Free Cheetah by Wendy Lewis

Text copyright © 2007 Wendy A. Lewis
Illustrations copyright © 2007 Graham Ross
    All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.
    Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
    Lewis, Wendy A., 1966-
Cheetah / written by Wendy Lewis ; illustrated by Graham Ross.
    (Orca echoes)
ISBN 978-1-55143-465-0
    1. Animals--Juvenile fiction. I. Ross, Graham, 1962- II. Title. III. Series.
    PS8573.E9913C44 2007           jC813’.6              C2006-906706-6
    First published in the United States, 2007
Library of Congress Control Number : 2006939247
    Summary : Despite Mia’s longing to have a pet, she must learn that wild animals, even frogs, belong in the wild.
    Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
    Typesetting by Christine Toller Cover artwork and interior illustrations by Graham Ross Author photo: Amelia Murray
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Printed and bound in Canada.
Printed on 100% PCW recycled paper.
    10 09 08 07 • 4 3 2 1

For Amelia, Maddie and Rob,
who brought Cheetah home,
    and for Julie Spillman,
teacher extraordinaire.
W.A.L.
    For Pat McNeely—the cheetah,
a true friend and believer.
G.R.

Cheetah Number One
    Mia looked in the mirror. Her human face looked back at her. She sighed. If only she had been born an animal. They were so much more fun.
    Mia got out her black marker. She drew spots on her face. She drew stripes under her eyes. She put on a furry-ear headband. She tucked a tail into her pants.
    Now she was a cheetah, the fastest runner of all the animals! Mia the Cheetah zoomed around her room.
    â€œGrrr!” her tummy growled. It was time to hunt. She slunk into the hallway. She peered through the open crack of her sister’s door. Maggie was rocking her doll, Baby Uh-Oh.
    â€œUh-oh!” Baby Uh-Oh cried. “Uh-oh! Uh-oh!”
    Mia knew that cry. It meant Baby Uh-Oh had wet her pants. She did that a lot.
    Maggie took off her doll’s wet clothes. Mia the Cheetah saw Baby Uh-Oh’s chubby, bare legs. “Grrr!” her tummy growled. She licked her lips. She knew it wasn’t nice to eat people. But she was hungry!
    â€œGirls, breakfast is ready,” their mother called.
    Maggie looked up. She saw Mia ready to pounce.
    â€œDon’t hunt my babies!” she yelled.
    Mia had hunted Maggie’s dolls before.
    â€œGirls!” their mother called again. “Come for breakfast now or I’ll feed it to Fang.”
    Fang was the dog that lived next door. Mia’s family didn’t have any pets. Her parents said, “No pets until the house is finished.” They had been working on the house for Mia’s whole life. She was afraid it would never be finished. And that meant no pets, ever.
    Mom, Dad, and Maggie had bacon and eggs for breakfast. Mia the Cheetah sneered at the eggs. But she dove face-first into the meat.
    â€œI