Sparky sat outside the school fence. He pressed his black-spotted nose against the metal bars. Behind him, children laughed and chased each other on the playground.
After school let out, Sparky followed two children down the sidewalk. He curled up under a leafy tree in their front yard to rest.
Sparky jolted awake. Crackling and roaring filled the air. Orange flames licked the children's house!
Sparky bolted down the street, barking at the top of his lungs. He skidded to a stop in front of the fire station, leaping and howling until the firefighters noticed him.
Sparky sprinted after the red truck but his little legs could not keep up. He pants and whimpers all the way back.
Sparky reached the street and froze. The house was dark. No sign of the children anywhere. His ears drooped and he whined, padding in tight worried circles under a smudged tree.
The fire was out. Shivering Sparky cowered beneath the tree. Then Firefighter Janet knelt and scooped him up, her uniform still warm from the hose spray.
Inside the house, the children leaped up from the couch and wrapped their arms around his spotted neck. Sparky wagged his tail so fast his whole body wiggled.
"He's Sparky the Fire Dog," said Firefighter Janet. Sparky's tail thumped against her arm.
The next day, Sparky wore a tiny red helmet. It sat snug between his spotted ears.
Sparky stood before a group of children at school. He showed them how to stop, drop, and roll. His spots gleamed in the sun.
Sparky the Fire Dog had saved the day. Now he was the safest dog in the whole neighborhood.