Sandusky - The Frogs Stopped Singing

All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, photographic including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2011 by Thomas Sandusky

ISBN 0-7414-6450-0 Paperback
ISBN 978-0-7414-9354-5 eBook

INFINITY PUBLISHING
1094 New DeHaven Street, Suite 100
West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2713
Toll-free (877) BUY BOOK
Local Phone (610) 941-9999
Fax (610) 941-9959
www.buybooksontheweb.com

I would like to thank my wonderful wife, Jeanne, for her patience and hard work on Stories from the rainforest. Also, I would like to thank Keith Currie for giving us the opportunity to travel the world with students to study rainforests.

Welcome to Stories from the Rainforest. The purpose of the series is to introduce the Amazon rainforest, its native people, and animals to children from pre-school through grade six. Hopefully, readers will embrace the stories and develop an ethic that rainforests are important and need to be saved.

The main characters in the stories are Maria, JJ, and Cougar. They are native people of the Amazon rainforest and live east of the Andes Mountains close to the equator. They are Ceiba, a fictional tribe that generalizes the life styles and beliefs of different Amazonian tribes. In the picture books, Maria, JJ, and Cougar are young, in their pre-teen years. In the short stories they are older, teenagers embarking on various adventures to save their rainforest.

After the story, a background section contains information on the plants and animals in the story. The last section of the book includes a glossary, along with completion and matching items, to test your memory of the story and creatures.

The questions I asked myself before I started to write the story were: what if my home and way of life were threatened? How far would I go, even if I were a teenager, to protect my home? How far would you go?

Thomas Sandusky

JJ, a fifteen-year-old Native Amazonian, sat with his older sister Maria on the steps of their jungle hut. They were waiting for their older cousin, Manuel. JJ was cleaning his carbine.

Are you scared? Maria asked.

I dont like doing this, JJ said with his head hanging.

JJ felt Marias shoulder as she moved close to his side. She ruffled his black hair cut in the shape of a bowl. He looked at her with his big dark brown eyes. He knew it was a hopeless look.

There should be no problems. Were going with Manuel to the oil rig to have extra ears and eyes, Maria said with her arm around JJ.

Why do I have to carry this, JJ said holding the carbine up feeling his eyes narrow in disgust.

Marias long fingers soothed JJs shoulder muscles. He always felt secure when his sister consoled him. JJs muscles tensed again when he saw Manuel approach them. Gavin, Cougar, and Sixto followed. Cougar sat down beside JJ and took an interest in JJs carbine. JJ looked at his best friend. As always, Cougar had the biggest smile that puffed out his cheeks and displayed his dimples. JJ always felt a grin appear on his face when he saw that smile and big mischievous eyes.

Manuel was JJs and Marias older cousin. He was more like an uncle to JJ because he was ten years older. Manuel was taller than JJ but not as tall as Maria and very strong. JJ felt intimidated around Manuel, the best warrior of all the Ceiba people. I told Gavin what were doing tonight. He wanted to see for himself what the government is doing just inside our reserve, Manuel said to JJ and Maria. Gavin, an ethnobotanist from the University of South Florida, worked with Juan, the Ceiba shaman, for years studying the medicinal plants in the reserve. Juan was JJ and Marias grandfather. Maria went often with Juan and Gavin into the forest to look for plants.

Gavin sat down beside Maria. Why are you going tonight? he asked Maria.

JJ stood up and moved in front of Maria and Gavin, to hear their conversation. JJ watched Maria focus on Gavins pale green eyes. You may need me tonight, she said. Im a medicine woman.

Youre only sixteen-years-old.

Im not the little girl you knew when you first came to our village.

Something might go wrong tonight, Gavin said rubbing his brown crew cut hair.

Thats more reason I should be there.

I asked her to come, Manuel said.

Shes so young, Gavin said to Manuel.

Theyre all young. Sixto is only thirteen but he knows the river and I taught JJ, Cougar, and Sixto to handle and shoot pistols and carbines. Manuel stood at the bottom of the steps and looked over the group. JJ could feel his dark eyes penetrate when he scanned past him. Sixto, youll be running the canoe, Manuel said. After you dock the canoe I want you to go with Cougar and watch the road coming into the drilling site at the far end. Manuel switched his focus to Cougar. If anything comes down the road, make an alarm call. Cougar nodded. Maria and JJ, you stay with the canoe, Manuel said looking at Maria. He turned to Gavin. You can go with me or stay with Maria and JJ.

JJ looked toward Gavin for his answer. Ill stay with Maria and JJ.

Im going to place an explosive charge on the drilling shaft. That will send a message about coming into the reserve. I have two night vision goggles. Cougar, Manuel said looking at Cougar, the short, sleek fourteen-year old. You wear one set of goggles and Ill wear the other. Manuel paused and looked at everybody. See you at dusk, he said and strutted away.

JJ put a clip in his carbine as they approached the dock at the drilling site. He also checked his and Sixtos pouch for extra ammo clips. Cougar checked the pistol he strapped to his leg and pulled on his bow string, testing it. JJ thought Cougars skills with the traditional weapons of Native Amazonians were not matched by any of the Ceiba people.

Manuel got out of the boat first and tied it to the dock. There was an outside flood light on the oil rig that allowed JJ to watch Cougar and Sixto get out of the boat and scamper to the road to take a position.

Lets get in the tall grass, Gavin said to JJ pointing to grass on the bank beside the pier.

After JJ, Maria, and Gavin settled in the grass, JJ tapped Gavin on the shoulder and asked. Why did Manuel go to the trailer and not the oil rig?

I suppose he wants to see if anyone is in the trailer before he goes to the rig.

JJ stared at the trailer, waiting for Manuel to appear. A terrible feeling came over him. He touched Maria. Somethings wrong. The frogs stopped singing. JJ heard the