Sparky pressed his wet nose against the chain-link fence. The children laughed and chased each other on the playground. He wanted to play too.
Sparky followed the children down the sidewalk. His paws tapped the pavement. They disappeared through a front gate. He curled his tail tight around his paws.
A thick gray ribbon of smoke curled into the sky. Sparky's ears shot up. His fur bristled. He sprinted down the street, barking loud and fast.
Sparky spotted the red fire trucks pouring out of the station. He bolted after them, but his little legs could not catch the speeding engine. It rounded the corner and vanished.
Sparky skidded to a halt in front of the blackened house. He howled and circled the scorched yard frantically.
The front door burst open. Three soot-faced children tumbled out, coughing but alive. Sparky leaped and licked their hands until they were giggling through the smoke.
Firefighter Janet lifted the trembling puppy into her arms and stroked his damp spots. 'He ran all the way here to get us,' she said to the kids.
The youngest girl wiped a smudge of soot from Sparky's nose. 'You're a fire dog,' she whispered.
At the fire station, Sparky wore a shiny red bandana. He stood tall on his hind legs to reach the fire safety poster on the wall.
Children clapped as Sparky barked the fire safety song. His tail thumped against the pole he would one day slide down.