Emmett and Jez Read online

  For every pig who dreams of a happy future

  CHAPTER 1 Bee Careful

  Thud!

  The whole world seemed to be spinning around Emmett as he hit the pavement and rolled into a ditch. Ouch. That hurt!

  Little Emmett brushed himself off and lifted his head, which was now throbbing, and squinted as he watched a truck disappear into the distance. It all happened so fast. One minute he was squeezed into a truck packed with his mama and siblings, and the next he was tumbling down the interstate, all alone.

  Alone. What a terrible feeling! All his (short) life, he’d known the comfort of friends nuzzling against him and the familiar sounds of the barnyard. Now he sat trembling, nothing to keep him company but the whoosh of cars speeding past.

  And so there he sat, on the side of the road, waiting for someone to find him. He wasn’t sure who he was waiting for or where he wanted to go—he just knew that he didn’t belong here. His hooves were scuffed, his tummy was making rumbly sounds, and his mouth felt drier than sand. He was only a baby, no taller than the dandelions that surrounded him. For a long while, he sat there under those yellow petals, waiting and squealing.

  And waiting. And squealing.

  Then, just feet away, a bumblebee landed on a flower petal. Emmett leapt up to call out to her.

  “Help! Please, help! I was in one of those… zoomy things… and I’ve fallen… and… I’ve lost my way! I’ve been sitting here alone all afternoon. Can you point me in the right direction?”

  Stunned, the bumblebee quickly stuffed her pockets with pollen and flew toward him, landing right on the tip of his fuzzy pink snout.

  “Why, it’zzz a baby pig!” the bumblebee said.

  “A baby what?” Emmett paused, wondering whether he’d ever heard the word “pig” before.

  “Hmm,” he said as he looked cross-eyed at the bee with big dark eyes peeking out from under long curly eyelashes. “I’m afraid I don’t know anything about a baby pig,” he said. “I’m just Emmett. But can you help me?”

  “Oh dear,” the bumblebee replied. “Thizzz izzz no place for a baby pig.”

  Emmett wiggled his snout in confusion. The truth is that he did not know who he was or where he belonged. All he knew was that he was himself, a little guy as tall as a flower, with a rumbly belly and nowhere to go.

  The bee looked west toward the sun and gasped. “Oh dear! I’m afraid I have important bizzzness to attend to,” she said, realizing that she was soon due back at the hive. “Little pig, bee careful!” the bumblebee shouted, and flew off with a gust of wind.

  “Wait! Come back! Don’t leave me here!” Emmett called, but it was too late. The bee was out of sight. Sheesh, she sure was flighty, Emmett thought, and flopped against the grass, wondering if he’d be alone forever.

  Oh, how he hated to be alone.

  The sun was scorching, and he was thirsty. Getting up, Emmett tiptoed along a thin yellow line, trying to make his way toward a puddle shining in the distance. Cars zipped past, honking and blowing hot wind against his side. Emmett was scared, and if this was what it meant to be a pig, he longed to be anyone else—and anywhere else. Finally, he made it to the puddle, and as he drank, he saw in his reflection a fuzzy pink baby looking back at him. He shuddered. “I don’t think I like being a baby pig at all.”

  Screeeech! A car came to a sudden stop, and he jolted, splashing water all over himself, as the door opened wide. Emmett backed away slowly as a long shadow fell over him, blocking the sunshine. As if out of thin air, two huge hands wrapped around his tiny body, lifting him toward the sky.

  He couldn’t believe his eyes. He was being held by a giant!

  Before he knew what was happening, Emmett was sitting in a box on the passenger seat, the trees zooming past his face as if he were flying through space at the speed of light. His mind was racing. Who was this giant? Where was she taking him? And most importantly… would there be snacks?

  CHAPTER 2 Uncharted Territory

  The trees finally stopped moving and the giant plopped a dizzy Emmett before a door that must have been one thousand feet tall. Gulp. He could feel butterflies in his stomach as he wondered what might be on the other side. The door creaked open, and Emmett placed one hoof inside to take a first peek at the mysterious new space. Here goes nothing, he thought.

