Read It's a Tiger! Online

Authors: David LaRochelle

It's a Tiger!

By David LaRochelle
Illustrated by Jeremy Tankard

To Britta and Hannah King, and Lauren and Katelyn Barnes. May your lives be filled with many happy surprises. Love, your great uncle —D. L.

For Jamie, AJ, Kelly, and Paul, who helped in their own way. —J. T.

Are you ready for a story?
Me too.

We’ll start in the jungle
where the tall trees grow
and the monkeys swing
from vine to vine.

Wait a minute.
That’s not a monkey.
That looks like…

 

A TIGER! Run!

 

Push aside these vines
and we’ll hide inside this cave.

Duck your head
(Flap! Flap! Flap!)
and watch out for bats!

 

I don’t know about you,
but those shadows are making me nervous.

In fact, one of those shadows looks like…

 

A TIGER!

How did he get here?
Hurry! Climb that ladder
and we’ll make our escape.

 

Ah, sunshine! Doesn’t that feel good?

Uh-oh.
Snakes.
Hundreds of them!

If we’re very quiet (shhh!)
    we can tiptoe past.

Blue snakes.
Green snakes.
Even a great big fuzzy snake that
looks just like…

 

A TIGER! Run!

 

Yikes! He’s gaining on us!
Our only chance is to leap for that rope…

…and swing across this canyon.
Now LET GO!

WHOMP!
We made it!
Good think we landed someplace soft.
A bed of flowers?
A pile of leaves?
A giant orange-and-black pillow?
No, we landed on top of…

 

A TIGER!

Now we’re REALLY in trouble!

Quick!
Climb this rock and slide down the hill.
Bumpity-bumpity-bump-bump-bump!

 

YES! A boat!
Hop on deck and raise the anchor.
Full steam ahead, Captain!

Safe at last.

Say, I’ve never seen a sea captain
with a tail before, have you?
You don’t think it could be…

 

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