After the strange experience with Forrest, things changed between Spot and Arlo. Now, they walked side-by-side. Instead of scowling and feeling angry at Spot, Arlo began to like the little guy. Spot helped Arlo forget about feeling afraid, even if just for a little bit. The wilderness was less scary with Spot around... and a lot more fun.
Arlo watched Spot as he stopped to sniff an insect wing on the ground, investigating it. Spot followed the scent, sniffing along the ground and winding through the wilderness with Arlo following behind. Finally, Spot stopped, quivering as he thumped his leg against the ground in excitement. He led Arlo toward a bush, grunted as he lifted up a giant leaf. Beneath it was a big, beautiful bug! Arlo smiled, checking out the amazing bug’s big eyes and incredible colors. Then Spot tore it apart! Arlo cringed, watching through squinted eyes as Spot ripped his meal to pieces.
A little while later, Arlo stepped on something small and hard, and crushed it with his weight. He lifted his foot and saw a delicious-looking nut split in half. Spot sniffed the ground curiously. Figuring Spot could find more, Arlo let him sniff his foot. Just as Arlo had hoped, Spot set out, sniffing along the ground in search of more nuts.
As they approached a tree, Spot’s leg started to shake against the ground and his whole body trembled with excitement. Arlo looked up. Spot had found them! There were dozens of nuts hanging from the branches of the tree. Arlo took some down and began to chew. They tasted a little funny, but he swallowed them down. Then he leaned in and took a closer look at the nuts in the tree. One of them moved! They weren’t nuts—they were BUGS! And the tree was home to a whole colony! Gagging, Arlo tried to spit them out. But the colony was already bothered, and they started to swarm. Arlo was terrified and could do nothing but run away! Spot followed and the two ran until they couldn’t hear the buzzing behind them. When they finally stopped, all Arlo and Spot could do was laugh.
SQUEAK! A strange, high-pitched noise startled Arlo. He looked down and saw a gopher peeking its furry head out of a hole in the ground. Surprised, Arlo backed away. A second gopher popped up. SQUEAK! Spot tried to pounce on it, but it quickly ducked back down into its hole.
Spot smiled then put his mouth over one of the holes and blew. The force of his breath caused a gopher to fly up into the air! When it fell down to the ground, it slipped back into its hole. Arlo laughed and joined in the fun, blowing and watching another gopher fly up. The two friends laughed as they orchestrated the airborne gophers.
The gophers were not pleased with being disturbed, and in frustration, one turned and bit Arlo. He and Spot were so surprised; they ran for safety and found themselves on a ledge above the lake. From there, Arlo and Spot turned and watched as the gophers slowly and mysteriously sank back into the ground. Arlo was just about to climb toward solid ground, when, out of nowhere, one of the gophers popped back out, startling him. Then it quickly dropped back down into its hole. It surprised him so much that he slipped—losing his footing and falling into the lake below.
Panicking and gasping for air, Arlo struggled to try and keep his head above water. Spot jumped in right after him and swam around, paddling his arms and kicking his legs. He continued to circle around Arlo, as if trying to teach him how to swim. Arlo tried to imitate him, paddling and kicking his way through the water. It was difficult for the big dinosaur at first, but slowly he got the hang of it. Soon Arlo wasn’t just keeping his head above water, he was swimming! Once he got a little more comfortable with his underwater moves, he followed Spot swiftly to shore.
Spot jumped out of the water, panting happily. Arlo proudly stepped out, then realized his body was covered in leeches! He screamed and ran, wiggling and flailing his body around, trying to shake off the blood-sucking worms! He had to dance around for quite a while to shake them off. Luckily, Spot was there to help peel off the ones that wouldn’t let go!
