I thing this will enjoy those, who love dogs. This is about special dogs - siberian husky. When I have read the book, I really enjoyed the winter wilderness, dog train and especially snow which I didn´t see properly for three years. And the dogs... it is all writter in the magical way when everything seems to be so alive...
The dogs didn´t gallop. They didn´t lift their legs and throw them back, the way horses seemed to, pushing themselves forward. The dogs trotted, little steps, like they weren´t in that big a hurry. The boys had seen dogs on Dollymount beach, charging across the sand, tongues out, heads down to the level of their backs. But these dogs weren´t like that. They couldn´t be; they were tied to the sled. But Tom and Johnny knew: if they had been ordinary dogs, they´d have been pulling too fast, bashing into each other, getting themselves caught in the straps.
These weren´t ordinary dogs. They were working together. They had to save their energy, so they didn´t dash. They pulled and charged a bit at the start, to get the sled moving. But then they calmed down. Rock, the leader, didn´t look at them or howl. But he slowed down, and so did they.
But that was the thing. They didn´t slow down. They were going like crazy. When Johnny looked to the side it was a white blur, and a bit scary. They were much, much stronger than their size. Their tails were up, and their breath was like laughter.
There is one dog name´s Hastro who would like to be a leader but he is just messing. He almost made Johnny´s and Tom´s mother freeze to death. Rock is the leader who managed to find them all. I really would like to have dog like Rock. I fell in love with him since the first moment...;-)
Rock had pulled his sled, even with the brake teeth dragging piles of snow. He´d pulled it right up to Hastro. He stood now, right over Hastro, right on top of him. His paw was on Hastro´s head, and his mouth was full of Hastro´s neck. There was a yelp – it was the first thing they´d heard, before they saw anything. It was Hastro that had yelped. And there was a growl. That was Rock.
The boys didn´t move. Rock stopped growling. He didn´t move. Hastro didn´t move. None of the other dogs moved. It was total silence – white silence. Rock stood over Hastro, with his teeth holding his neck.
Johnny whispered.
“He´s teaching him a lesson.”
“Yeah,” said Tom.
He´d thought at first it was going to be horrible, that he´d have to watch one dog killing the other one. But then he knew it wasn´t going to be like that. Without shifting his legs or paws, Rock lifted his head from Hastro´s neck. They watched as Hastro stood, making sure he didn´t touch Rock. He had to crawl out from under him. He was still trapped in the straps, tied up to the fallen log. He had hardly any room as he got back up on all four legs. But he didn´t touch Rock. Rock was the lead dog, and he was making sure that Hastro knew it.
“Cool,” said Tom, very quietly.
“That was amazing,” said Johnny.
(Roddy Doyle - Wilderness)
And the best part, when Johnny and Tom save their mother, I left for you to read by your own. Their braveness of children who act spontaneously without to much thinking is amazing...
