Read Bartleby of the Big Bad Bayou for Free Online

a little more—you’re almost there!”
    When he heard his friend’s voice, Bartleby made a last, great push. In another moment, he touched the row of lilies.
    â€œSssweet Ssswampland, you are sssaved!” Seezer dove into the water and swam underneath Bartleby. As he came up, he lifted the red-eared hero onto his back. “Bartleby sssucceeded! He outssswam the others!” he bellowed.
    â€œBartleby did it! He beat Old Stump’s goon platoon!” Grub whooped. He slid into the water to join his friends.
    â€œYou logheads!” Old Stump roared as the four gators straggled to the finish line. “You lost to Present.”
    â€œSorry, Old Stump.”
    â€œI have no idea how it could have happened.”
    â€œI got a cramp in my tail.”
    â€œI ran out of breath.”
    â€œSILENCE! You are all good-for-nothings. Old Stump doesn’t know why he puts up with you.”
    â€œIt ssseems to me that they put up with you,” Seezer said. “But now that Bartleby has sssecured his freedom, we no longer have to. Ssso long!” Carrying Bartleby on his back, Seezer began gliding downstream. Grub was right beside him.
    â€œStop! Come back with my present!” Old Stump bellowed. He whipped his tail at the four guard gators. “After them!”
    The gators didn’t move.
    Old Stump smashed his huge head against the surface. “Then I will stop them myself,” he hissed. He clawed and thrashed at the water as he began swimming after Seezer.
    â€œLook out, bro’!” Grub cried as the massive body came hurtling at them.
    As Seezer spun around, Bartleby was sent flying off his back. Smack! The red-ear landed so hard in the water, for a moment he was breathless. But Old Stump didn’t notice Bartleby. His jaws were open as he lunged for Seezer.
    Seezer roared and dove underwater. Old Stump followed. The bayou began to foam and churn so violently, Bartleby could only bob on the surface. Suddenly Old Stump and Seezer exploded above the water. They bashed their chests together as they slashed at each other with their claws, jaws, and tails. Their necks twisted into gruesome contortions as each tried to bite the other.
    Old Stump flung his tail over Seezer and pulled him close to his odoriferous jaws. Then he dug his teeth into Seezer’s neck.
    Bartleby had been treading water beside Grub, watching the fight. Now he whirled into action. He dove underwater and paddled over to Old Stump’s left hind foot. He bit the monster’s outer toe—the most sensitive one on an alligator.
    â€œOwwwww! That hurts!” Old Stump bellowed, pulling his jaws from Seezer’s neck. He spun around. But before he could reach Bartleby, the red-ear dove underwater again. This time he clamped his small, strong jaws onto the outer toe of Old Stump’s right hind foot.
    â€œOwwwww! Owwwww!” the gator roared again. He kicked Bartleby so hard the red-ear flew out of the water and crashed down on the mud bank. Dizzy and dazed, Bartleby waited for his head to stop spinning.
    Old Stump closed his jaws around Seezer’s throat. He was squeezing the breath out of him. Suddenly another gator came swimming toward them. Its dark eyes flashed. Its teeth gnashed ferociously.
    It’s the end for us, Bartleby thought. Then he realized it was Grub.
    â€œLet him go, Old Skunk!” Grub demanded.
    Old Stump whipped his tail at Grub. “Stay out of this, you gutless gator—or you’ll be next,” he hissed through his teeth.
    â€œNot unless you release my bro’!” Grub grabbed the end of the big beast’s tail and sank his jaws into it.
    Old Stump writhed, and wriggled, and whirled in the water, but he still didn’t release Seezer.
    Bartleby took a deep breath and dove in again. Once more he found Old Stump’s sensitive hind toe and chomped down on it.
    Old Stump’s jaws flew open. “Owwwwwooooo, my tail! Owwwwwooooo,