Jennifer Murdley's Toad (Magic Shop Books) by Bruce Coville
Authors: Bruce Coville
Tags: Fiction, Children's Books, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Children: Grades 4-6, Children: Grades 3-4, toads
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answered with words like, "Yes," and "Certainly," and "Of course we are."
He also told Jennifer and Ellen they could babysit for Brandon, which meant that they would be getting a little money when he got back. Usually the job would have gone to Skippy, but he had been banned from babysitting for two months after the haircut he gave Brandon the last time he took care of him.
Sharra was extremely quiet when Jennifer extracted her from the sweatshirt pouch and deposited her on the bed.
"I think she's gone into shock," said Ellen nervously.
"Story time!" said Bufo, climbing over the edge of his tank. "It's time for you to tell me the details of what happened this afternoon. Jennifer, this is important!"
Jennifer looked at him in surprise. But before she could answer, Skippy burst into the room. "Jennifer, have you seen my math book? I could have sworn--"
He broke off when he spotted Sharra squatting on Jennifer's pillow. "Hey, you got another one! Or is this one yours, Ellen? What is this? Are toads a new fad or something?"
Crossing to the bed, he scooped Sharra into his hand.
"Put her down, Skippy!" cried Jennifer. "Cool it, Jen. Sheesh, I never saw anybody get
71
so cranky about toads. What's the big deal? A toad is a toad."
"Not always," said Jennifer. "Anyway, be careful of her."
"Why?"
"Ah--we think she's pregnant!" said Ellen desperately.
Skippy held Sharra away from him and looked at her appraisingly. "Could be," he said. "She's kinda chunky."
Sharra let out an indignant squawk. Skippy jumped and almost dropped her. "These things make the weirdest noises," he said. "What kind of toads are they, anyway?"
"She's a rare breed," said Jennifer. "Very expensive. That's why I told you to be careful."
"Sister, dear, you are getting weirder by the day," said Skippy, lifting Sharra toward his face to examine her more carefully. He poked a finger at her nose. "Man," he said approvingly, "she sure is ugly."
With a cry of indignation, Sharra lunged at Skippy.
"Hey, what--?" he cried.
Those were the last words out of his mouth before Sharra's toady lips connected with his.
72
SEVEN
"You Owe Me!"
When the smoke cleared, there were still two toads in the room.
Sharra was not one of them. Skippy, however, was. No longer tall and red-haired, he was now small, brown, and covered with warts. Jennifer was not altogether sure that this wasn't an improvement. Unfortunately, she was fairly confident her parents would not see the matter in that light. Disgusting as Skippy might be, she was certain they would rather he were a boy than a toad.
Skippy would almost certainly share that opinion, once he had figured out what had happened. At the moment, he was totally oblivious to his new shape. "Whooo-ee, what was that all about?" he cried. Coughing, he waved a warty little hand in front of his face.
That was when he realized what had happened to him.
"My hand!" he screamed. "What happened to my hand?"
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This was followed by a brief pause while Skippy examined the rest of his body. This examination was followed by a series of screams, interspersed with such phrases as, "Gonna die, Jennifer," and "What are you three, witches?" and "Get me outta this!"
The only one who was actually happy about this development was Sharra.
"It couldn't have happened to a better brat," she said. Then she shook her hands and said, "Oooh, I'm all pins and needles, like when your leg goes to sleep. Except it's all over me! Ooooh!"
"I'll teach you!" cried Skippy, jumping at Sharra. It was a solid, toadlike leap, but Skippy wasn't used to his new shape, and Sharra easily dodged it. He went sailing past her calf and landed on the floor behind her.
"Jennifer!" he cried pitifully. "What's going on here?"
"And is it catching?" muttered Ellen nervously. "Ah--it seems to be a temporary condition," said Jennifer.
"You mean I'm going to turn back?" asked Skippy, his voice flooded with relief. "I think so. Sharra did."
"How did she do
70
answered with words like, "Yes," and "Certainly," and "Of course we are."
He also told Jennifer and Ellen they could babysit for Brandon, which meant that they would be getting a little money when he got back. Usually the job would have gone to Skippy, but he had been banned from babysitting for two months after the haircut he gave Brandon the last time he took care of him.
Sharra was extremely quiet when Jennifer extracted her from the sweatshirt pouch and deposited her on the bed.
"I think she's gone into shock," said Ellen nervously.
"Story time!" said Bufo, climbing over the edge of his tank. "It's time for you to tell me the details of what happened this afternoon. Jennifer, this is important!"
Jennifer looked at him in surprise. But before she could answer, Skippy burst into the room. "Jennifer, have you seen my math book? I could have sworn--"
He broke off when he spotted Sharra squatting on Jennifer's pillow. "Hey, you got another one! Or is this one yours, Ellen? What is this? Are toads a new fad or something?"
Crossing to the bed, he scooped Sharra into his hand.
"Put her down, Skippy!" cried Jennifer. "Cool it, Jen. Sheesh, I never saw anybody get
71
so cranky about toads. What's the big deal? A toad is a toad."
"Not always," said Jennifer. "Anyway, be careful of her."
"Why?"
"Ah--we think she's pregnant!" said Ellen desperately.
Skippy held Sharra away from him and looked at her appraisingly. "Could be," he said. "She's kinda chunky."
Sharra let out an indignant squawk. Skippy jumped and almost dropped her. "These things make the weirdest noises," he said. "What kind of toads are they, anyway?"
"She's a rare breed," said Jennifer. "Very expensive. That's why I told you to be careful."
"Sister, dear, you are getting weirder by the day," said Skippy, lifting Sharra toward his face to examine her more carefully. He poked a finger at her nose. "Man," he said approvingly, "she sure is ugly."
With a cry of indignation, Sharra lunged at Skippy.
"Hey, what--?" he cried.
Those were the last words out of his mouth before Sharra's toady lips connected with his.
72
SEVEN
"You Owe Me!"
When the smoke cleared, there were still two toads in the room.
Sharra was not one of them. Skippy, however, was. No longer tall and red-haired, he was now small, brown, and covered with warts. Jennifer was not altogether sure that this wasn't an improvement. Unfortunately, she was fairly confident her parents would not see the matter in that light. Disgusting as Skippy might be, she was certain they would rather he were a boy than a toad.
Skippy would almost certainly share that opinion, once he had figured out what had happened. At the moment, he was totally oblivious to his new shape. "Whooo-ee, what was that all about?" he cried. Coughing, he waved a warty little hand in front of his face.
That was when he realized what had happened to him.
"My hand!" he screamed. "What happened to my hand?"
73
This was followed by a brief pause while Skippy examined the rest of his body. This examination was followed by a series of screams, interspersed with such phrases as, "Gonna die, Jennifer," and "What are you three, witches?" and "Get me outta this!"
The only one who was actually happy about this development was Sharra.
"It couldn't have happened to a better brat," she said. Then she shook her hands and said, "Oooh, I'm all pins and needles, like when your leg goes to sleep. Except it's all over me! Ooooh!"
"I'll teach you!" cried Skippy, jumping at Sharra. It was a solid, toadlike leap, but Skippy wasn't used to his new shape, and Sharra easily dodged it. He went sailing past her calf and landed on the floor behind her.
"Jennifer!" he cried pitifully. "What's going on here?"
"And is it catching?" muttered Ellen nervously. "Ah--it seems to be a temporary condition," said Jennifer.
"You mean I'm going to turn back?" asked Skippy, his voice flooded with relief. "I think so. Sharra did."
"How did she do
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