Later on, Arlo and Spot came upon some pieces of fruit scattered across the ground. Arlo ate as much as he could, then offered some to Spot. Laughing, the two stuffed their faces. It had been a long day. But after a while, they started to feel a little funny. Arlo looked at Spot and his face had started to grow in all kinds of crazy ways. Spot looked at Arlo and he suddenly looked like he had five eyes! Something strange must have been in that fruit. They laughed and laughed. In fact, it almost felt like they would laugh forever. But eventually they grew tired. And with their bellies pleasantly full, they finally fell asleep on the ground.
As night fell, Arlo and Spot walked through a meadow. Arlo saw a firefly and suddenly got an idea. He was reminded of that night with Poppa, back in the fields of their farm. “Spot, watch this!” he said.
Arlo brushed his tail through the tall meadow grass and hundreds of fireflies floated up. Spot loved it! He chased them excitedly, jumping and snapping at the air, trying to catch each one he saw. Arlo joined him; there were so many to chase.
Then Spot caught one with his hands and showed it to Arlo. The dinosaur smiled and gently blew on it, just like Poppa had. Spot and Arlo watched as the firefly lit up, glowing brightly inside Spot’s hands. Then Spot released it and the firefly opened its wings and rose up into the sky. They watched it flickering and flashing as it flew off and disappeared into the night.
Arlo’s smile soon faded as he thought about Poppa and his family at home. “I miss my family,” he said quietly.
Spot looked up at Arlo with his face twisted in a confused expression and tilted his head. He didn’t seem to understand.
“Family,” Arlo said, trying to think of a way to explain.
Arlo broke some sticks into dinosaur shapes. “That’s me,” he said, placing it on the ground in front of Spot. He continued, placing each one down as he spoke. “There’s Libby, and Buck, and Momma...” He placed the last one down. “And—and Poppa.” He drew a big circle in the dirt, around all the figures and said the word again: “Family.”
Spot sniffed the figures, curiously, but still didn’t seem to understand. “That’s okay,” Arlo said, trying to hide his feelings of disappointment.
Arlo rested on the ground as Spot scurried off, rummaging through some nearby bushes. He returned with some twigs, broke them, and set them down. They looked like three human shapes. Then Spot drew a big circle around his stick figures.
“Yes,” said Arlo, perking up. “That’s your family.”
Spot took two of the figures and laid them down, flat on the ground. He covered them with dirt and looked up at Arlo, sniffing sadly. Arlo understood what Spot was trying to say: his parents had died.
Arlo took the figure of Poppa and covered it with dirt, too. “I miss him,” Arlo said.
Spot reached over and patted Arlo’s leg, comforting him. Then he went toward his stick figures and howled at the moon.
“Arroooowah!”
Even though Spot didn’t talk, he had a way of communicating that he was sad. And that he was still hurting as he remembered painful things. Arlo had been hurting over Poppa for a long time. And until now, he’d never really tried to talk about it.
But this was as good a time as any. Arlo joined Spot and howled, too.
Under the giant sky and a million twinkling stars, the two friends howled at the moon, releasing their sadness into the night.
“Arrrroooooooowah...”
