Unit 4 Wk 2 Lesson 12

Original:

When they reached the living room, however, Cracker saw a stranger in uniform, and she smelled something uneasy in the air. People smelled different, acted different, looked different, and just plain were different when they felt uneasy. Willie's mother was crying. Willie's father and the man in uniform looked at the ground. Cracker was stronger than Willie's father as well as stronger than the new man. She was probably stronger, and definitely faster, than both of them put together. She didn't like the way this new man smelled. She started to snarl. That always scared people. She tried to open her mouth and then snarled even louder. Willie's father responded by handing the leash to the man in uniform. He cooed, "Nice dog. Good girl, Cracker." She snarled again and began to lunge at the man who jerked hard on her chain. Cracker heard a very uncourageous squeal from her own throat. She tried to pull away, but the man jerked back even harder this time, and the same squeal involuntarily jumped from Cracker's throat. The funny thing was that the man didn't seem mean, just firm. He said, "Sit! No! Sit!" Finally Cracker sat. The man looked at Willie's parents and said, "She'll do well in Vietnam."