  Tip-tap, tip-tap… slip! His tiny hooves slid awkwardly across the tile. He caught his breath and shook his head, getting his feet back under him. What a curious terrain!

  Tippy-tappy, tippy-tappy, he carefully continued ahead.

  Emmett felt uncertain about this strange place but was relieved to be off the side of the road. Anything is better than that awful ditch, he thought. Besides, maybe I can find someone here to ask for help finding something to eat.…

  He squinted. At the end of the hallway, he saw a small fuzzy mouse.

  “Hello?” he called out to the mouse, but the mouse did not respond.

  “Could you tell me where I am? I was by a busy road, and I talked to a bee who flew right off! Next thing I knew, I got scooped up by this giant… and now… well, I think that I might be even more lost than before. I just need someone to tell me where to go, or at least where I can find some food,” he continued.

  The mouse stayed silent and perfectly still. Why was it so hard to find someone to talk to?

  Emmett approached the mouse, who had beady little eyes but didn’t blink at all. He nudged it with his snout, and it flipped onto its side, making a funny rattling sound. Huh. He nudged it harder, and it tumbled down the hall. Emmett jumped back. “You’re not even real! You’re… made of fabric!”

  He pattered farther down the hallway. A poof of colorful feathers lay across the path, and he ran toward them. “Excuse me, Mr. Bird, can you tell me—” But just then he noticed the feathers were glued to a bouncy ball, and there was no bird to be found. He furrowed his brow. What is going on here?

  Sitting still, he could hear nothing but the rumbling of his stomach, which was getting louder by the minute. But as he listened closely, there was a distant clanging noise in another room. He peeked around the corner and saw that the giant had placed a bowl on the ground… and she was pouring some kind of yummy-looking creamy liquid into the dish!

  Emmett’s nose wiggled wildly. Could it be? He stepped closer, sniffing the sweet-smelling air. The scent was irresistible. He ran up to the dish, took a deep whiff, and squealed.

  FOOD!

  Wasting no time, Emmett jumped into the air and did a belly flop straight into the pond of warm milk. He splashed through the sloshy puddle, slurping it up. Curling his tongue like a straw, he ate as fast as he could. As he was guzzling down his first meal all day, he managed to get food on his feet… and all over his belly… and even on the top of his head.

  Within what seemed like no time at all, the dish was nearly empty. As he licked little drizzles from his chin, a new feeling came over Emmett, and he paused, pondering what was happening in his belly, which was feeling funny and tight. This was the feeling of having had enough to eat, but he hadn’t felt anything like that ever before, so even though he was very full, he couldn’t help trying to fit another droplet into his mouth. When he couldn’t drink another lick, he plopped onto his side with a thump, stretching his chunky belly across the saucer.

  Maybe this place isn’t so bad after all, he thought.

  With a big stretch, he turned his sight to the land before him and surveyed the area in search of a comfy spot to nap.

  First he tried to lie on a pile of blankets. But the blankets were lumpy, and even when he nudged them with his snout to try to make a cozy bed, he just couldn’t get comfortable.

  Next he flopped atop what he thought was a flower bed. It might have been the perfect size for his li
ttle body, but when he took a deep inhale, the funky smell of feet was too much. After that he tried sprawling out on the floor, but the cool tile gave him a chill. Brr! All he wanted was a warm place to curl up and sleep!

  Emmett looked to the window, and there it was: the most comfortable place on planet Earth.

  A pink cloud floating in the warmth of a shining sunbeam. Rays of light were glittering like pixie dust in the air, showering down on the fluffy pillow, which looked squishy and smooshy and absolutely scrumptious.

  Time stood still as Emmett trotted toward the magical pink cloud, his eyes wide with wonder. He ran and ran, ready to make a dive for it and leap belly first into the cloudy cushion. But just as his little hooves began their liftoff, he saw something that stopped him in his tracks. Skrrrrrt!

  He gulped. There was a creature on the pillow… a creature with shiny, razor-sharp claws. And they were pointed right at him!

  CHAPTER 3 A Magical Place

  Sniff, sniff, sniff.

  At the edge of the cloud appeared a little brown nose, wiggling with long white whiskers.

  Sniff, sniff, sniff.

