be just as good as my father!”

Balto now had an angry face and wasn’t as frightened any more. Behind Steele he could see three dogs running up behind him laughing. One of them said, “Steele! Steele! We were looking for you everywhere!” Balto looked at them and with amazement discovered who they were. Nikki, Kaltag and Star! He thought to himself, I better warn them that this Steele dog is mean! He said,

“Umm… Kaltag, Star, Nikki”

Steele looked back at them with an angry face and stared at their faces.

“Do you know this mutt?” He shouted at them.

“Emm, well… we… umm,” said Star looking at his paws not knowing what to say.

Nikki quickly said, “No, no we don’t!”

“Eh, yea! We’ve never seen him before ever,” Kaltag added in.

Star now playing along, “Never ever, ever, ever!”

Balto couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His only friends were making friends with a dog that’s mean to him and pretending they have never seen him before in their life. “Good,” Steele said with a snigger, “Lets go then. I’m not going to talk to THIS thing any more!” Balto watched as his best friends walked away leaving him behind. He stared, heartbroken. At first he had all the friends he needed, now he had none.

 

Balto continued to walk back to his home. He looked gloomily down at his paws the whole time, never looking up to see if anyone was there or if anyone was watching him. He sighed and said to himself,

“I wonder if I will ever have friends again. Nobody will want to make friends with me. Nobody wants to be friends with someone who is half wolf,”

Balto looked to the side of him and saw purebred huskies walk past him. This made him feel worse about himself. His long tail was covered in snow as he dragged it along the ground. “Yep! You’re the best!” said Kaltag’s voice. Balto turned his head hoping that Kaltag was talking to him, but he wasn’t. There was Kaltag and the rest of his old friends laughing with Steele. He watched them for a couple of seconds then ran away before they noticed him. When he had got far enough, he stopped and looked back at them. Steele was now playing tag with them like Balto used to do. He couldn’t watch anymore and turned his head round and suddenly met the small nose of another dog. Balto looked up and saw that it was the pretty husky he had seen earlier. He put his ears back and didn’t say a

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