It was a cold night in the town of Nome Alaska. The children were sick with diphtheria and close to death, but Balto, the half-breed had returned with the antitoxin. The people of Nome and all the other dogs who had shown fear and heated toward him now loved him, but his enemy Steele was now hated by all the other dogs because of his lies.
The next day the dogs of Nome set up a trial at the old mill to decided on what to do to Steele for his crimes. Jenna, the beautiful husky was next to her love Balto. Doc the old Saint Bernard who was Jenna's guardian was the judge for the trial.
"I call the court to order!" ordered Doc.
The dogs all took their seats on boxes, on steps, and some on pipes. Steele the Alaskan Malamute then was broght in with two dogs leading him one toward the front. "You are so dead, Steele!" growled a random dog on his left.
Doc adressed the court. "My friends. We have gathered her today to find out what to do about Steele who wrongfully tried to kill Balto and lied to us!"
"Hang him!" yelled a dog. "Shove a living snake down his throat!" yelled another.
Doc shook his head and corrected the court. "That's not what I meant! What I meant was are we going banish him or not."
All the dogs then understood. "That's fine with us." they all said.
Doc then spoke out. "My friends, Let us hear from our new hero and friend, Balto."
With that everyone cheered Balto on as he stood before the crowd of dogs. He could not think of what to say because he was nerves and never gave a speech in his life, but he looked with a smile at Jenna, Boris and his friends who believed in him. Balto finally knew what to say.
"Thank you all for being here. I have just a few things to say and I promise that you'll learn more about accepting who you are, putting your differences aside, and loving someone as much you do yourself." he stated with a smile.
"What do you mean by accepting yourself?" asked Kaltag stepping forward from the crowd.
"Well, Kaltag, I was hated and feared because I was part wolf. I saw it as weakness, but when I was leading you and the team back to Nome, I used my smell to tell which trees I scratched. That's when I saw the value of being part wolf; I could do things that the average dog could not do and I learned to accept my wolf heritage." he explained clearly.
Kaltag and the others saw what Balto meant, that everyone is born with gifts that they don't want, but can be useful in time of trouble or to help others.
Balto had one more thing to say about accepting who you are. "I have heard of a king called David in this book called the Bible and these are his words from Psalm 139: 13-14." he said smiling.
Balto then recited Psalms 139: 13-14. "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made." he said with understanding. "So you see, even if we are born different from others, we can still do great things and help others with our gifts." he added.
The dogs barked and howled in joy of what they learned, but they had two more lessons to learn. Balto explained that the last two fitted together.
"About putting your differences aside and loving someone as much you do yourself is what I had to do." Balto said as he started his explanation. "When the team was lost, I had to find and help them bring the antitoxin back for Rosy and the other children." The other dogs knew this to be true. "I didn't like Steele or you guys that much, but I wanted to help those who did not like me because you needed help to get home, and I alone knew the way."
The dogs could see where this was going. They had to here more and Balto did have more to say about this lesson.
"I could not forgive myself if the children died—I loved them as much as I did myself. It's hard to put aside differences, but if you don't that shows that you don't care about anyone, but that you hate them. That's why Steele didn't want my help; he would would not put his differences aside to let me help him." With his explanation done, the dogs all nodded in agreement on what they learned.
They all now saw what makes a real hero. One: They care of others even the ones they don't like. Two: they put their differences aside to help others. And three: they accept who they are. With Balto's speech done it was time for Steele's trial.
As Balto got down from the boiler Steele gave him a glare and whispered something in his ear. Balto knew that it was a threat of death and revenge, but he did not worry because Steele would most likely be banished for his crimes. Doc was the judge for the trial and some other dogs were the jury. Steele stood before all those who use to respect him.
"My friends this trial is now in session Steele is charged for attempt of murder of Balto, lying, stealing and attempting to seduce Jenna several times." explained Doc. "I now call Star to the stand." he said looking at Star.
When Star got to the stand another Husky dog name Wild Joe asked if he would tell the truth and nothing but the truth. Star agreed to what he was asked and with that he made his statement.
