Curious George and the Firefighters (2 page)

Soon the fire truck and all the firefighters pulled up to a pizza parlor on Main Street. Smoke was coming out of a window in the back, and a crowd was gathering in the street.

"Thank goodness you're here!" cried the cook.

The firefighters rushed off the truck and started unwinding their hoses. They knew just what to do.

And George was ready to help.

He climbed up on the hose reel...

One of the firefighters saw George trying to help, and he took George by the arm and led him out of the way.

"A fire is no place for a monkey!" he said to George. "You stay here where it's safe."

George felt terrible.

George sat on the bench and looked around.

Next to him on the ground was a bucket full of balls. George reached in and took one out.

It fit in his hand just right, like the apple he'd had for a snack.

A little girl was watching George. He tried to give her the ball, but she was too frightened.

George took another ball.

And another.

"Look," a boy said. "That monkey is juggling!

The boy took a ball from the cage and tossed it to George, but it went too high.

George climbed up onto the fire truck to get it.

Now George had four balls to juggle. He threw the balls higher and higher. He juggled with his hands. He juggled with his feet. He could do all kinds of tricks!

The boy threw another ball to George. George threw a ball back to the boy. The little girl reached down and picked up a ball, too. Soon all the children were throwing and catching, back and forth.

The fire chief came to tell everyone that the fire was out. Just then, the little girl laughed and said, "Look, Mommy—a fire monkey!"

"Hey!" called the fire chief. "What are you doing up there?"

"What a wonderful idea," the little girl's mother said to the fire chief. "Bringing this brave little monkey to help children when they're frightened."

"Oh," the fire chief said. "Well, er, thank you."

Before long the fire truck was back at the firehouse, where a familiar voice called, "George!" It was the man with the yellow hat.

"This little monkey had quite an adventure," said one of the firefighters.