each cage they passed.
“Look at this one, Amos.” Dunc stopped in front of a cage larger than his living room. It was furnished like a house, and there was a computer sitting next to one wall. Another computer was on the outside of the cage. He typed in a message.
Hello. My name is Dunc
.
They heard a loud squeal, and a large female gorilla came bounding out of a small square door in the back. She ambled across the floor and stopped in front of the keyboard.
Hello. My name is Louise
.
“Did you see that, Amos? They’ve taught her how to talk to us.”
Amos shook Agnes off his arm and moved closer. “Ask her something else.”
Dunc typed in another message.
Nice to meet you, Louise. How’s it going?
Louise squealed and then typed:
It’s the pits. Louise wants out!
Dunc stepped back. “This is unbelievable. She can actually understand what I’m saying to her.”
“Aaa-mos.” Agnes took his arm again. “The rest of the group is already in the next hall. Don’t you think we should move along?”
“Good idea. You and Herman catch up with the group. We’ll be there in a minute.”
Agnes put her nose in the air. “Mrs. Burnbottom said we had to stay together. Besides, I want to get a picture of you with Louise.” She held up her camera.
Amos rolled his eyes and blew air through the front part of his hair. He turned to face her. “Look, Agnes, I don’t want my picture taken with a lousy gorilla, I—aaagghhh!”
While Amos had his back to her, Louise had reached through the bars and grabbed him around the throat with one hand. Sheworked his head through the narrow opening, then jerked the rest of him in like a rag doll.
Once she had him inside the cage, she started tossing him up in the air. Before he could hit the floor, she caught him and threw him up again.
Agnes and Herman ran down the hall to find the teacher.
On the next toss, Amos screamed. “Dunc! Do something!”
“I don’t know, Amos. The tour guide said we shouldn’t get too near the cages.”
“Get me out of here.”
Dunc moved to the keyboard and typed:
Louise, put Amos down
.
Louise looked at the monitor. She stuck her lower lip way out and then dragged Amos by one ear over to her computer.
Amos and Louise playing
.
Amos looked dazed. Dunc shook his head.
Amos doesn’t want to play. He wants to go home
.
Louise cocked her head and looked down at Amos. She turned back to the keyboard.
Louise will go home with Amos
.
Dunc shook his head again.
No. Let Amos go. Louise cannot go home with Amos
.
Louise started squealing again and beating her chest with her free hand. She ran up and down the cage floor, dragging Amos behind her. Then she spat through the bars at Dunc, slapped the floor, and disappeared with Amos through the small square hole in the back of the cage.
The class watched as two workers led a shaky Amos out of the cage. His shirt was in shreds, he walked with a limp, and one eye was swollen shut.
“Are you okay?” Dunc asked.
Amos stared at him with his good eye. “Louise likes to play ball. I was the ball.”
“How’d they get you out of there?”
“They gave her a different ball. A real one.”
“Binder!” Mrs. Burnbottom marched over to him. “I’m so embarrassed. How dare you disgrace our school like this? I expectan in-depth report all about the acorn worm on my desk first thing Monday morning. All right, class.” She turned stiffly and clapped her hands in the air. “Back to the bus. On the double.”
Most of the students stared at Amos as they shuffled by. There were a few snickers, and a couple of the kids pointed. Agnes Dorfmyer didn’t even look at him. She went to the bus with her arm tucked in Herman Snodgrass’s, chattering all the way.
Amos leaned his head back. “Well, that’s it. My reputation is shot.”
Dunc didn’t say anything. He was standing over the computer keyboard talking to Louise.
“That’s just great. Melissa must think I’m a total geek, the
“Look at this one, Amos.” Dunc stopped in front of a cage larger than his living room. It was furnished like a house, and there was a computer sitting next to one wall. Another computer was on the outside of the cage. He typed in a message.
Hello. My name is Dunc
.
They heard a loud squeal, and a large female gorilla came bounding out of a small square door in the back. She ambled across the floor and stopped in front of the keyboard.
Hello. My name is Louise
.
“Did you see that, Amos? They’ve taught her how to talk to us.”
Amos shook Agnes off his arm and moved closer. “Ask her something else.”
Dunc typed in another message.
Nice to meet you, Louise. How’s it going?
Louise squealed and then typed:
It’s the pits. Louise wants out!
Dunc stepped back. “This is unbelievable. She can actually understand what I’m saying to her.”
“Aaa-mos.” Agnes took his arm again. “The rest of the group is already in the next hall. Don’t you think we should move along?”
“Good idea. You and Herman catch up with the group. We’ll be there in a minute.”
Agnes put her nose in the air. “Mrs. Burnbottom said we had to stay together. Besides, I want to get a picture of you with Louise.” She held up her camera.
Amos rolled his eyes and blew air through the front part of his hair. He turned to face her. “Look, Agnes, I don’t want my picture taken with a lousy gorilla, I—aaagghhh!”
While Amos had his back to her, Louise had reached through the bars and grabbed him around the throat with one hand. Sheworked his head through the narrow opening, then jerked the rest of him in like a rag doll.
Once she had him inside the cage, she started tossing him up in the air. Before he could hit the floor, she caught him and threw him up again.
Agnes and Herman ran down the hall to find the teacher.
On the next toss, Amos screamed. “Dunc! Do something!”
“I don’t know, Amos. The tour guide said we shouldn’t get too near the cages.”
“Get me out of here.”
Dunc moved to the keyboard and typed:
Louise, put Amos down
.
Louise looked at the monitor. She stuck her lower lip way out and then dragged Amos by one ear over to her computer.
Amos and Louise playing
.
Amos looked dazed. Dunc shook his head.
Amos doesn’t want to play. He wants to go home
.
Louise cocked her head and looked down at Amos. She turned back to the keyboard.
Louise will go home with Amos
.
Dunc shook his head again.
No. Let Amos go. Louise cannot go home with Amos
.
Louise started squealing again and beating her chest with her free hand. She ran up and down the cage floor, dragging Amos behind her. Then she spat through the bars at Dunc, slapped the floor, and disappeared with Amos through the small square hole in the back of the cage.
The class watched as two workers led a shaky Amos out of the cage. His shirt was in shreds, he walked with a limp, and one eye was swollen shut.
“Are you okay?” Dunc asked.
Amos stared at him with his good eye. “Louise likes to play ball. I was the ball.”
“How’d they get you out of there?”
“They gave her a different ball. A real one.”
“Binder!” Mrs. Burnbottom marched over to him. “I’m so embarrassed. How dare you disgrace our school like this? I expectan in-depth report all about the acorn worm on my desk first thing Monday morning. All right, class.” She turned stiffly and clapped her hands in the air. “Back to the bus. On the double.”
Most of the students stared at Amos as they shuffled by. There were a few snickers, and a couple of the kids pointed. Agnes Dorfmyer didn’t even look at him. She went to the bus with her arm tucked in Herman Snodgrass’s, chattering all the way.
Amos leaned his head back. “Well, that’s it. My reputation is shot.”
Dunc didn’t say anything. He was standing over the computer keyboard talking to Louise.
“That’s just great. Melissa must think I’m a total geek, the
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