Ereth's Birthday by Avi

Author:Avi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-11-25T05:00:00+00:00

“Do you think I want to be here?” Ereth roared back. “Let me tell you something, cheese blister. I’ve got three billion better things to do. I’m only here because your mother asked me.”

“She did not!”

“Suffocating snake slime! Why else would I have come here? She said you were helpless. That you needed me to look after you. That you couldn’t get by on your own.”

“That’s not true!” Tumble shrilled, eyes hot with tears. Furious, he spun about and resumed pushing the snowball across the field, away from Ereth.

Ereth followed right after him.

When Tumble, with a darting glance over his shoulder, saw Ereth was at his heels, he cried, “We’re old enough to be on our own. The only reason you came to us was to get out of the snow, get warm, and eat our food. You’re just too lazy to go back to your own home. You’re nothing but an old, ugly, fat porcupine. And you stink, too!”

Ereth, taken aback by the new onslaught of words, stopped in his tracks. For a moment he was speechless.

“See?” Tumble went on. “You insult whoever you want, but you can’t take it, can you?

“Didn’t you hear me? We don’t need you,” Tumble insisted, going forward again. “My sister and brother feel the same way, only they’re too nice to say it. Well, I’m not nice or polite. I say what I think. Anyway, my father will get here soon and when he does, you can—”

At that precise moment the snowball exploded, hurling snow into Tumble’s face.

The young fox, taken by surprise, stood in place, trembling. Poking up through the snow were the sharp steel jaws of another trap.

“There,” Ereth said angrily. “Didn’t I tell you to be careful?”

Tumble whirled around. “Oh, can’t you ever be quiet!” he said into Ereth’s face. Then he burst into tears.

Ereth blinked. “But what . . . what’s the matter?”

The fox couldn’t speak. He was sobbing too hard.

“Talk!” Ereth barked.

“I . . . want my mom . . .” Tumble whispered. “So badly. I miss her so much . . .”

Ereth paled. “But . . . she’s . . .”

“I know she’s dead!” Tumble cried, switching back to anger, though the tears continued to flow. “Stop telling me things I know. Oh, why don’t you just go away! You’re awful to have around. You’re bossy. You’re sarcastic. And do you know what you are most of all? You’re so old your brain has turned gray. Yeah, that’s what you are. Old!” With that Tumble lifted his nose, opened his mouth wide, and began to howl. “I want my daddy!” he cried again and again.

An appalled Ereth looked back over his shoulder to see if Flip and Nimble were watching and listening. To his great relief they were nowhere in sight. He could only hope they had gone down into the safety of the den and had not witnessed any of this.

Ereth turned back to Tumble. The young fox was just sitting there, his head low, looking miserable.

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