The Rightful Heir Read Online Free

“You
are
a dog, aren’t you?” Jonah nodded. “Unlike any dog I have ever seen, and certainly not a king. You’re too dirty to be a king.” Then it spotted the collar with the eye-catching tag. Its neck jerked back in awe and it squawked loudly. Jonah jumped in fear. “Are you a king, little dog?”
    Jonah hoped the buzzard wouldn’t know if he was lying. “Y-yes, I am.”
    â€œAnd where is your kingdom, little dog?”
    â€œUm…” Jonah didn’t know what to say.
    â€œJonah, where are you?! You’re in big trouble, mister!”
    The buzzard gave the dog a quick, evil grin and took off into the sky.
    The screen door slammed and footsteps clapped on the porch. Peeking around the corner of the shed, Jonah saw the old lady walk around the back of the house. He made a run for the creaky, wooden porch as fast as he could. Climbing the steps, he hopped into a hole in the porch, the secret spot he’d used to hide from her so many times before.

CHAPTER FIVE
Meet King Benjamin

    B ENJAMIN WALKED DOWN THE LONG DRIVEWAY. On his left a flock of mallard ducks swam near the cottonwood trees in the farcorner of his pond. They quacked loudly and flapped their wings in greeting.
    â€œI can’t understand you!” He lifted his arm to show his bare wrist. No collar. He felt so helpless when he couldn’t understand the animals, much like when the crows stole the collar in Persly’s Woods.
I hope I can still get in the fox den
. He passed the mailbox and smiled at the mouse sitting on the pile of sticks at the open hole of the den.
    â€œHey, Squeak! Boy, am I glad to see you out here.”
    â€œThank you, Your Majesty. I’ve been waiting for you for a while now. You see, we have a surprise visitor inside that sort of, uh…just
dropped
in on us.”
    Benjamin laughed. “Squeak, I don’t have my collar so I can’t understand you.”
    â€œOh…” The mouse watched him point to his wrist, bare of the king’s collar. Then he followed the boy down the hole. Lightning bugs peppered the tunnel’s walls to guide him along, but he’d been through that passage so many times he could almost find his way in his sleep.
    â€œHe can understand you?” Felix asked Clementine and Roscoe.
    â€œYes, that’s right. He is unlike any other human you’ve ever met.” The pig heard steps and turned to see Benjamin and Squeakround the corner. The fox’s eyes lit up.
    â€œHi, guys!” Benjamin waved.
    â€œSire, we were hoping to see you today!”
    Benjamin only heard oinks of excitement. “Okay, well, guys,” he clapped his hands together, “I don’t know how to tell you this, but…I’ve lost my collar again.” Embarrassed, he bit his bottom lip and squinted.
    â€œOh, crap!” Roscoe cried in frustration. Clementine sighed loudly.
    â€œLook, I know where it is, though. My mom gave it to some old lady’s dog. But, I-I’m gonna get it back, alright? I just don’t know how yet.” He could tell his news wasn’t what they wanted to hear. “I wanted to let you guys know that I won’t be able to talk to that pug tonight.”
    â€œKing Benjamin, listen. There are a
thousand
others wanting to join our kingdom—”
    â€œHe can’t understand you, Roscoe.”
    Benjamin laughed nervously at the odd conversation. “Uh, my mom’s waiting on me so I gotta go. I’ll get that collar back, I promise. Or should I say ‘
baaaah baaaah, oink oink!
’” He patted them on their heads. “Bye, Squeak.” They watched as he disappeared around the corner.
    â€œHe’s awfully sure of himself, isn’t he?” Roscoe frowned.
    â€œI take it
that
was the King Benjamin who can understand you?” Felix snickered and shook his head in disbelief.
    The boy walked through the tunnel thinking of ideas.
“Okay, I can