  Emmett braced himself as the fluffy cloud-dweller leaned forward, sniffing in his direction until they were snout-to-snoot.

  Up from the cloud rose a fuzzy individual with brown fur and big blue eyes. “So you’re the new kid, huh?” he said. “Yeah, I was the new kid last week… which was practically ages ago. So I guess this makes me the big guy! Okay, kid, hop in.” He scooted to the side to make room for Emmett.

  Stunned, Emmett sat perfectly still, staring up at the being, who tapped his back paw and said, “Well? Are you going to come hang out or not?”

  Emmett shyly stepped into the bed, relieved to finally find someone who wanted to talk to him. “I’m Emmett. I’ve had such a confusing day.” His voice grew stronger as he spoke. “I was on the side of the road, and it was so scary there, and now all of a sudden I’m here… but I’m afraid I don’t know where here is!”

  The fluffy being raised an eyebrow. “You mean to tell me that you don’t know where you are right now?” He sat up tall—showing off his long, shiny tiger-striped coat—and cleared his throat before breaking into a speech.

  “Ahem!” he began. “Hear ye, hear ye! I am Jez, and this kingdom you have entered… is Fosterland,” he said, gesturing grandly with his furry arms outstretched.

  “Fosterland,” Jez continued, “is where the lost are found, the sick are healed, and the hungry are fed and loved. My friend, you have just entered a magical place where you can lie back and relax, enjoy the buffet, and focus on your own personal growth. Fosterland is a haven for foster kittens like you and me.”

  Retreat? Food? Love? Emmett liked what he was hearing. His ears perked up. “I’m a… foster kitten?”

  “Yes, genius.” Jez laughed and rolled his eyes. “Gosh, you are new, huh? Of course you’re a foster kitten. We both are! Consider yourself lucky, because us foster kittens have it good in Fosterland.”

  Emmett leaned in, listening. He could feel the corners of his mouth curling into a tiny smile. Maybe this was his lucky day, and he wasn’t a little pig after all! This Jez character seemed like he probably knew what he was talking about—he was bigger, older, and carried himself like a proud lion. Emmett sat like a perfect student, taking little notes in his mind. Note to self: I’m a foster kitten, and I have it good now.

  Stretching his neck to appear as tall as possible, Jez continued. “There was a time when I was in your shoes, little one, so wide-eyed and new to the world. And a sleek black cat, much older and wiser, spoke to me in rhyme:

  “ ‘Dream big, dream big, and soon you’ll see, all that a foster grows to be…’ ”

  He held his paw to his heart, closing his eyes as if in deep reflection (but really, he was just trying to remember the rest of the words).

  “… ‘The dream inside your heart’… something…

  “Hmm…

  “Something about dreams and hearts…”

  The truth was, he was so excited to have a new friend that he could not remember the rest of the rhyme.

  He paused, took a deep breath, then lowered his head until he was eye-to-eye with Emmett, whispering in quiet amazement: “Legend has it that all the dreams you have as a baby in Fosterland come true once you are big and grown.”

  Emmett teared up a little as Jez continued his monologue, marching back and forth like a fluffy soldier with a swishy tail.

  “Little kitten, you are tiny. But someday you will be mighty. And that is why you are here in Fosterland. That is why we are both here. To grow into mighty cats! As you can see, I’m well on my way.…”

  Watching as Jez strutted in a circle, Emmett was speechless. Jez was shining with sophistication! Then Emmett looked down at his little pink feet, which were still scuffed with dirt from the side of the road. He thought about how scary it had felt to be lost and how good it felt to be in Fosterland. And he decided that it was a very good thing to be a foster kitten indeed.

  Even if he was a little smaller than Jez, Emmett was bubbling with the happy feeling that maybe they really were quite the same—each with two eyes, two ears, and one loving, tender heart. The only difference, as far as he could tell, was that Jez only had three legs, while Emmett had four.

  “What happened to your leg?” Emmett asked.

  “I used to have four legs,” Jez replied, “but one of them got hurt when I was a baby. That’s how I ended up here in Fosterland—I needed a place to heal. But don’t worry, I get around just fine on three legs. See?” And with that he leapt over Emmett’s head, landing on a short bench overlooking the cloud. Now Emmett really did feel small.

