Lulu and the Hamster in the Night by Hilary McKay Page B

people do. I’ve got a friend at school whose big brother has three snakes and a big lizard living in his!”
    â€œNot really?” asked Lulu’s horrified mom.
    â€œYes, and what will they do with them when they go on vacation?” asked Lulu. “That’s what they are trying to work out!”
    â€œLulu, have you offered to look after three snakes and a big lizard for your friend’s brother while the family goes on vacation?” demanded her father.
    â€œNot yet,” said Lulu.
    â€œWell, don’t! Do you know what snakes and big lizards eat?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œHamsters!” said her father. “So you’d better choose! Which do you want? Ratty or three snakes and a big lizard, one of them with a bulge!”
    â€œRatty,” said Lulu, and so Ratty went to live in her bedroom with no more fuss from her parents.
    â€œI thought they said no,” said Mellie when she saw him there.
    â€œThey changed their minds.”
    â€œWhat made them?”
    â€œOh, some snakes and a lizard,” said Lulu.

    Ratty did not become tame very quickly. Perhaps he had been poked too many times by Emma Pond’s pencil for that. For days he tried to bite Lulu whenever she reached a hand toward him. He scuttled out of sight at every unexpected noise.
    But he stopped running on his wheel so much. Lulu let him out so often that he didn’t have to, with Lulu’s bedroom to explore. Mellie’s maze was there, and there were cushion mountains to climb and rugs to burrow under and delicious slices of carrots in unexpected places.

    Ratty loved carrots. He would grab the carrot slices, hurry back to his cage with them, and put them safely under his bed.
    Even his bed was a much cleaner bed than he had ever had before.
    And his wheel didn’t squeak because it had been oiled, and the bars on his cage did not make him furious because Lulu opened the door whenever she came in.
    Ratty began to be pleased when Lulu came in.
    He didn’t hide quite so often.
    He didn’t try to bite quite so quickly.
    â€œHe’s getting much friendlier,” Lulu told Mellie proudly when Mellie came to visit one day after school.
    â€œNever mind about Ratty,” said Mellie, after one quick look. “Guess what I’ve been doing!”
    It was easy to guess what Mellie had been doing because she was dabbled all over with pink paint and glitter.
    â€œMaking something!” said Lulu.
    â€œA birthday present for Nan!” said Mellie, bouncing onto Lulu’s bed. “Because guess what again? Her birthday’s on Sunday! And guess what she’s having for her birthday treat? You and me to come and stay! For all day Saturday and spending the night, and then on Sunday will be her birthday party with Mom and Dad and all of us! And that weekend the fair will be coming to the park and Nan says on Saturday we’ll go!”
    â€œBut …” began Lulu.
    â€œDon’t say but !” ordered Mellie. “Why’d you want to say but ? Staying at Nan’s is wonderful! It’s ten million times more interesting than staying at boring home!”
    â€œI know, only what …”
    â€œMom’s bought Nan a new pink robe for her birthday,” said Mellie, “so I’ve been making her a pink crown to match. What if you make her a throne?”
    â€œYes, I could. That’s a good idea. But I don’t know …”
    â€œI’ll help you. It’ll be easy. I can’t think of anything easier to make!”
    â€œNo, listen, Mellie! That’s not the problem. It’s …”
    â€œIf you think our moms and dads will say no, you’re wrong! They think it’s a really good idea. My mom’s downstairs now, talking about it to yours …”
    â€œLISTEN, MELLIE!” shouted Lulu.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œIt’s Ratty. He’s just getting tame at last. I can’t leave him alone for a