與福里斯特的那次奇妙經(jīng)歷之后,小不點和阿樂之間的關(guān)系變了。如今,他們肩并肩一起走。阿樂不再對小不點大吼,也不再對他生氣了,而是開始喜歡這個小家伙了。哪怕阿樂有一丁點的害怕,小不點也能幫助他忘卻。有小不點在身邊,荒野也沒那么可怕了……還添了很多樂趣。
阿樂看著小不點停了下來,嗅著地上一只昆蟲的翅膀,探究著它。小不點順著這股氣味,一路嗅過去,蜿蜒穿過荒野,阿樂緊隨其后。最后,小不點停下來,顫抖著興奮地跺著腳。他帶著阿樂走向灌木叢,咕噥著掀起一片大樹葉,下面有一只又大又美的蟲子!阿樂笑著打量著這只蟲子,它有一對神奇的大眼睛,身體的色彩也很奇妙。這時,小不點把這只小蟲子撕成了兩半!阿樂嚇得縮起身子,瞇著眼睛看著小不點把自己的晚餐撕成了碎片。
沒多久,阿樂踩上了一個又小又硬的東西,他身體的重量把這東西壓碎了。阿樂抬起腳,看到一個碎成兩半的堅果,看上去很可口。小不點好奇地嗅了嗅地面,阿樂知道小不點能找到更多的堅果,就讓小不點嗅他的腳。正如阿樂希望的那樣,小不點出發(fā)了,他沿著地面一路嗅過去,以找尋更多的堅果。
當(dāng)他們走近一棵樹時,小不點開始跺腳,整個人因為興奮而顫栗。阿樂抬頭向上望,小不點找到堅果了!有幾十個堅果掛在樹枝上。阿樂摘了幾個,開始嚼起來。堅果嘗起來有些奇怪,但他還是把它們吞了下去。然后,他靠過去,湊近一點去看樹上的堅果,有一個堅果動了!這才發(fā)現(xiàn)它們不是堅果,而是蟲子!這棵樹就是一整群蟲子的聚集地!阿樂作嘔起來,努力把吃下去的蟲子吐出來,但是他已經(jīng)驚擾了這群蟲子,它們蜂擁而來。阿樂被嚇到了,只能逃跑!小不點緊隨其后,兩人奔跑著,直到聽不到身后的嗡嗡聲才停下來。最后當(dāng)阿樂和小不點停下來的時候,兩人只能笑個不停。
吱吱!一道奇怪而尖銳的聲響驚到了阿樂。阿樂低頭看到了一只囊地鼠,它從地下的洞里探出毛茸茸的頭,向外偷看。阿樂吃驚地往后退了幾步。又有一只囊地鼠突然出現(xiàn)了。吱吱!小不點試著猛地撲向它,但是它很快就逃回了洞里。
小不點笑了,然后用嘴對著其中一個洞口吹氣,一只囊地鼠被吹上了天!它一落到地上就趕緊溜回洞里。阿樂大笑,也加入到了捉弄囊地鼠的行列,他吹出了另一只囊地鼠,看著它飛起。這兩個朋友因為戲弄了這群“飛”鼠而哈哈大笑。
對于這種被戲弄,囊地鼠們感到很不滿意。挫敗之下,有一只囊地鼠轉(zhuǎn)向阿樂,咬了他。阿樂和小不點感到很驚訝,就往安全的地方跑,結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)自己跑到了湖上面的懸崖邊上。阿樂和小不點站在那兒,轉(zhuǎn)過身看到囊地鼠們慢慢地、神秘兮兮地回到了地下。阿樂正要爬向堅實的地面,突然,不知打哪兒又冒出來一只囊地鼠,嚇了阿樂一跳。接著,它又很快鉆回洞里。阿樂被嚇了一大跳,以至于腳下一滑——失足落入了下面的湖里。
阿樂很是恐慌,大口呼吸著空氣。他掙扎著把頭伸出水面。小不點緊隨其后,也跳入水中,他劃動雙臂,蹬著雙腿,繞著阿樂游動。他繼續(xù)圍著阿樂轉(zhuǎn)圈,好像是在教他怎么游泳似的。阿樂試著模仿他,也按照他的方式在水里劃動、蹬腿。起初,這些動作對一只大恐龍來說的確很難,但是慢慢地阿樂就掌握了要領(lǐng)。只過了一小會兒,他就學(xué)會了游泳,而不僅是只把頭伸出水面!阿樂一適應(yīng)水下的動作,就跟著小不點快速游向了岸邊。
小不點從水里跳了出來,高興地喘著氣。阿樂自豪地從水里走出來,卻發(fā)現(xiàn)自己全身布滿了水蛭!他邊跑邊叫,一邊扭動著身體,一邊來回拍打著,努力甩掉那些吸血的蟲子!為了甩掉它們,他不得不來回跳了好一會兒。幸運的是,小不點在他身邊,能幫他弄掉那些甩不下來的水蛭!