  Jez looked down at Emmett, who was sinking into the squishiness of the pink cloud. He said, “You look a little different, too. What happened to your tail?”

  My tail? Emmett thought to himself, rolling around the bed to try to get a view of his behind. Emmett’s tail was short, skinny, pink, and nearly hairless. When he was excited, it wagged back and forth uncontrollably, like a flag in the wind. It was nothing like Jez’s tail, which was long, fluffy, and swishing through the air with grace.

  Emmett had no memory of his tail ever looking like Jez’s. But, wanting to fit in, he replied, “Oh, my tail? Uh… yeah, same thing. Something happened. Yeah.”

  “I get it,” Jez said, hopping back down and placing a loving paw on Emmett’s back. “It’s okay to look a little different—that’s what makes you special.”

  Emmett exhaled a sigh of relief after what had been a long, confusing day. Settling in by Jez’s side, he kicked his little hooves to the side and felt his worries melting away. He’d never sat next to a kitten before, but it sure was comfy. Jez was as soft as a fleece pillow and seemed to be vibrating gently like the motor of a truck. He remembered his previous snuggle buddies and hoped that wherever they’d ended up, they’d found a Fosterland for themselves, too.

  “What’s that fluttering sound in your chest?” Emmett asked.

  “I’m purring. That’s what us kittens do when we’re happy,” Jez replied, curling into a cozy crescent. “I’m glad you’re here, Emmett. I’ve been waiting for a foster friend like you.”

  Emmett cuddled in close, listening to the purrs. So this is what happiness sounds like, he thought, wondering if he might someday learn how to purr, too. He closed his eyes, and the rumbling sounds soothed him right to sleep.

  CHAPTER 4 The Grand Tour

  In the morning, Jez and Emmett awoke tangled together in a puddle of cuddles. Jez stretched his arms around Emmett and asked, “Do you like cat jokes?”

  “I don’t know any. Tell me one!” he replied.

  “Okay. Here’s one: What do you call a pile of kittens?” Jez said, flopping his furry body over Emmett.

  Emmett paused. He had no idea.

  “… A meowntain! Bahaha!” Jez cracked himself up, and Emmett chuckled too, even though he wasn’t totally sure he got the joke.

  “Her
e’s another one. What does a cat read in the morning?”

  Emmett was quiet again.

  “… The mewspaper! Get it? Mews?” Emmett didn’t really get it, but it didn’t matter—both of them were laughing hysterically. It was just fun to have someone to laugh with!

  “I do have one question,” Emmett asked, thinking about everything that happened the day before. “Have you ever seen a giant around here?”

  “A giant. Hmm. Let me think.… Oh, do you mean the food fairy?” Jez replied. “Yeah, she’s cool. I know she’s as big as a monster, but she’s very gentle. And kind. She’s the one who gives us all the snacks, and let me tell you, she gives chin scratches that’ll knock you right out! Yep, she’s a cool lady all right.… Except there is one weird thing about her.” Jez paused, looking from side to side as if he were about to let Emmett in on a secret. “Sometimes… she steals my poop.”

  Emmett giggled. “She does what?! Weird. So weird.” A gigantic fairy who steals your poop and leaves food behind? That was so silly! But at least there was nothing to fear.

  Emmett’s tummy rumbled and Jez’s rumbled right back, so they headed over to the kitchen, where the food fairy was making breakfast. Perfect timing! Fresh food flowed like a wondrous waterfall onto a dish, and Emmett began sloshing and spinning and lapping it up with glee. Jez was more proper with his dining style and preferred instead to drink his formula from a bottle. Ears wiggling as he drank, Jez kept one eye on his fuzzy pink pal, who was tap dancing with all four legs on the plate.

  “That must be good stuff,” Jez laughed. “Mind if I try some?” Jez took a lick of what Emmett was eating, and even though it looked like his meal, it tasted very strange. “Yuck,” he blurted out, and went back to gulping from the bottle until it was empty.

  Grooming his paws and licking his lips, Jez was almost clean when Emmett started shaking his full belly from side to side, sending droplets flying all around. “Oops, sorry!” He giggled.