Tree Girl by T. A. Barron Read Free Book Online Page A

thecliff. Then she reached for one of the longest vines, wrapped it around her wrist—and tugged. It held fast, like an oyster to its rock.
    “Come on, now!” she commanded. “I need you. Sash needs you!”
    She dug her feet into the stony stream bottom, leaned back, and tugged again. All at once the vine pulled loose. She fell back in the stream with a splash.
    Water gushed from her leggings as she stood. She gathered up the vine, coiled it into loops, and turned to go. Just then a new wind, fiercer than before, swept through the forest. Branches creaked and groaned, and trees swayed all around. A hefty branch broke off and crashed in the water right beside her.
    Suddenly she glimpsed a shape—not quite a face. As twisted as a knot of roots. Watching her from behind an oak!
    Anna gasped. The face peered at her with ghoulish, night-dark eyes. Then what looked like a ragged, toothy mouth started to open…
    She ran, faster than she’d ever run before, back down the stream, to the beach, and finally to the glade. When at last she reached the trunk, she staggeredover, panting hoarsely. Eagle chirped a loud welcome. She dropped the vine and put her mouth to the knothole.
    “I’m back, Sash.”
    A low moan came from inside the trunk.
    She almost told him what she’d seen—then stopped herself. That could wait.
    Anna grabbed the vine and tied a stone to one end. Planting her feet, she started to hurl it up to the rim. Suddenly, she froze. The vine wasn’t big enough! Long as it was, it wouldn’t reach all the way down the trunk to Sash.
    She spun to face the lichen-covered boulder where they had sat only moments before. That just might do it!
    Hastily she scaled the boulder. She tied the free end of the vine around her waist. Then she hefted the weighted end in her hand, judging her aim. At last she threw the vine at the top of the trunk. It missed—glancing off the side with a spray of wood chips.
    She gathered up the vine and threw again. This time, the stone at the end struck the rim and knocked off some yellow berries. But the vine’sweight pulled it back down. With a slap, it hit the ground.
    “Rotting ravens!” She stamped her foot on the boulder. Taking the vine once more, she drew a deep breath, reared back—and threw. She watched as it flew upward, hit the rim, and like a slithering snake, plunged down the hole. She’d done it!
    “Grab hold!” she shouted. “And climb!”
    Nothing happened.
    She shook the bottom of the vine. “Grab it!”
    Seconds passed. And more seconds.
    All at once the vine jerked. Then went taut. Then jerked again, and again. He was climbing!
    Anna grabbed hold and pulled down with her own weight.
Don’t break, vine—please don’t break.
    Finally, she spotted a slight movement at the rim. Sash! Something emerged from the hollow trunk and grabbed the edge. But to Anna’s shock, it wasn’t his paw. Or anyone’s paw.
    It was a hand.

Chapter 10
    A N INSTANT LATER , the hand that had grasped the rim of the trunk melted back into a bear paw. Right before her eyes! Anna, watching from the boulder, blinked in surprise. She looked overhead at the shimmering rays that sliced through the branches, then back at the paw.
    Again she blinked.
Must have been just a trick of light.
    After the paw, a shaggy bear emerged from the hollow trunk. Sash was covered with spiderwebs, dust, and wood chips. And when he pulled out his left rear paw, it looked twisted and swollen. But he was alive! Anna laughed out loud when he thrust his snout into the yellow llyrberries at the rim of the trunk and took a huge bite.
    The cub swallowed the berries at once. Streams of juice rolled down the sides of his mouth. He waved at Anna, then rested on the rim, breathing hard.
    Finally, he wriggled backward and wrapped his hind legs around the top of the trunk. Then, despite his swollen paw, he slid back down the outside of the tree. His claws squealed as they scraped against the wood. With a thump, he landed on