過了一會兒,阿樂和小不點看到一些果子散落在地上,阿樂大吃特吃后,也分給了小不點一些。他倆鼓著腮幫,哈哈大笑。這一天很漫長,但是,一會兒之后,他們倆卻覺得有點奇怪。阿樂看著小不點的臉以各種瘋狂的方式在變大,小不點看著阿樂,發(fā)現(xiàn)他好像突然長出了五只眼睛!果子里肯定有什么奇怪的東西。他們笑啊笑,事實上,好像感覺會永遠這樣笑下去。但是,最后他們都笑累了,肚子也飽飽的,就躺在地上睡著了。
夜幕降臨的時候,阿樂和小不點走過一塊草地。阿樂看到一只螢火蟲,突然有了一個主意。他想起了與爸爸一起在自家農(nóng)場田間的那個晚上。“小不點,看這個!”他說。
阿樂用尾巴掃過高高的牧草,數(shù)以百計的螢火蟲飛起,小不點愛上了這個場景!他興奮地追著它們,蹦蹦跳跳地在空中亂咬,想要抓住他看到的每一只螢火蟲。阿樂也和小不點一樣,追趕起螢火蟲來,因為飛舞著的螢火蟲是那么多。
接著,小不點用雙手抓住一只螢火蟲,把它拿給阿樂看。阿樂笑著,輕輕吹動它,就像爸爸那樣。小不點和阿樂看著這只螢火蟲在小不點的手心里散發(fā)著明亮的光芒。接著,小不點放了它,螢火蟲展開雙翅,飛上了天空。他們看著它忽閃忽閃地飛走,消失在了夜空中。
一想到爸爸和家人,阿樂臉上的笑容就消失了?!拔蚁爰伊恕!彼挠牡卣f。
小不點抬頭看向阿樂,臉上露出了困惑的神色。他歪著頭,好像不太明白阿樂所說的。
“家人?!卑芬贿呎f,一邊想方設(shè)法跟他解釋。
阿樂折了一些樹枝,在小不點面前的地上擺出恐龍的形狀,然后對小不點說:“那是我?!卑防^續(xù)把樹枝一根一根擺到地上,嘴里還說著:“還有莉比,巴克和媽媽……”他把最后一根樹枝放下:“還有……還有爸爸?!比缓螅诘厣袭嬃艘粋€大圈,把所有的圖形都圈在一起,又說了一遍那個詞:“家人。”
小不點好奇地嗅了嗅這些圖形,但是好像仍然沒弄明白?!皼]關(guān)系?!卑芬贿呎f,一邊努力掩飾自己內(nèi)心的失望。
在小不點匆忙跑開去附近的灌木叢中四處翻尋的時候,阿樂躺在了地上進行休息。小不點拿了一些小樹枝回來,把它們折斷擺在了地上。樹枝看起來像三個人形。然后,小不點也畫了一個大圈,圈起這些樹枝人。
“是的,”阿樂興奮地說道,“那就是你的家人。”
小不點拿出其中的兩個樹枝人,把它們平放在地上,用土蓋上,然后抬頭看著阿樂,悲傷地抽泣。阿樂明白了小不點想表達的意思:他的雙親過世了。
阿樂把代表爸爸的樹枝拿開,也用土蓋上了。“我很想他?!卑氛f。
小不點伸出手,拍了拍阿樂的腿,以示安慰。然后,他走向自己的樹枝人,對著月亮嚎叫起來。
“嗷嗚!”
盡管小不點沒說話,但是他用自己的方式表達了他的難過之情,當(dāng)他想起痛苦的往事時,仍然很受傷。阿樂也因為爸爸的事情傷心了好久,直到今天,他也從未真正想要說起這件事。
但是阿樂感覺這一次也和之前與小不點在一起的每一次一樣暢快,于是他也和小不點一起嚎叫起來。
浩瀚的天空中繁星點點,天空下的兩個朋友對著月光嚎叫,將各自的悲痛釋放到夜空之中。
“嗷嗚……”
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