(adapted from “Toby, the Runaway Turkey by Rubye Stripland)
Toby was coming out of the hen house as the sun was rising in the East. Ms. Rubye was walking down the path to bring him some food. She told Toby he was growing and that she had some extra food for him. There was a very mean rooster on the farm named Rick, and the rooster liked to play tricks on the other animals. As soon as Ms. Rubye went through the gate, Rick told Toby that Ms. Rubye gave him extra food to fatten him up for Thanksgiving. Toby could not believe what he was hearing. He told himself that Ms. Rubye loved him and that he was her pet. He thought Rick might be trying to scare him, but the next day when Ms. Rubye gave Toby another extra helping, Toby began to wonder whether the rooster was right. There was only one thing to do. He had to run away from the farm. He flew up on the fence post and down into the field. Then he took off running. He ran across the pasture and into the woods. Toby came to the highway, and he walked along the road until night fell. He found a trailer filled with hay, and he climbed upon a bed of hay to sleep for the night.
When he awoke the next morning, he remembered he had run away …show more content…
Before he could run, he heard Ms. Z call Ms. Rubye with the good news. He also heard Ms. Rubye cry and tell Ms. Z how much she had missed him, and she knew that Rick the rooster had played a very mean trick on Toby. Toby also heard Ms. Z tell Ms. Rubye that instead of turkey, they were having chicken for Thanksgiving this year, so Toby began to feel safe. Ms. Rubye soon came to Jackson Intermediate, and she gathered Toby in her arms. She gave him a big hug and told the students how much she missed Toby. Ms. Rubye then took him outside and placed him in the truck. She allowed him to ride in the front seat all the way to the