Call of the Wild

Go!

Where nature rules, beauty reigns.

What?

That's something your grandma used to say.

I never get tired of this drive.

Isn't it something?

I see trees, Grandpa...

...and snow.

So...

Your mom and dad are travelling around Europe.

And they didn't take me.

I'm so happy you're here, Buttercup.

Mom said you could use some company.

Well, you're not just company...

...you're family.

Too bad you didn't come in a day earlier.

We could've watched the Race to the Sky.

One of the biggest dog sled races in the country.

Dog sled race? What century is this?

You would've enjoyed it. Very exciting.

Dogs are magnificent.

If you want me to slow down so you can enjoy the view

just say the word.

You mind if we stop in town?

I need to go to the post office.

How far is town?

We're here.

This is town?

Yep.

I love this town.

You don't get this back in Boston.

This is it.

Want to see our post office?

That's very tempting, Grandpa, but I think I'll wait here.

Damn, boy.

That is the fourth race you've lost.

Fourth! You're starting to embarrass me!

In front of the entire town.

The sled runners are bent from the accident last week and the dogs are tired.

- Maybe we should let them rest. - Excuses, excuses, excuses!

You're nothing but a mother-loving excuse machine!

- Oh, here. - Good race, Ozzie.

Quit your moping.

Heap.

Is that any way you treat a boy?

Why don't you mind your own business, Hale.

Shouldn't you be home...

...having a heart attack?

Come on!

- Hi, Mr. Hale. - Hi, Jack.

Did you see the race? I came in fourth in the junior division.

Fourth?

I was running first

until the last few turns.

I notice you tend to brake on the turns

just when those dogs really want to run.

Grandpa? I'm cold and bored.

I'm cold and bored.

Well, we'll get you home and we'll get you toasty.

Ryan, this is Jack Ferguson, lives next door.

That's my granddaughter. She's from Boston.

City girl, huh?

I should get the dogs fed. It's nice to meet you, Ry.

- Watch looking at? - Do you have satellite TV?

No, but I got hot chocolate.

Come on.

Your mom gave me a list of chapters you need to read

so you don't fall behind in school.

Looks like a lot of work.

Not really. I'm pretty good in school.

Uh-huh.

You still play soccer?

No?

You were a pretty fine player, weren't you?

The Beacon Hill girls don't play soccer.

- They say it's for tomboys. - Uh-huh.

The Beacon Hill girls?

Brittney and Chloe. They're the most popular girls in my class.

Oh, and they're friends of yours.

I tell people they are, but...

I don't think they say the same about me.

Oh, I see.

They have the best cell phones, the coolest clothes...

Brittney goes skiing in Italy.

And Chloe's family owns a house in St. Brats.

Impressive.

And I'm stuck here in Montana.

Oh... Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

A sad fate for any little girl.

Bed time, Buttercup.

Would you like me to read you a story?

Grandpa, I'm ten.

Oh. Right. Yeah.

Sorry.

Hi, are you staying at Mr. Hale's?

- Yeah. - We're collecting pine cones.

Want to come?

Pine cones?

Gosh, that sounds really exciting.

She's not from around here, Rusty. Let's go.

These mountain people are crazy.

- What's all this? - My wish book.

- All the things I want. - What is this?

- A clip for your hair. - Forty dollars?

Chloe has one. It's really cool.

I see.

Mom and dad won't let me have most of this stuff.

They say not getting everything I want builds character.

I think I would have a lot of character if they surprised me and got me everything I want.

You do, huh?

But I never get any good surprises in my life.

Oh...

The world is full of surprises,

if you look at it with the right eyes.

That sounds like grandpa talk.

But thanks for trying to cheer me up.

Hello.

Hey.

What's up?

I heard something. You don't have ghosts, do you?

No.

Probably a raccoon.

They like to show up and make a mess of the garbage

when I forget to lock the trash cans.

Let's surprise them.

- It's a dog. - Just a dog?

Not just a dog. One heck of a dog.

Look at the size of him.

Careful...

...it might be feral.

Feral?

Wild. There's some wild dogs around.

This dog's in bad shape. We better call the vet.

He's been fighting. Probably with a bear or a bobcat.

Could be some internal bleeding.

Is he going to die?

It doesn't look good.

He's hardly breathing, may have punctured a lung.

And, Bill, that's not a dog...

...not entirely, anyway.

- What do you mean? - Well, look at him.

He's got a lot of wolf in him. He's a hybrid.

Can we keep him?

Look... This animal is in pretty bad shape, Bill.

I could operate,

but I think the only reasonable option would be...

...put him to sleep.

You mean to kill him? He didn't do anything.

- You can't just kill him. - Right.

If he wants to die he can die here.

But I'm not going to let you kill him.

Tell you what.

How about I check in on you tomorrow?

I'm guessing by then the only question will be...

...disposal.

Hold it right there now.

We're talking about a wolf here, right? Like...

I mean, is it safe?

He's in no condition to harm anyone.

And he looks like he's more dog than wolf, anyway.

It's safe.

Thanks, Doc.

- All right. - All right.

OK, Rye...

Let's let him sleep and we'll see how he is in the morning.

Can we put a heater out here for him?

Sure.

Thanks, Grandpa.

This is Call of the Wild by Jack London.

One of my favourite books

when I was just a little bit older than you.

But kids these days, well...

This isn't about bunny rabbits or fairies or something is it?

It's about a dog.

"Buck did not read the newspapers

or he would have known that trouble was brewing..."

Who's Buck?

Buck is a dog.

The writing gets kind of fancy, do you mind if I paraphrase now and again?

- Paraphrase? - Mm-hm.

Put it into my own words.

- OK. - All right.

"You see, it was 1897

and gold was discovered in the Yukon."

- That's in Canada. - Right.

"Now, down in sunny California there was a dog named Buck

who lived on a huge estate.

Buck was four years old.

Part St. Bernard and part Scotch Shepherd.

He was large and very smart,

and he lived like a king.

On the property worked a gardener who had a dark heart.

When he learned that there was a good market for strong dogs,

he took Buck to meet a strange man down the road one night.

Money changed hands

and the gardener handed the leash to the other man.

Buck could not know that when this second man led him away

he would never see his home again."

How about we continue this tomorrow night?

I'm not sleepy yet. Keep reading.