VOICES:
-All voices younger voices then those in the movie
I trembled under the blanket. I didn’t know if the hunters were still there, and I wasn’t about to take any chances. As soon as Buck, my brother got shot and then my mom, I dived into the old shipwreck. I could also smell blood. I was so scared, I didn’t sleep at all that night. It was the next morning when I finally moved. I crawled out from under my blanket and looked over the side of the boat. No one was there. No hunters, no pack, no animals. I jumped down and tried to catch my family’s scent. I was pretty sure my brother was dead, but the most powerful scent made my heart tear. Although they were no longer there, a patch of pink snow smelled like them and something dead. I was the only survivor of my family. I walked back to the shipwreck and crawled back under the blanket. I wanted to forget about all of this and all of my family.
When I woke up the next morning, I realized I wasn’t alone. I peeked out from under the blanket but couldn’t see anything. Something scuffled and flapped. I shot back under. The thing made the weirdest honking noise I’d ever heard. My curiosity got the better of me. I had to know. I crawled up to the corner and looked around.
“HONK”
I shot back under the blanket. Was it some other kind of hunter? The giant bird sputtered in some other language.
“Hello!? Is there someone in there? This is my shipwreck! Go and be getting your own!”
Suddenly, the blanket covering me was pulled off.
“Ahah!”
I whimpered and covered my eyes with my paws.
“Oh poor kiddo. You vere in thata pack yesterday, vere you not?”
I uncovered my eyes and nodded.
“But those vere not your parents, vere they?”
I looked away. I just wanted to forget. The bird put his wing around my shoulder.
“You cana stay here as long as you want uh…….now vhat did they call you”
“Balto”
“Balto you can stay here for as long as you want!”
The next few weeks were more relaxing with the Russian snow goose named Boris. But I was getting thinner. I decided to go into town to get food. Living off of small birds that flew by didn’t work and I had decided to be more like my dad who was a dog. That way, I would never have to be reminded of them.
“Boris? Can I go into that place over there?”
“Thata place is called
I wandered warily into
“Hey! You mutt! Get out of there!”
I scurried away, but I was happy and full with some kind of people food. I figured as long as I was here, I might as well look for friends. I trotted down the street, a bit more confident in myself. There were millions of dogs it seemed, but most were too big and old to play with. There was a crowd of people shouting in the distance. As afraid of people as I was, my curiosity once again got the better of me. I ran over and weaved through the legs of people to the front. Two lines of dogs thundered down the roped off street. It was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen. They pulled sleds with people on them. One crossed a line before the others and everyone cheered. Now I knew what I wanted to do. The person got off the sled and unhooked the winning lead dog. I waited until he was done getting congratulated then I ran up to him.
“That was so cool! You’re so fast! What was that?!”
The big brown and white dog smiled at me.
“That was sled race. It’s when sled dogs pull a sled and a musher. They first team to cross the finish line wins the race.”
“Wow thanks mister!”
Then I ran back to tell Boris. But Boris already knew. He explained as much as he could, which wasn’t a lot. What he did know was that there was a race once a week.
Boris came with me to every race from that day on. I was usually glued to the race, but one day, something broke my addiction. There was a flash of red and a little girl with a Siberian Husky on a leash walked by. The Husky was the prettiest dog I had ever seen. I was so focused on her that I didn’t hear Boris.
“Balto! Balto! Vatch out!”
A man on the other side of the fence moved a trash can and rattled the fence I was balancing on. I fell straight off and into the snowdrift. The Husky smiled and laughed. I smiled, embarrassed. Boris fluttered down next to me.
“That vas love, was it not?” he chuckled and waddled away. “By the vay, that same dog von again if you are still interested”
Trips to the town became more frequent. When I turned a year old, mushers let their dogs run lose. One of them was a big black and white husky followed by three other dogs.
“Hey! Who are you guys?”
“I’m Steel. The fastest dog in
“I’m Balto and I’m a husky too!”
“There’s no way you’re a husky!”
“Yea I am…….. how did you know?”
“You have yellow eyes and giant paws”
I looked down at my paws and shuffled them around.
“I bet you’re not even all dog” ,he sneered.
“Fine, but I’m more husky then wolf”
“Wow that’s so cool!” ,shouted the smallest. The yellow dog with a brown spot over his eye bashed him on the head. “I mean…..wolves aren’t as fast as Steel”
“Just stick with us and no one will care because you’re with me, got it Lobo”
I cocked my head at my new nickname but followed obediently.
It only took a week, but other dogs my age ran away every time they saw us coming.
“Do they always do that?”
“What? Run away? They do now” ,he smiled evilly.
We turned the corner and saw two dogs eating out of trashcans. Steel cleared his throat. They turned around.
“This is our turf and our dinner. We haven’t had anything in days”
Steel didn’t care.
“Ours now. Get out”
“Come on. We’re starving, man”
A crowd of dogs started to form.
“Go away or our wolf will attack you”
They backed away looking at me.
“Wait a second. I won’t hurt you and I’m not a wolf”
Steel whipped around. He got so close our noses touched.
“You are if you don’t want me to make you the most hated dog in
I walked toward the two dogs, turned around and sat.
“They’re skinny strays. Let them eat”
Steel growled and puffed up.
“I’m gonna tear you to shreds wolf- dog”
He leapt at me but I was more agile and faster. I jumped on the fence I watched races from.
“Fight like a dog! Oh wait, you’re not one are you? I bet your family abandoned you!”
He hit a sore spot. I felt a growl come up in my throat. I jumped down and landed on Steel’s head and pushed it right into the snow. His three henchmen rushed to get him out. I walked away, catching the eye of the red Husky. She smiled at me. My heart leaped but I couldn’t stop to talk. Steel finally got his head unstuck.
“WHERE IS HE?!”
I took off without a second thought. I ran all the way home. I’d show him one day. I’d push him off a cliff if I had to.
“Well did you make any friends?”
“Yea” ,I told Boris. “I think I made a few friends”
I smiled and let myself drift off to sleep to dream about the red husky.
Balto, Steele, Boris, Jenna, Kaltag, Nikki and Star (c) Universal