Spirit: Riding Free

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Lucky?

-Lucky! -Uh...

Twenty-six! Point three?

Close, but we stopped doing math an hour ago.

I think Maricela knows the answer.

Oh, I'm sure she does, but Maricela can't answer every question.

Anyone else?

- -Anyone?

Maricela?

- Sedimentary rock! -

- Oh. -That was my next guess.

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Dad?

Oh, class, I have a surprise for you.

It's one thing to read about the world in books,

but it is quite another to discover it for yourself,

so I decided to invite a real-life explorer

to come and speak to you.

- -Let's all welcome Mr. Prescott.

- Hello, Mr. Prescott. -Hi, Dad.

Howdy, kids.

So who's ready to go back in time,

when thunder lizards ruled this vast frontier,

fearsome monsters bigger than a cow?

Heck, bigger than two cows!

Now, some could fly, with a wingspan wider than...

four cows, end-to-end!

Sorry, I spent all morning herding cows off the railroad tracks.

- -Now, some dinosaurs

were faster than a train roaring at full steam.

And if they caught you... snap!

- - Whoa!

They'd eat you whole,

with huge jaws full of these.

Is that a real thunder cow tooth?

It sure is. And guess where I found it.

Less than a mile outside of Miradero.

-Miradero? -Wow.

But we're in Miradero.

Why can't we go look for fossils?

We can.

Class, we should go on a field trip and search for fossils ourselves!

We'll go tomorrow and camp out overnight.

You know, the adventurers who find fossils become famous.

They even get to name the new dinosaur after they discover it.

Snipsosaurus!

Señor Carrotops?

- - Okay, fellow explorers,

happy hunting.

Class, what do we say?

- Thank you, Mr. Prescott. -I might be late for dinner.

Okay, I'll be right back, children.

Mr. Prescott and I have a few details about the field trip to work out.

Wow! You think you know someone,

then you find out they're walking around with a dinosaur tooth.

Gross!

The explorer's kissing Teacher!

- -You're hallucinating! Do you feel sick?

We'd better get you to Doc Wilkins right away.

I'm not "hallucitating."

I saw it with my very own eyeball.

Your dad kissed Teacher!

No wonder Teacher keeps calling on you.

You're her favorite!

She called on me once.

Once a minute.

You know what you are?

You're the teacher's pet.

-I am not! -Are too!

-She is not the teacher's pet. -Thank you. That would be the worst.

I don't know why this is even a discussion.

The position of teacher's pet has been filled... by me.

-Thank you. -

Class, just because I leave the room

does not mean it's okay to get out of your seats.

Please sit down.

Lucky, thank you for staying in your seat.

You're welcome.

Teacher's pet.

The entire class teased me all day long.

And tomorrow's the field trip,

which means I'm gonna get teased all day and all night long.

And-- and-- ugh!

Oh, and get this. To top it all off,

Miss Flores said horses aren't allowed on the trip.

- -Ugh.

Spirit, what am I gonna do?

It's okay, Lucky.

Maybe this whole "teacher's pet" thing will blow over.

- -And if it doesn't,

you could always move into the woods and become a hermit

so you won't hear it when people tease you.

Aw, you'd make a terrific hermit.

You could wear a red union suit and learn how to pan for gold

and hop from foot to foot whenever you get mad.

Oh, and you could teach Spirit to be a pack mule.

Although, since he won't wear a saddle, he probably wouldn't carry a pack.

Maybe you need to rethink this whole "becoming a hermit" plan, Lucky.

-I see flaws. -

Oh, well.

Let's just hope that since your dad's not here, people will forget.

Except he is here.

I'll miss you, hermit Lucky.

It's fine. It'll be fine.

I've got a plan.

I just need to do something

to make Miss Flores treat me like she usually does.

By which I mean... horribly.

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- -I meant to do that.

Should I get a campfire going?

All this activity's gonna make these budding adventurers hungry.

Dad...

Hey, sweet pea.

Want to help Kate and me rustle up some grub for lunch?

Actually, can I talk to you for a minute? Somewhere else?

Uh, sure.

Dad, you need to leave.

Oh, come on. My cooking's not that bad.

Everyone knows that you're dating Miss Flores!

They're calling me "teacher's pet." Teacher's pet, Dad!

And you sticking around is only making it worse.

Well, I'd better get going then!

Oh, uh, already? Um, okay.

Why does the adventurer have to leave?

I have a heap-load of adventuring to get to back at adventurer headquarters.

Uh, well, goodbye...

Mr. Prescott.

Thank you for your assistance.

Oh, Lucky, can I put you in charge of gathering firewood?

Teacher's pet!

I bet Maricela would like to get the wood.

Would I?

You had me at "in charge."

Never mind! I'll do it!

These green branches won't burn,

but they sure will smoke.

I'm talking to myself.

I would make a good hermit.

Whew.

The mosquitoes were eating me alive until you smoked them out.

Thanks, Lucky. Inspired thinking.

If you make Miss Flores any madder at you,

you're finally gonna get Student of the Month.

I'm working on it.

Miss Flores! Look, I already found a fossil.

Now who's inspired?

Thank you. Thank you all.

Um, Maricela, that's not a fossil.

It's a dried-up horse dropping.

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Why didn't I think of that?

I shouldn't have to toil away like this.

I miss cook.

I'll take this to Miss Flores.

This'll show 'em.

Would a teacher's pet season Miss Flores' lunch

with a sauce hotter than the scorch of a thousand suns?

No, she would not.