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CHAPTER 1
STRETCH!
The little dog stretched her legs and sighed. It was hard to live all alone in the blazing hot Gobi Desert.
Maybe today I'll find a friend, she thought hopefully.
Just then a strange noise in the distance made her ears perk up. I'm going to chase that noise, the curious dog decided.
She took off, racing across the sandy dunes.
STRETCH!
A man named Dion stretched his strong leg muscles and checked his supplies one last time. He and hundreds of others were getting ready to run a race across the Gobi Desert that took seven days to complete. He had trained long and hard and was ready to go.
POP!
The starting gun fired.
Dion took off, racing across the sandy dunes.
THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!
The ground shook beneath the dog. And then she saw the most amazing sight — friends! So many friends. And they were even playing chase!
The wind blew back her ears, and her paws sent sand flying behind her. She was going to catch them!
Dion focused on the trail ahead as he ran. "Always look forward," he said to himself. "Never look back."
That's what he told himself every race. That's what he needed to do to win.
He looked down and to his surprise, there was a little dog running beside him.
"RUFF-RUFF!"
The dog barked and gave him a doggy smile. She liked the sound of his voice. This was the best game of chase she had ever played!
Could this man be my friend? She kept running beside him.
The temperature was 120 degrees, and Dion was so thirsty! He gulped down some water, and it trickled down his chin and splashed onto his shirt.
"You must be thirsty too!" He knelt beside the panting pup and poured water into his cupped hand. She was thirsty too!
The racers kept running—through the sandy dunes, up the rocky slopes, under the burning sun. The dog's legs were short, but she ran fast to keep up with Dion.
"I THINK I'LL CALL YOU GOBI,"
Dion said to her, "because you are as tough as the Gobi Desert!"
"Yip-yip!" Gobi barked in agreement. She ran ahead, then circled back to her friend, barking playfully as she encouraged him too.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Gobi"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Dion Leonard.
Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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