hello this is Jamie with puppylovesme.net
and tonight I am going to read
Otis and the Tornado by
Loren Long so sit down and get
comfy
Life was calm on the farm where
the friendly little tractor named Otis
lived it was summer the sun shined
bright the birds chirped and after all
the work was done Otis and his little
friend the calf liked
to play they would gather all their Farm
Friends for a grand game of Follow the
Leader they would take turns being the
leader as they marched along Otis
would go first putt putt putty chuff
followed by the little calf who would
bound ahead bawling all the while
soon the horse would Trot to the Lead
with a neigh neigh as his hooves clip clop
clip clopped finally the Ducks would waddle
to the front with a chorus of quack
quack quack quack they all followed the
leader up by the apple tree around the
barn down the rolling hill past mud Pond
beyond the cornfield across the meadow
and along the banks of Mud Creek when
the crowd they were everyone was so
friendly except the bull the bull was nobody’s
friend when he was not in his pen he was
kept in a pasture all by
himself if any of the other farm animals
got close the bull would stand at the
fence and snort and snarl and Huff hot
air suddenly with a burst he would run
back and forth along the fence then he
would stop and glare at them like a
statue never moving a muscle except to
flare his nostrils the bull did not like
anyone and everyone was afraid of
him once Otis tried to make friends with
a bull he took him a shiny Red Apple
from the apple tree and invited him to
play but the bull snorted and snarled
and glared at Otis and then he stomped
his Hooves in the dirt and charged the
bull slammed into the fence just inches
away from where Otis stood from that day
on Otis stayed clear of the bull all
together one day the farm Skies began to
swirl and turn dark the winds blew and
the rain came down the animals in the
barn grew restless and jittery the skies
tumbled and turned turned and tumbled
Otis didn’t mind the rain but there was
something different about this storm
that he could feel deep down in his
pipes all at once the wind stopped
blowing not even a breeze and the rain
disappeared the sky turned a strange
shade of green and the farm fell
completely still the only sound Otis
heard as he putt puffed toward the barn
was the farmer shouting in the distance
it’s coming fast get down in the
cellar the farmer was in such a hurry
that he had no time for the animals what
was all the fuss about Otis wondered and
then he turned and saw something that
rattled his frame and shook his fenders
a tornado there it is and it was headed
straight toward the farm what would happen to all the
animals locked in the barn Otis sprung
into action he nudged the latch of the
little calf’s stall until the door swung
open next Otis freed the Pig and the
Sheep the winds howled closer he
stretched to unlatch the horses and the
cow’s doors at the same time click clock
the animals were
free they followed Otis out of the barn
and into the swirling winds they
followed him down the rolling hill past
mud Pond beyond the cornfield across the
meadow over the bank and down into Mud
Creek tucked down at the lowest part of
the farm Otis the little calf and all of
the farm friends felt safe Otis sighed
with relief now they just had to huddle
together and waited
out but just as they squeeze closed and
tight Otis heard an awful bellowing cry
the sound of a large creature in trouble
the bull he was locked in his pin from
the safety of Mud Creek Otis saw the
tornado speeding in the terrified
animals direction lightning crashed the tornado
howled the bull screamed and in a Flash
Otis was gone he raced across the meadow
put put putty chuff beyond the cornfield
past mud Pond and up the Rolling Hill to
the bull pin Otis found a bull tucked under the
shed shaking in fear here Otis tried to unlatch the gate it
was locked he was he slammed head on
into it the gate shook but held firm
Otis rammed it again the gate teetered
the bull wailed like a
baby Otis spun around threw himself in
Reverse revved his engine and charged
backward into the gate crash the gate
shattered into pieces Otis shook himself
off gave the bull a friendly chuff and
peeled out the bull followed Otis down the
rolling hill past mud pond
and Beyond the cornfield the tornado
roared like a freight train as they
crossed the meadows and just as Otis and the
bull dove for cover over the bank and into
Mud Creek the tornado touch down
narrowly missing them Otis the little calf the bull and
all the farm animals ducked their heads
and closed their eyes they’d never heard
such a fury or felt such a rage but they
were all safely tucked down in the muddy
Creek’s bed at the lowest part of the
farm and they stayed huddled there until
long after the tornado had
passed they came out only when it was
calm and the sun shined bright and the
birds began to chirp they found a farm
that needed great repair
the barn is gone but when the work was done all over
and it was time to play The Farm Friends
discovered they had a new
playmate this one snorted and stomped
his Hooves in the dirt he flared his
nostrils and he huffed hot air but
instead of a snarl and a glare he wore a
happy grin and a friendly gaze as he
took his place in line with Otis and the
little calf in a grand game of Follow
the Leader
the end
