A Deflating Experience

Wiggle was feeling very proud of herself when they arrived at the little church in the town where the fundraiser was being held. Henry and Molly and HT and Scruffy were unloading the WiggleBus when they heard a happy voice call out to them.

"My name is Mulligan. I am getting adopted today!" he said wiggling his butt with excitement.

"Congratulations! That's Pawsome!" said Molly, who promptly introduced the others to him.

Henry turned to Wiggle to thank her. "We never could have carried all this stuff here without you."

"Don't mention it," said Wiggle happily. "I love to help the animals. It is so wonderful to meet another dog who has been adopted! Good luck today!"

When the others went inside the building, Wiggle noticed that her back tire was throbbing. It was kind of like the feeling of stubbing a toe, if busses had toes. In all of the commotion of unpacking and meeting the newest rescue, no one heard the hissing sound in the back of the bus.

"Oh dear, oh dear," fretted Wiggle. "I'm not feeling very well. I think I may be losing air from my tire but everyone has gone inside. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear," she worried.

The more time that went by, the more pain Wiggle felt. Soon every bit of air had left her back tire, and she was putting all her weight on her big white rim, which of course hurt a great deal.

She thought of honking her horn to call for help, but she did not want to bother the others inside while they were doing their important work.

Just then, Wiggle heard a little voice calling her name. The next thing she knew, she was looking nose to snout with a Bluetick Coonhound.

"You are the Wiggle Bus!" said the Coonhound. "I'm Dixie! I live in this town, and I have read every one of your adventures! I was rescued from the south, just like Henry!"

"I wish someone could tell me how THIS adventure turns out," said Wiggle. "I'm afraid you have caught me at a very bad time."

"What's wrong?" asked Dixie, seeing how distressed Wiggle looked.

"I'm afraid I have a flat tire," said Wiggle. "Everyone is inside working, and I am out here alone."

"You are not alone anymore!" said Dixie "Let me take a look at that tire!"

Dixie went around back to check poor Wiggle's sore tire.

"It looks pretty bad," she sniffed. "Your tire is punctured in two places!"

"No wonder it hurts so badly," said Wiggle.

"Do you have a jack and a spare?" asked Dixie.

Wiggle thought back to her old days as a bus driver. Whenever anyone was in distress, they could call up on their radio, but Wiggle's radio had been ripped out before she was auctioned off.

She had no jack, no spare, and no way to call for help.

"You have a first aid kit for everyone in here but yourself," sighed Dixie.

"I have a jack in my truck that might fit Wiggle," said Kramer, driving up for the fund raiser, but I do not have a wrench that will fit your tires.

"Those lug nuts look pretty rusty," said Dixie. "We are going to need some WD-40 too."

"What is WD-40?" asked Wiggle.

"Wrench Dog 40" said Kramer. It's as strong as 40 dogs!

"Since you do not have a spare," said Dixie, "we will need to get this tire off and bring it someplace to have it fixed."

"I am afraid I have let everyone down," said Wiggle. "How will I get everyone home? How will I get to Patrick and Cricket?"

Kramer looked Wiggle straight in the eyes.

"There's not a pawson here who hasn't needed help at one time or another," he said. "You did a great job to get everyone here today. Now it's your turn to need some help. If we all work together, we can solve this pawblem!" said Kramer in his most reassuring voice. "That's what friends are for!"