Benjamin stared at Pugsly’s collar around his wrist, once again oblivious to his parents’ conversation. The family finished lunch and left for home. Benjamin’s dad needed to prepare a few more things for his trip. As their car approached the mailbox, the boy looked over at the fox den. He jerked back his head when some of the sticks poked straight up, exposing the opening. The collar was too close to the fox den.

“Oh!” his mom shouted. Benjamin looked at her, afraid she’d seen it. “I forgot to put your socks and underwear into the dryer!” she said to his dad. Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief. They stopped in front of the garage and Tom and Carol went in the house. Benjamin stood by the car, looking down the long driveway at the fox den across the road. His mind raced. They want me as their king. He walked up on his front porch and grasped the doorknob. If Pugsly was killed by snakes, why couldn’t they find someone else besides me to be their king? Why do they even need a king?

The birds in the oak tree called to each other, like on the morning Pugsly died. Benjamin could understand them!

“If you’d stay away from them, maybe they wouldn’t mess with you, Harold.”

“They’re buzzards, Marjorie. They’ll invade our tree if we don’t defend ourselves.”

Baby birds peeped.

“Oh, great! Now you’ve made the babies cry. What are buzzards doing here in the first place? They never came around before!”

Benjamin had so many questions. He knew something big was happening in this strange, new world he was now a part of. He took off down the driveway, straight for the fox den. A brown squirrel sat on an overhanging limb. The sticks sprung up.

“Ah, Your Majesty,” the squirrel said. “We were hoping you’d come back soon.”

Benjamin was caught off guard. “Uh, hello, squirrel.”

“It’s Nicholas, sir. But if you want to call me squirrel, I’m honored.” He bowed.

“Nicholas, I’m gonna go inside now.” Benjamin crawled down the hole.

“I’m right behind you, Sire.” The squirrel hopped off the branch and jumped in.

Benjamin reached the hall quickly, the squirrel beside him. The inhabitants were much calmer now, mostly sleeping, talking, or thinking. A fox was the first to see him in the tunnel. “It’s him! He’s back! The boy has returned to save us!”

Everyone stood to face him. “Hail, King Benjamin!” a chubby beaver declared and bowed, quickly followed by others.

“Hail, King Benjamin, defender of our kingdom–and my hide!” shouted a brown floppy-eared rabbit.

Soon every animal was paying homage, except one. The old badger hobbled over. “Well…” He looked Benjamin up and down. “I’d rather bow down to you than die at the fangs of a snake.” He grunted and slowly knelt.

Benjamin was stunned. “Paco? Paco?!”