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  Farley and the Lost Bone copyright © 2011 by Lynn Johnston Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in China. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.

  Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC

  an Andrews McMeel Universal company

  1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106

  E-ISBN: 978-1-4494-0856-5

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2010943020

  www.andrewsmcmeel.com

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  For Farley Mowat

  It was a perfect day in spring. The grass on the lawn was green, the breeze was soft, and the warm sun soaked into Farley’s fur. It felt wonderful after the long winter.

  Elly was outside, too. She hummed a happy song as she dug in her flower bed.

  Seeing Elly dig reminded Farley of something. Something he had wanted to do all winter. Something he couldn’t do while the ground was covered with snow. Now the snow was gone, but Farley couldn’t remember what he had wanted to do.

  What did Elly digging remind him of?

  Was it … playing with the other dogs in the park?

  Was it … rolling in the cool, soft dirt to rub off the itchy fur he was shedding?

  Farley knew there was something he had really, REALLY wanted to do when the snow was gone. It bothered him that he couldn’t remember.

  Then he saw John pick up a wrench. He remembered! Elly had given him a big, juicy, meaty bone. He had buried it in the yard. That night, the snow had fallen and the ground had frozen. He hadn’t been able to dig up his bone.

  All winter long, he had dreamed about that bone. But where had he buried it? Farley couldn’t remember.

  He thought and thought.

  Maybe that’s why Elly was digging in the flower bed. She was trying to find his bone for herself! Farley ran to the flower bed and started to dig. He had to find that bone before Elly did!

  But he didn’t find the bone in the flower bed. And Elly yelled and chased him away.

  Then he had an idea. Maybe the bone was under John’s railway set!

  But he didn’t find the bone under the railway set. And John yelled and chased him away.

  Then he had an idea. Maybe the bone was in Lizzie’s sandbox!

  But he didn’t find the bone in the sandbox.

  And Lizzie shouted and chased him away.

  Then he had an idea.

  Maybe the bone was in Michael’s fort!

  But he didn’t find the bone in the fort.

  And Michael yelled and chased him away.

  Farley was sad. Everyone in his family was mad at him.

  He hadn’t meant to bother anyone.

  He just wanted so badly to find his bone.

  Farley slipped away to his Special Place.

  It was where he always went when he wanted to be alone.

  Farley lay quiet and sad, not thinking of anything at all. The cool breeze ruffled his fur, and the sun sparkled and danced through the leaves around him. It shone brightest on a spot near him where the dirt was loose and the fallen leaves had been scraped away.

  It looked … it looked …

  like someone had been digging there last fall!

  Farley jumped up in excitement. He dug and dug, as fast as he could.

  There it was! His bone! NOW he remembered where he had buried it!

  Farley danced out on the lawn to show the family his bone.

  “Oh HO! THAT’S why you were digging all over the yard,” John said.

  “Aha!” Michael smiled. “I wouldn’t have yelled if I’d known you were just looking for your bone.”

  “Poor Farley!” Lizzie patted him. “You weren’t being bad—you were hungry!”

  Farley was happy. FINALLY he had found his bone. Even better, no one was mad at him anymore!

  Then Elly came around the corner of the house.

  “UGH!” she said. “That looks DISGUSTING!”

  Farley agreed! It was the yummiest bone he had EVER had. He flopped down to enjoy his treasure on the new green grass, where the breeze was soft and the warm sun soaked into his fur.

  “Time for supper!” Elly called. Supper sounded like a great idea to Farley.

  But if he left his bone alone, someone might take it!

  Farley decided to put his bone well out of sight. He dug a deep hole, placed the bone inside, and covered it carefully. He knew it would taste just as good when he dug it up again tomorrow …

  or the next day or the next!

  Lynn Johnston was born in Collingwood, Ontario, and grew up in British Columbia. She was the first woman to win the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in 1985. In 1992, accolades followed with an award for Best Syndicated Comic Strip. She works from her studio in Corbeil, Ontario, Canada.

  Beth Cruikshank grew up in the northern mining town of Lynn Lake, Manitoba. She is probably most recognizable to For Better or For Worse readers as the inspiration for the affable Aunt Bev to the Patterson kids. A frequent collaborator with Johnston, Cruickshank has worked on projects including The Lives Behind the Lines, Suddenly Silver, and Farley Follows His Nose.

 

 

  Lynn Johnston, Farley and the Lost Bone

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