Continued by popular request, Chapter Two!


Once every season, Lorraine came to town. Lorraine was a dusty-colored ground squirrel, with faded gray-white whiskers and heavy sliver hoops in both ears. Rumor had it Lorraine was a gypsy, though Lorraine considered herself more of a barterer and traveler by trade.

The whole town was familiar with the familiar wooden creak of her wagon wheels as she rolled into Dirt, her peccary panting as it pulled a massive cart full of rusty odds and ends she'd collected in her seasonal migration across the Mojave Desert.

"Whattya got for us today, Lorraine?" Spoons asked by way of greeting, and several of the residents helped her unload.

"Many things!" Lorraine stepped gracefully down from her caravan, heavy earrings swaying as she went. She paused, gray whiskers twitching in surprise as she looked around town. "An' you've got tales to tell me, if I do say so myself. Things around here feel different. What changed?"

"We got us a new Sheriff." Spoons said proudly. "His name's Rango. He got rid of the Old Mayor, killed a hawk, an' brought back all the water. I'm the new major now."

"Congratulations." Lorraine smiled at him fondly. "I'm looking forward to meeting him."

"An' what's this?"

"This here," said Lorraine, picking up the clear bottle and giving it an enticing swirl. "This here is enchanted water from the Wishing Well. One sip will make yer wildest dreams come true. Of course, there's always a price. The last man to drink from the Well wished he was half a foot taller. When he woke up, he woke up, he was taller, but he was also missing half his left foot!"

Excited murmurings came from the assembled animals.

"Well dang," exclaimed Cottontail Jack, a snaggletoothed jackrabbit from the outskirts of the city, "I wouldn't wanna be missin' half a foot but I'd still be willin' to pay fer somethin' like that. Think of all could do if I wished fer money. I could pay back my debt!" He clapped his paws together. Will was a notorious gambler and owed money to over half the main players in town. One of them shot him a dirty look.

Lorraine's whiskers crinkled in a sharp smile. "Just don't wish for more dough."

"Well, I wouldn't mind a bakery!" A timid kangaroo rat piped up, wringing her hands together as she peered out from underneath the lacy edges of her well-worn bonnet.

"And I'd want more waffles!" Shouted Waffles.

Angelique, the desert fox, rolled her eyes. "Don't be ri-di-culous," she scoffed in her usual haughty French accent. "None of you are aiming 'igh enough. If I 'ad the water, I would wish to be the queen of my very own island."

Priscilla shouldered through the crowd to stand in the front, where she could be clearly seen in spite of her small size. With wide yellow eyes, she looked up at the gypsy traveler eagerly. "I'd like my very own cowboy hat and boots!"

A large orange-and-gray spotted Gila monster in leered at her. "Don't be ridiculous, half-pint, this water here ain't for you. I'll be the one takin' it."

By the time Rango arrived at the saloon a half-hour later, the whole place had descended into chaos. Animal was fighting animal, and the large Gila monster had just thrown Cottontail Jack through a window, all over getting the magic water from the Wishing Well. Waffles, meanwhile, had given up on the fight entirely and was hiding under an overturned stool while Priscilla ran around kicking everyone she could in the shin. Lorraine was trying to get a hold of her.

"Now what's goin' on here?" Rango demanded, but easily got distracted as he saw the bottle of enchanted water on the edge of the counter, seemingly forgotten. Cool, crips condensation gathered around the sides, and the Sheriff was reminded of how thirsty he was. He smacked his lips. "Well, I don't mind if I do."

As oblivious as ever, the Sheriff waded his way through the crowd, an occasional "Ooh, watch it there!" or "You got this! Get back in the fight!" before getting to his destination. He licked his lips, picked up the bottle, downed it all in one gulp. Some of the water dribbled down his chin.

Rango wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve, giving a contented sigh. "Ooh, tasty. Water hasn't been that good since I got to Dirt."

He was greeted by dead silence.

Creatures stopped fighting each other mid-swing, all turning to stare at the Sheriff with varying expressions of disbelief.

Then, Priscilla pointed a finger at him. "Rango drank the water!"

Rango spluttered. "I what?!" But it was no use, he'd already drank it all.

"Why you little..." A menacing badger in front of him growled, his dirty paws curling into fists. "That water was supposta be mine!"

Rango frantically looked around. "Magic water? What're you talking about?"

"The magic water, Sheriff," said Waffles, coming out of his hiding spot behind the seat. His voice took on a knowing tone."It's supposed to make all yer dreams come true!"

Rango watched as all the animals around him started to nod. Her hat clutched between her paws, Priscilla came up to him.

"Whaddya wish for, Sheriff?"

"Well now, little sister, I don't know." Rango chucked, his brain finally starting to recover with the shock. "I wasn't thinkin' about it when I drank it." But now his mind raced with ideas. "I know! I have an idea. I'll wish for a brand new pool and sunglasses! And a lemonade stand with those fruity drinks and fun little umbrellas!"

Lorraine shook her head. "It doesn't work that way. You have to make the wish before you drink it. Now it'ill grant whatever wish is in his heart." Lorraine stared at him for a moment with piercing gray eyes and Rango gulped, though he wasn't sure why. His tail curled around itself anxiously. What was the last thing he wished for? Surely it wasn't something stupid. Hopefully, it was a brand new gun, or to get past first base with Beans.

Although none of those things would have been as cool as a sporty new pool and lemonade stand...

However, Lorraine was still watching him with that sharp, calculating expression. Finally, the older ground squirrel dipped her head. "I thank you, Sheriff. I have family in this town and it's because of you my grandbabies are still alive. You've done well by this town. I ain't gonna charge you for the water, Sheriff, think of it as a gift from me to you." With that, she picked up the empty bottle and shot him one last cryptic look. "May the Well grant you what you seek."


As soon as he got to the Ranch, he relayed the story to Beans.

"I still can't believe you drank all that water!" Beans said with a shake of her head, the warm wooden kitchen filling with the sound of her incredulous laughter. The two of them were playing Texas Hold 'Em in the low light of a kerosine lamp with an old, battered deck of cards Rango had found in the Sheriff's office.

Rango laughed as well. "I know! It's pretty crazy. I still can't believe I'm gonna get one of those wishes. Wonder what I'll wake up to in the morning?"

"You'll have to tell me when you find out," said Beans, right as soon as he yawned. Beans' expression immediately shifted into one of concern. "Good gracious, Rango. You seem plumb tuckered out. I don't know if you should go out tonight. Do you wanna spend the night here? It ain't much, but you can sleep over on the couch."

"That would be great." said Rango. His jaw split open in another yawn.

He shuffled and put up the cards, and there was a low scape of furniture as Beans got the couch ready. It was a low, rickety thing, with barely enough room to squeeze onto, but Rango was grateful for it. Before he laid down, Beans spread out an old quilt.

Before they went to bed, she kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, Rango. See ya in the morning."

"Goodnight, Beans," Rango murmured. He kissed her on the cheek as well, feeling a faint but familiar stir of longing at the scent of her sandy hair. She whisked by him and blew out the kerosine lamp, her bedroom door closing with a creak.

Rango suddenly felt exhausted. His head was spinning. Groaning, he rolled over and fell asleep, wondering what the next day would bring.

Little did he know that his life and his body had begun to change.