"I have been with Steele for only a few months, but I saw what he was like very quick. He cheated at some of the races to win and I was afraid to tell others that he was not what he seemed. I also never wanted to hurt Balto in any way." he stated bravely for he was still kinda scared of Steele.
"Why did you not want to hurt Balto like so many others?" asked Wild Joe. "Well I saw that Balto had a good heart and I only pushed him around because I was scared that I myself would be pushed around," he looked at Balto and smiled, "but when he came to help us I was the first to trust him."
"Thank you, Star, you may step down," Doc kindly said to the timid dog. Then he called Jenna to the stand. Wild Joy asked her the same question that he asked Star and she gave the same answer.
"Jenna, kindly tell the court your point of view on Steele's actions." said Wild Joe with a smile. Jenna took a deep breath. Oh how she waited for this moment. "Well, I knew Steele since last year as well as Balto. When Steele met me, he always followed me around and asked me out, but I knew that he was not right for me," she said looking at Steele with disgust, who returned her statement with scoff.
"Did Steele ever try to take advantage of you in any way?" Wild Joe asked. "Well... Steele never hit me, but he mocked me once for liking Balto and on the night when my girl got sick Steele brought me some stolen meat. It was a chain of sausages, he then threw it around me and then used it as a leash to pull me close to him." she explained.
The dogs all spoke quietly about Steele's treatment of Jenna and Balto. Wild Joe still had more questions. "What did you do when he treated you like that?" he asked looking Jenna in the eye.
"Well, Balto was going to stop him, but I knew how to handle Steele. I tricked him into burning his tail on a boiler by using his infatuation of me against him." she stated proudly.
Wild Joe had one more question. "Why did you love Balto the half breed instead of Steele when you met them both?"
"Well I have heard of this story in the Bible called the way of love from first Corinthians 13: 4-7." she explained. The dogs wanted to her to tell them the ways of love. "Tell us the ways of love, Jenna," called Dixie from the crowed.
She then recited it. "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all thing."
"I now see what Jenna means," Wild Joe announced to the dogs. "Steele just wanted to have Jenna as his mate because he didn't want any other dog to have her, also he always boasted about how great he was and liked doing what was wrong." he pointed out looking at Steele with a glare. Steele was feeling like he was ready to rip out Wild Joe's eyes, but he still had some players on his side. So he would just wait.
Boris then spoke out from the crowd. "Balto knew if Jenna wanted someone else he would except it, he also never boasted, he's a truthful dog, and is thoughtful of others," he stated walking up to Balto and putting his wing around him.
After several other dogs had their saying against Steele it was time for him to make his statement. The former champion stood before the dogs who looked at him with anger, but he was not going to tell any lies now. He wanted them all to know the truth of how he felt about Jenna and Balto the one who took everything from him.
"I will not lie to you tonight guys," stated Steele with a fang filled smile. "The day I became the champion sled dog I needed something more in my life. It was something that not even the fame couldn't fill up—you Jenna," he explained looking at her coolly. "You were the most beautiful creature on four legs and that made you the best. I wanted to impress you, so every race I was in was all for you, every plan I made was for you."
Jenna was not touched by his words, but Steele went on with his explanation.
"Every day I tried to impress you and you rejected me every time, but I was sure that would see me as your guy. Then that wolf dog Balto came between us. He wanted to ruin everything I worked so hard for and that's why I tried to kill him, he was going to take you away from me, Jenna." he explained unhappily.
"You could have respected her wish and left her alone!" barked Sylvie from the crowed. Steele turn angrily toward her. "Jenna's the most beautiful dog in Nome, and that makes her the best and I wanted the best!" he yelled.
"Alright, I heard enough," Doc said commanding for silence. "Before I pass judgment on Steele, would there be any last words for him?"
Star, Kaltag, and Nikki both jumped up. "He is a low life son of-" Doc cut them off. "I can see where this is going," he looked at Steele then. "You are guilty as charged. Steele you are here by ordered exiled from Nome."
The other dogs didn't give Steele the chance to even get up, but bit and scratched him and chased him out of Nome and into the woods where he was going to live for the rest of his heartless life.