make out parts of a few words:
My heart was pounding. Lun. Were we studying the lungs, was something going to lunge at us or maybe it was lunch. (That’s what I was hoping for!)
Trea made my heart pound a little. It surely meant treasure!
Captai just had to be a captain. Was a real ship captain coming along? Or was it the captain of a pirate ship? Eek!
What about those colors? Were blue and red the color of the jewels in the treasure?
And what on earth was secret g ? Secret guy? Secret girl? Secret gold? It could be so many things.
I tried moving the paper around so I could read the rest of the words, but it wouldn’t budge. I pushed the paperweight with all my might, but I couldn’t move it an inch. It must have been made of solid rock! I was still struggling with it when I heard Mr. and Mrs. Brisbane talking. Goodness, I thought they were asleep!
I quickly dived off the desk and slid down the chair cover, which was like a bumpy slide. I landed on the seat, paused to catch my breath, then continued to slide down the leg of the chair. Next, I scurried across the floor to the table. I was moving fast, but I skidded to a stop when I realized I had no idea how to get back up. I certainly couldn’t slide up the table leg. Still, I’m a clever hamster, so I stayed calm and checked out the area.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered a big stack of magazines on the floor. I carefully climbed up them one by one. However, when I made the leap to the table, my back paws pushed the top magazine off and the whole stack collapsed with a loud thump. I dashed into my cage and pulled the door behind me.
A few seconds later, Mrs. Brisbane came shuffling out of the bedroom, wearing her robe and slippers. “I’ll check it out, Bert. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
She turned on the light and looked around the living room. “Sorry to wake you, Humphrey,” she said while I tried to look as innocent as possible. Then she saw the heap of magazines. “Oh, that’s what it was.” She shook her head. “I hope they didn’t scare you.”
“Just a little,” I squeaked, even though I knew she couldn’t understand me.
“I’ll straighten these up tomorrow,” she said, turning off the light. As she was close to the bedroom door, I heard her tell Bert, “You’re going to have to build me a magazine rack.”
“I’ll be happy to,” he replied. “After the boat race.”
It was quiet for the rest of the night, but I didn’t sleep a wink because of what I’d seen on Mrs. Brisbane’s list. Especially the mysterious secret g .
The boat race at Potter’s Pond, the maps and the colorful treasure certainly sounded exciting. With a pirate captain along, it could be scary and even dangerous. Still, the more I thought about it, the more I knew that scary or not, I didn’t want to miss that boat race for anything in the world!
I slept in late on Sunday and awoke revived and refreshed. The Brisbanes were in a happy mood, and so was I. After all, I was going on a treasure hunt soon—or so I hoped.
In the afternoon, Mr. Brisbane brought a model sailboat into the living room. It was a fine-looking craft with a crisp yellow sail and a bright red hull.
“I couldn’t resist making a boat of my own,” he told Mrs. Brisbane.
“It’s great, but only a student can win the prize,” she replied.
“I know,” Bert said. He set the boat on the table and opened my cage door. “Let’s see what kind of a sailor Humphrey would make,” he said.
Mrs. Brisbane quickly stacked up books around the edge of the table so I couldn’t escape. “I don’t think he’ll like it one bit,” she said.
I couldn’t believe that my teacher, who is SMART-SMART-SMART most of the time, could be so wrong! I’d make an incredible sailor—I just knew it.
Mr. Brisbane gently set me in the boat. “See, Humphrey? It’s just your size.”
Yes, it was exactly my size. I felt as if I’d been born to sail in that boat. I stood at the
My heart was pounding. Lun. Were we studying the lungs, was something going to lunge at us or maybe it was lunch. (That’s what I was hoping for!)
Trea made my heart pound a little. It surely meant treasure!
Captai just had to be a captain. Was a real ship captain coming along? Or was it the captain of a pirate ship? Eek!
What about those colors? Were blue and red the color of the jewels in the treasure?
And what on earth was secret g ? Secret guy? Secret girl? Secret gold? It could be so many things.
I tried moving the paper around so I could read the rest of the words, but it wouldn’t budge. I pushed the paperweight with all my might, but I couldn’t move it an inch. It must have been made of solid rock! I was still struggling with it when I heard Mr. and Mrs. Brisbane talking. Goodness, I thought they were asleep!
I quickly dived off the desk and slid down the chair cover, which was like a bumpy slide. I landed on the seat, paused to catch my breath, then continued to slide down the leg of the chair. Next, I scurried across the floor to the table. I was moving fast, but I skidded to a stop when I realized I had no idea how to get back up. I certainly couldn’t slide up the table leg. Still, I’m a clever hamster, so I stayed calm and checked out the area.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered a big stack of magazines on the floor. I carefully climbed up them one by one. However, when I made the leap to the table, my back paws pushed the top magazine off and the whole stack collapsed with a loud thump. I dashed into my cage and pulled the door behind me.
A few seconds later, Mrs. Brisbane came shuffling out of the bedroom, wearing her robe and slippers. “I’ll check it out, Bert. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
She turned on the light and looked around the living room. “Sorry to wake you, Humphrey,” she said while I tried to look as innocent as possible. Then she saw the heap of magazines. “Oh, that’s what it was.” She shook her head. “I hope they didn’t scare you.”
“Just a little,” I squeaked, even though I knew she couldn’t understand me.
“I’ll straighten these up tomorrow,” she said, turning off the light. As she was close to the bedroom door, I heard her tell Bert, “You’re going to have to build me a magazine rack.”
“I’ll be happy to,” he replied. “After the boat race.”
It was quiet for the rest of the night, but I didn’t sleep a wink because of what I’d seen on Mrs. Brisbane’s list. Especially the mysterious secret g .
The boat race at Potter’s Pond, the maps and the colorful treasure certainly sounded exciting. With a pirate captain along, it could be scary and even dangerous. Still, the more I thought about it, the more I knew that scary or not, I didn’t want to miss that boat race for anything in the world!
I slept in late on Sunday and awoke revived and refreshed. The Brisbanes were in a happy mood, and so was I. After all, I was going on a treasure hunt soon—or so I hoped.
In the afternoon, Mr. Brisbane brought a model sailboat into the living room. It was a fine-looking craft with a crisp yellow sail and a bright red hull.
“I couldn’t resist making a boat of my own,” he told Mrs. Brisbane.
“It’s great, but only a student can win the prize,” she replied.
“I know,” Bert said. He set the boat on the table and opened my cage door. “Let’s see what kind of a sailor Humphrey would make,” he said.
Mrs. Brisbane quickly stacked up books around the edge of the table so I couldn’t escape. “I don’t think he’ll like it one bit,” she said.
I couldn’t believe that my teacher, who is SMART-SMART-SMART most of the time, could be so wrong! I’d make an incredible sailor—I just knew it.
Mr. Brisbane gently set me in the boat. “See, Humphrey? It’s just your size.”
Yes, it was exactly my size. I felt as if I’d been born to sail in that boat. I stood at the
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