The Rightful Heir Read Online Free Page B

necessary!
    â€œI mentioned to him that maybe you’d like your lawn mowed.… No, he doesn’t want money so you don’t have to worry about that. Do you have a lawn mower?… Okay, then. Ben will be over tomorrow after school.… Alright. Thank you, Mrs. Crane.Bye bye.”
    â€œI mean…a buzzard, for crying out loud!” His dad snorted.
    The boy ignored him and shot up off the couch, running to the kitchen. “Well, what did she say?” He was a little too energetic.
    His mom smiled. “You can mow her lawn.”
    â€œYes!” His fists pumped the air.
    She arched an eyebrow suspiciously. “You know, Ben, I have never seen you so excited about mowing someone’s lawn before.”
    â€œI love to mow, Mom, you know that!” he laughed nervously.
    â€œDo you want me to drive you over there tomorrow?”
    â€œHow far is it?”
    â€œShe lives where Hopkin’s Switch road begins. You know where it is?”
    â€œBy that big water tower?”
    â€œYes, and it’s the first house on the…actually it’s the only house out there. Probably a little over three miles from here.”
    â€œOh, I’ll just take my bike, then.”
    â€œOkay, sweetie. I think she’ll really appreciate this.” He started to walk away. “Oh, and Ben…” He turned around hoping his plan wasn’t just foiled. “I’m very proud of you!” He tried not to laugh as he left the kitchen but the thought of him actually being excited over mowing an old lady’s lawn was just too much!
    After dinner he went to his room to work on homework and then go to bed.

    A CROSS THE ROAD, the kingdom was a downright mess.
    â€œWhat?
A thousand?!”
Miss Nightingale’s long, colorful feathers ruffled high over everyone at the startling news.
    â€œYes, you all heard me right. A thousand,” Clementine confirmed.
    â€œGive or take…” Felix added, trying to ease the impact.
    There was anuproar from the animals at the thought of so many more residents in their kingdom. “There simply is not enough room, Clementine!” a brown squirrel yelled.
    â€œWhere is King Benjamin?” shouted a basset hound from the middle of the crowd. “He should have the final say on this.”
    Roscoe and Clementine exchanged a glance. They hadn’t told anyone about the lost collar. Felix stood a safe distance behind the pig, the angry crowd staring at him. Clementine cleared his throat. He knew everyone was suspicious because Benjamin hadn’t stayed to talk to all the animals earlier. “Ahem. Well, you see, it’s kinda funny—”
    â€œNo, it’s not,” Roscoe murmured out of the corner of his mouth.
    â€œShut up, Roscoe!” Clementine said quietly, then addressed the others. “King Benjamin kind of, um…well, lost his collar—”
    â€œThe Royal Collar!?” the old badger called out.
    â€œYeah…” The pig looked down and softly kicked the ground, “…
that
royal collar.”
    Everyone gasped in unison, but Felix didn’t understand what the big deal was. “What’s so special about his collar?”
    Clementine had to talk over the complaining crowd. “It’s belonged to every king we’ve ever had.
And
…it’s the reason King Benjamin can understand us.”
    â€œAnd…”
Roscoe chimed in. “It apparently has a knack for getting lost or stolen!” The goat shook his head in disbelief.
    The fox’s eyes widened, “Ohhhhhh, I see. And he can’t talk to this supposed heir without it?”
    â€œYep.”
    â€œSo, when will he get this collar back?” the fox asked bluntly.
    Roscoe sighed. “We don’t know…so I guess we just wait.”
    Felix sighed. He didn’t like the thought of waiting for a new king. The animals complained until they got tired. The foxwatched as, one by one, they