"I told you he was a show-off." Said Shaver.

"Si, your dog is very silly...does he think he is a boy?" Asked Pedro.

"Who knows..." Sighed Shaver.

As the boys were skating around the pond they noticed Bobby on the side of the pond lacing up his skates. As he came on the ice he went the other way as if he didn't see the boys.

"Bobby, come over here with us...let's have a race, okay?" Yelled Shaver.

"I can't play with you guys." He said. "I have to skate down here alone."

Pedro hung his head and sighed. "I wish Bobby's father would let us be friends. He is a nice boy...my father likes Bobby a lot."

"It's okay Pedro, I'll always be your friend." Admitted Shaver.

Splinter started howling as if to say, me too.

After a few minutes Shaver looked up toward the other end of the pond. Bobby was skating around in a big circle. Each time the circle would get bigger until, finally, he was skating and playing with the other boys.

Bobby was a good boy who always tried to do what his father told him. He wasn't going against his father's wishes on purpose...it just seemed to work out that way.

The boys skated and played for hours. They played tag, had races and chased after Splinter. They even took turns on the old burlap bag Splinter brought with him.

"Your turn, Pedro." Grinned Bobby. "Sit on the bag and Shaver and I will push you around the ice for awhile."

The boys decided to make a whip. This is where they all hold hands and begin skating fast in a circle. With every lap they make their speed increases more and more. Bobby was the tail of the whip so he was skating the fastest.

Then, though he tried, Bobby couldn't hold on any longer. He let go of Pedro's hand and went skidding across the pond.

At first Pedro and Shaver were laughing because he looked so funny flying across the ice on his bottom. Then Bobby screamed. "Help me...help!"

The thin ice at the far end of the pond had broken with his weight. The warmer weather had weakened the ice. Bobby fell into the freezing water...and went down.

The boys raced over to try to help him but they couldn't see him. He had fallen to the bottom of the pond and hadn't come back up.

"Splinter...Splinter, quick!" Yelled Shaver. "Run home, get Mother and some warm blankets...hurry!"

"What are we going to do...I'm scared?" Asked Shaver. "I can't see him anywhere."

Without a thought for his own safety Pedro leaped into the gaping hole in the ice and began swimming around under the ice. He dove under over and over again until...

"He is here, he is here!" Pedro screamed. "Help me pull him up."

"Quick Pedro, you must hurry before you too freeze." Shaver said.

"I know Shaver but I had to try to save Bobby, he is my friend." Said Pedro.

"Is he breathing, Pedro?" Asked Shaver.

"Si, si...he will be fine, amigo." Pedro joyfully said.

At just that moment Mrs. Hardy, Splinter and Bobby's father came running to help the boy. They wrapped him in warm blankets, checked his breathing again then hurriedly took him home.

"Why hasn't Bobby woke up yet, Mother?" Shaver asked Mrs. Hardy.

"I don't know Son, the doctor is here now...you boys step out of the way." She said.

Slowly, Bobby started stirring around then...he opened his eyes.

"What...what happened?" He mumbled. "Am I okay, Doctor?"

"You will be fine young man, thanks to Pedro's bravery." Doctor Green told Bobby as he fussed over him a bit.

"Hoo-ray!" The boys yelled as they jumped happily around the room. Splinter was running around in circles chasing his tail again...he does this a lot when he is happy.

Bobby's father fell back in a big overstuffed chair in the corner. Suddenly he started weeping.

"Don't cry, Senor Johnson. Your son will be fine now, you will see." Said Pedro as he was trying to comfort the man.

"Come here, young man." Mr. Johnson seemed to demand of Pedro.

Pedro slowly walked over to Mr. Johnson because he didn't know what to expect from him. He jumped when Mr. Johnson reached out for him so quickly...he was afraid.

"Don't be afraid of me, Pedro." He said. "I've learned a lot here today. I always thought anyone different from myself couldn't be a good person. You've shown me how wrong I was."

"I...I do not understand, Sir." Pedro said with a confused look.

"You saved my son's life...I'll never forget you for it." Bobby's father stated. "Bobby means more to me than anyone in this world and you kept me from losing him."

With these words he hugged the boy so tightly that Pedro felt he could hardly breathe.

"Pedro, have your father come down to my office. I can give him a job paying more money than he makes now." He said. "Besides, those people he works for now are prejudiced and may try to take advantage of him."

The room was thick with silence for a moment then laughter broke out everywhere. Mr. Johnson told Pedro he and his family are welcome in his home any time they wanted to visit. He asked Pedro if he thought his parents might welcome him in their home.

"Si, I mean yes, Mr. Johnson...you were always welcome in our home." He said.

In just a few days Bobby was up and around. A few more days later the boys were their old sassy selves again.

"Quick!" Said Shaver. "Let's go, here comes that show-off dog again."

The boys ran like crazy down the street. Splinter was behind them howling, hopping and trying to catch up.

Then just as fast as he took off he stopped, sat for a minute thinking about the situation and started chasing his tail again...around and around and around in circles.

Who cares, he thought.

The end

~Index~

~Webrings~