MY DEEPEST FEAR IS THAT I LL LOOK BACK ON MY LIFE AND WONDER WHAT I DID WITH IT. (Author, unknown)

MY DEEPEST FEAR IS THAT I LL LOOK BACK ON MY LIFE AND WONDER WHAT I DID WITH IT. (Author, unknown)

Acknowledgements First and foremost, I acknowledge my wife, Jo Anne. Her steadfast encouragement permitted me to believe in and complete this children s story. Appreciation to my life long friend, Penny LeGrande, a very talented lady, who from afar, agreed to draw the wonderful illustrations for Smoky. To my friend of many years, Mike Marchev, Mike s unselfish availability contribut ontributed mightily to the publication of this children s story. To my family and friends who have indulged my requests for their input. Thank you. 2

SMOKY Copyright 2005 John Gaudioso. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either e are the product of the author s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. ISBN: #: 0-9702547 0 9702547-2-5 Printed in the United States tes Published By: Greyhound Press 9105 E. Diamond Drive Chandler, Arizona 85248 Email: order: jandj@robsoncom.net 3

Dedicated to: Children throughout the world. They and only they can carry on what we ve taught them. To Smile, Laugh, Love and be Compassionate. Joey, Jessica and Jamie Callahan All our love Grandma and Grandpa Gaudioso. 4

SMOKY A children s story by: John Gaudioso Illustrations by: Penny LeGrande 5

It was the beginning of July. It promised to be a very hot day, which wasn t t unusual in Phoenix Arizona! Already, the sun was rising in the East and, glowing in a deep red color. It seemed to rise up out of the ground. Soon it would be high in the sky causing temperatures to rise into the high 90 s and possibly into the 100 s! 6

The first semester for the new school year was under way. Soon school buses and teachers and students and workers would be arriving to begin the new school year. On this morning, there was another arrival, of sorts! A little dog appeared out of nowhere here. It was spotted wandering about in the open fields outside of the school grounds. It was looking this way and, that way. It seemed it was unsure which way to go. Was it lost? Back and forth it crossed over the open fields, stopping every few feet and looking back over its shoulders. Always looking for something it seemed,, but what? Was it running from some thingt hing? Was it 7

trying to find its way? But, to where? And, where did it come from? It was the only moving thing in the fields. The dog didn t appear to be very large. Not large at all. In fact, it looked to be on the small side with a short tail that seemed to be tucked in behind its hind legs. From a distance the dog looked to be dark gray or black in color. This dog seemed nervous! Was it a dog or a coyote? Was it a she or a he? Maybe it was a mix of both dog and coyote? It was hard to tell from a distance. 8

Students and teachers and workers and bus drivers sighted the dog that first day but, didn t pay much attention tention to it. After all, it wasn t unusual to see animals wandering in the open fields. In the next days, in the mornings, as the yellow school buses arrived at the school, the little dog could be seen wandering in the open fields. Students and bus drivers would spot the dog and some asked about it. Where did it come from? Was it lost? But, beyond those few questions little attention was paid to the wandering dog. In a matter of days, everyone began settling into their routine outine. Teachers and students attended ed their classes and bus drivers tended ed to their buses. 9

It seemed everyone had some place to go, something to do, everybody except the little dog who continued to wander in the open fields. The bus drivers, whose buses were parked near the open fields observed the little dog, often stopping and laying down to rest. Slowly, ever so slowly over the next few days, it wandered closer to where the big yellow school buses were parked. The bus drivers didn t know what the dog was up to. Was it trying to join them? They did call out to the little black dog, but to no avail. Did their presence draw the little dog to them? Or was it something else that caught its attention. One thing was very 10