The Wild Robot

CHAPTER 46 THE FIGHT

“Hello, bears, my name is Roz.”

“Oh, we know who you are,” said the sister bear. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “We’re very happy to see you again.”

“Yeah, we’re very happy to see you again!” echoed the brother bear.

“Why do you always repeat what I say?” said the sister bear to her brother. “It’s so annoying!”

“I was just backing you up!”

“Let me do the talking!”

“Fine! You don’t have to be so mean about it!”

The bickering bears were interrupted by the robot’s friendliest voice. “With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”

“How rude of us,” said the sister bear. “My name is Nettle, and this is my little brother, Thorn.”

“I’m not little!” snapped Thorn under his breath.

“It is lovely to meet you both,” said Roz. “But I am afraid I really must be going.”

“And I’m afraid we can’t let you do that.” Nettle stepped into Roz’s path. “My brother and I, we don’t like monsters.”

“I am not a monster. I am a robot.”

“Whatever you are, we don’t like you!” said Thorn.

“We hear you’ve become very comfortable on our island,” said Nettle. “Now we’re going to make you very uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, we’re going to make you very uncomfortable!”

“Stop repeating me, Thorn!”

Poor Roz was in serious trouble. The bears were closing in on her, but she couldn’t run, she couldn’t hide, and she couldn’t fight. The robot didn’t know what to do. But before she could do anything, there was a loud squawk and a streak of feathers.

“Stay away from my mama!” Brightbill swooped down and skidded to a stop between the robot and the bears.

“So the rumors are true!” Nettle laughed. “There really is a runty gosling who thinks the robot is his mother! How could anyone be so stupid! Do yourself a favor, gosling, and fly away before you get hurt!”

“She is right, Brightbill!” said Roz. “Please let me handle this!”

But the gosling stood his ground. He spread his wings and hopped around, ready to defend his mother. The bears roared with laughter. Then, with a flick of her paw, Nettle sent Brightbill tumbling over the ground, over and over, until he flopped onto his back and stared up at the sky, stunned.

“This is our island,” snarled Nettle.

“And it’s time for you to go,” growled Thorn.

Roz made herself as big as possible. She banged her chest and roared wild, angry sounds. But the bears were not intimidated. They roared right back. And then they attacked.

Nettle pulled Roz into a fierce bear hug while Thorn clawed at her legs. The robot tried to shake free, but the bears would not let go of their prey, not this time. A cloud of dust bloomed around the trio as they thrashed closer to the edge of the cliff.

All of a sudden, something burst out from the trees and onto the open clifftop. Mother Bear. She was gigantic, like a mountain of golden fur. And she was furious. It seemed like this would be the end for our robot. But Mother Bear wasn’t there to join the fight. She was there to break it up. “Nettle! Thorn! Get over here this instant!”

The young bears should have listened to their mother. Instead they pretended not to hear her. Nettle slashed at Roz’s body, and Thorn began wrestling with her foot. He grabbed the foot with both paws and forced it up from the ground. Then, with every ounce of his strength, he twisted the foot around.

Reader, the following events happened very quickly. First there was a strange thwip sound as the robot’s right foot popped off her leg and sailed through the air. Then everyone toppled over. Nettle and Roz fell sideways along the edge. But Thorn fell backward and tumbled

right

off

the cliff.

Do you know what the most terrible sound in the world is? It’s the howl of a mother bear as she watches her cub tumble off a cliff. Mother Bear’s howl was so startling that it snapped Brightbill right out of his stupor. Her howl was so powerful that it shook Roz’s entire body. Her howl was so loud that animals heard it clear across the island. But there was no reply from Thorn. Mother Bear’s howl slowly faded, and she wilted to the ground.

Roz watched as her detached foot sailed over the edge and plummeted down to the shore below. It fell past circling seagulls, smashed off a rock, and disappeared into the waves. And that’s when the robot noticed something furry dangling from the cliffside. Thorn! His full weight hung from a tree that was rooted to the rock wall. He gripped the tree tightly in his jaws and looked up at Roz with wide, frightened eyes.

“I see Thorn!” shouted Roz. “Grab my legs! Quickly!”

Mother Bear and Nettle scrambled to their feet. Each bear took a leg in her mouth, and together they slowly lowered Roz headfirst down the cliff. Thorn whimpered through clenched teeth as he watched the robot approach. Then he felt her strong arms wrap around him and heard her booming voice holler, “Pull us up!”

Thorn let go of the branch and cried, “Please don’t drop me, Roz! I don’t want to die!”

“Do not worry,” said the robot. “I will not drop you.”

The next few moments seemed to drag on and on. Mother Bear and Nettle kept pulling on Roz’s legs, and more of the robot slowly came into view until a furry golden head finally appeared, and Thorn leaped into the embrace of his family.