Pecky Greenleg: Chapter 10

In chapter 1 Jake and his mom just got new chicks. One of the chicks is grey with hairy green legs. Jake names her Pecky Greenleg and then finds out that ‘she’ is a ‘he’…and can talk.

In chapter 2 Jake and Pecky decide to try and learn where Pecky came from as none of the other chicks can talk. Jake promises to start at the hatchery.

In chapter 3 Jake tells Pecky he had no luck at the hatchery but that the man he talked to seemed nervous and uncomfortable talking about the gray chicks so they decide they need to go to the post office to find out more about the delivery.

In chapter 4 Jake and Pecky visit the local post office where they learn that the delivery man from McDougal Hatchery came back after the delivery and swapped the package with another box. 

In chapter 5 Pecky and Jake decide that they need to take a trip back to the hatchery to confront Gilbert. 

In chapter 6 Jake takes Pecky back to the hatchery to confront Gilbert and they discover that Gilbert can hear Pecky too. 

In chapter 7 Gilbert tells Pecky and Jake how Pecky came to the hatchery and what happened to the others like him. 

In chapter 8 Pecky realizes that he will have to be the bait to catch whoever is after him. 

In chapter 9 Pecky, Joe and Gilbert come up with a plan to lure the people who are after Pecky back to the hatchery. 

Chapter 10

 Jake was quiet on the drive home from the hatchery.

“Is there anything wrong sweetie?” his mom asked.

Jake shook his head.

“No, just thinking about the story. I don’t know how it’s going to end.”

“Hmm. Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out.”

Jake wasn’t so sure.

Gilbert said he would send a postcard advertising a free bag of chicken feed once they’d captured the culprits. Then Jake would know to come in.

After three long days, the postcard came. Jake could hardly wait to get to the hatchery. It took some convincing, but his mom finally agreed to take him when he showed her the coupon.

“See, it expires tomorrow so we have to go.”

“Alright, we’ll head there in the morning.”

Jake was torn between relief that he’d convinced his mom to go, and impatience to get there as soon as possible.

The next morning, they were on their way. Jake was wondering how he was going to get his mom to go somewhere else when she pulled into the parking lot.

“Can you get the feed on your own? I need to run to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner tonight.”

He nodded and sighed in relief as he hopped out of the car.

“I’ll be back in a half hour.”

Jake pushed through the doors and walked to front desk.

“Hello, my mom and I got this coupon in the mail for a free bag of feed. I’m here to pick it up.”

“Well hello again dear! Yes, Gilbert told me to be on the lookout for you. You can just head right down to his office. You remember where it is?”

“Y-yes. Thank you.”

He fairly raced down the hall and knocked on the office door.

“Come in!”

Jake quickly opened the door and walked in the room.

“Hello Jake,” said Gilbert.

“Well,” Jake began after closing the door. “Did you catch them?”

Gilbert rubbed his sleepy eyes.

“Yes. There are two of them.”

“Two? Who are they? What do they want with Pecky?” Jake looked around the room. “And, where is Pecky? Is he ok?”

“Whoa,” said Gilbert putting his hands up. “Slow down. Pecky is fine. I’ll take you to him so we can fill you in.”

Gilbert led Jake down the hall and into another room.

Jake.

Relief washed over Jake when he looked at Pecky and saw for himself that he was unharmed. He looked around the room, expecting to see the villains tied up in the corner or at least in a cage.

“Where are they? I thought you said you caught them?”

We caught someone, it just wasn’t who we expected.

“There were two of them,” said Gilbert. “It worked out just as we hoped.”

“Then where are they?”

Pecky seemed to sigh and shuffle his feet.

They are gone.

“GONE!? What do you mean they are gone?”

“We had to let them go Jake. We didn’t have a choice.”

You see, they were only children.