Snow Buddies Page #4

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- No ifs, ands or buts about it, OK?

You're not putting together

a dogsled team.

It's not fair.

It wasn't me that had the accident.

Adam. Come on, honey.

Besides, five pups certainly aren't

going to appear out of nowhere.

[Whimpers]

- [Indistinct chatter]

- Come on, Shasta.

[Door closes]

I think it's time I give those

little troublemakers a pup talk.

Hi there, Adam.

What can I do you for?

Uh, I'm here to sign up for the race.

Your old man's coming out of retirement?

- By gosh, that is the best news.

- No, I, um...

You can consider him signed up.

I mean done and done.

No, it's for...

This is shaping up to be the best race

Ferntiuktuk has ever seen.

- It's not for...

- [chuckling] Thank you, Adam.

- Now we're cooking.

- Um...

Bonjour, my petit friends.

[Scoffs] What do you want?

Aren't you as beautiful

as the yellow snow?

I just came over

to wish you luck in the race.

- You did?

- Oh, yes.

You are brave to want to race

after the horrible thing

that happened to Shasta's parents.

[Stuttering] Horrible?

They were crossing the frozen lake

on the home stretch of the race.

The ice broke

and Shasta's parents perished.

- The whole family is cursed.

- Cursed?

- You don't scare us.

- Yeah, right. Of course not.

Anyways, bon chance. [laughs]

That's scary.

What if something

like that happens to us?

Scary? Pshaw,

B-Dawg is all about the danger.

Shh, here they come.

Well, we're all signed up, more or less.

[All whimper]

Come on.

[Both barking]

[Both barking]

- Any sign of them?

- No.

Oh, Buddy, what are we going to do?

We've looked everywhere.

Hello, Miss Mittens.

How are you today?

I've been looking for you for days.

You better teach B-Dawg to behave.

Your pup was chasing my kitten again.

When did you last see him?

Not too long ago,

breaking into the truck.

That little pup, he's gonna end up

in a dog pound, mark my words.

[Whimpers] Look.

- Budderball!

- [Engine starts]

[Both barking]

[Buddy] Puppy prints.

They've been in here.

Uh-oh!

[Talon howling]

[Whimpers]

[Barking]

Buddies, wake up.

Talon is calling us.

[All] Huh...?

[Talon howls]

I called on you tonight because there is

one last thing I need to teach you pups.

Look up.

Whoa! Dude, what is it?

That is Aurora Borealis.

The northern lights.

They're the spirit

of all your ancestors.

Including your parents, Shasta.

Now, pups, I must say goodbye.

But the race is tomorrow.

I've taught you all you need to know.

But I've never led a race before.

Shasta, you are ready

to take your place

in your long lineage

of great Alaskan lead dogs.

But we'll be all alone.

Yeah, wise dawg,

Budderball's got a point.

How do you know we'll be cool?

When you feel doubt,

these lights will remind you

that you're never really alone.

- How can you know for sure?

- Sometimes you just have to have faith.

- Goodbye.

- We'll sure miss you.

- Hang loose, sir.

- Maximum respect.

Namaste, Zen sled master.

Thank you, Talon.

We will never forget you.

[Groans]

Shasta?

Whoa.

"When he passes, the northern lights

will shine brighter than ever before."

[Barks]

- Talon.

- [Whimpers]

Rosebud? You awake?

- Yeah.

- Are you afraid?

Yeah.

I know it's hard to believe,

but I am too.

I know, B-Dawg. It's OK to admit it.

It actually means you're brave.

Rosebud, you're not going

to tell anyone, are you?

Your secret's safe with me.

Even though we're scared,

we're going to have to race. For Shasta.

- Rosebud?

- Yeah?

[B-Dawg] Thanks.

- [Dogs barking]

- Shh.

[Man] Welcome to the

Ferntiuktuk Annual Dog Sled Race,

coming to you live

from the starting line.

Oh, and look, there is

last year's champ, Jean George.

- [Crowd booing]

- [Boy] Boo! You stink!

It appears we have one no-show,

Ferntiuktuk's own Joe Bilson.

Wait, I spoke too soon. It looks like...

...puppies?

- [Cheering]

[Laughing] I cannot believe it.

Your father sent a little boy

to do a man's job? Incroyable!

What are you puny runts doing here?

We're here to kick some tail.

Yours in particular.

You have just about

as much a chance of winning the race,

as Shasta's parents do.

You don't talk about my parents.

Son, when you asked me to enter

a Bilson in the race,

I didn't know you were

talking about you.

You didn't ask me, sheriff,

and I wrote my name in the application.

Well, I'll be a moose's nephew.

So you did.

- And I paid the entry fee.

- Yeah, yeah, you did.

Sheriff, we can do this.

You sure you know

what you're getting into, son?

This here is a treacherous race.

Yes, sir. We're prepared, sir.

I don't know...

There's nothing in the rules that says

a boy and his pups can't race, so...

- The boy is in!

- [Cheering]

Good luck, pups!

Remember to be safe.

- Good luck, comrade!

- Thanks!

- Stay clear of Jean George.

- Oh...

- He'll do anything to win.

- Thank you.

Like your father before you...

you will eat my powder.

[Cackles]

Mushers...

...take your mark.

- [Inhaling sharply]

- [Whining]

- Mush!

- Hike!

[All cheering]

- For Talon!

- [All] Talon!

Hike!

[Man] And they're off.

Hike!

[Whimpering]

Oh, no.

- [Molly] Uh-oh. Oh, Buddy!

- [Buddy] Hang on, Molly!

As the racers broach the forest,

last years champ,

Jean George, is in the lead,

and little Adam Bilson trails the pack.

[All barking]

Oh...

- [grunts]

- [Screams]

- [Shouting indistinctly]

- [Jean George] Sayonara!

- On by!

- On by! On by!

- Mush! On by!

- On by!

Listen, I'm gonna keep an eye

on the race from home base,

but you best be

getting out on the trail.

I'll see you at the finish line.

Have you seen five puppies?

They look like us, only little.

You mean the Buddies?

You bet I seen 'em!

I never thought I'd see puppies

in the Ferntiuktuk Annual Dog Sled Race.

Ferntiwhattuk?

It's the most treacherous race

in all of Alaska.

It's some of the meanest terrain

on dog's white Earth.

Can you take us to them,

they're our pups.

I'm the rescue dog. I was

just about to head out on the trail.

Follow me.

Hike! Hike!

On by! Mush!

On by! Ow! Hike!

Hike!

- Whoa!

- [Laughs]

[Indistinct chattering]

Joe, thought you'd be

at the race to see Adam off.

- Half the town's down there.

- No, it's not my thing.

What did you say?

Those golden pups

led by Shasta pulling the sled,

that's enough to warm the heart

of this stone-cold enforcer.

Adam tried telling me he found some

golden pups. How many were there?

- Five.

- And Shasta makes six. A team.

[Engine turning]

[All barking]

Hike!

Hike! Gee! Gee! Gee!

You're doing great, guys.

Come on, hike! Hike!

You can do it.

[Man] Oh, and here comes

last year's champ, Jean George.

Oh, and here comes Elva Gruener,

leading the Icelandic team.

She made it safely

to the mid-way checkpoint,

but no sign yet of Adam Bilson.

He's only got ten minutes

to make it to the checkpoint

or he will be disqualified.

And with the temperature plunging

amidst the imposing darkness of night,

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