weakly, but I knew she was right.
“Well, thanks, Humphrey.” Sayeh pushed her chair back and stood up. “It’s nice to know somebody will listen.”
I hopped on my wheel for a good, hard spin. While I was spinning, I talked to Og.
“I like to help humans. You know that, Og. But I don’t see how one small hamster can make a whole big camp more fun,” I said. I was huffing and puffing a bit, partly because I was spinning hard, but partly because I was getting a little worked up.
“BOING-BOING-BOING!” Og splashed wildly in his tank.
“Okay, okay, I’ll think of something,” I told him.
Suddenly, the next group of campers streamed into the Nature Center, along with Counselor Katie and Ms. Mac.
“Okay, kids. Who’s ready to learn some more about the wonders of nature?” Katie asked.
A hand shot up and Ms. Mac called on Noah. He was the boy from the Bobwhites’ cabin who liked bats and knew a lot about nature.
“Why are these animals in cages?” he asked, pointing to our table.
Ms. Mac explained that Lovey and Jake had been rescued and that Og and I were pets.
Noah wrinkled his nose. “Garter snakes live outside and they can get along almost anywhere.” My, Noah did know a lot.
“And hamsters are related to mice and rats. He’d probably be happier out in the woods,” he said.
“Not necessarily!” I squeaked. As much as Noah knew, he didn’t understand everything about hamsters.
“I’m impressed with how much you know about animals,” Katie said. “But I’m not sure Humphrey would be safe outside. What do garter snakes eat?”
Noah looked up, thinking. “Bugs, worms, frogs, small rodents . . .” he began.
“Hide!” I yelled to Og as I darted into my sleeping hut.
But Noah wasn’t finished. “I think we should let them out.”
“No!” a chorus of voices called.
“Not if Jake’s going to eat Humphrey and Og!” Ty shouted in a voice almost as loud as his brother A.J.’s.
“Calm down now,” Ms. Mac said gently. “We hope to get Lovey back outside this summer, if she’s ready. But Humphrey and Og are classroom pets. And Jake is kind of the camp mascot.”
“Animals weren’t meant to live in cages,” Noah argued. “They should roam free.”
The thought of roaming free at Camp Happy Hollow made me feel all shivery and quivery. Without a cage, what chance did a classroom hamster have when there were hootie owls and Howlers? And when I thought of Jake out there, the shivers and quivers turned to shakes and quakes.
“We’ll talk more about it when we take our nature hike,” Ms. Mac said. “Thanks for all the information, Noah.”
Noah seemed satisfied . . . for now.
That night, I ended up in the Chickadees’ Nest. Sayeh carried me there, and on the way she said, “You’ll make it more fun, won’t you, Humphrey?”
She knew I’d at least try.
I must say, the girls in the Chickadees’ cabin were very welcoming. Miranda’s stepsister, Abby, was one of them. Once upon a time, I thought Abby was mean and crabby, but it turned out that I was wrong. (Sometimes it’s good to be wrong!)
I didn’t know any of the other girls except Sayeh, but they seemed quite nice. They all watched me climb my tree branch and “oohed” and “aahed” and said how cute I was—perfectly normal behavior for humans.
I think I made the cabin more fun. But then, as on the other nights, the girls left me alone while they went to the campfire. I was still surprised that Aldo and Ms. Mac and the other counselors would take my friends to a dangerous fire. I will NEVER-NEVER-NEVER understand humans (but I’ll never stop trying).
Once they were back (smelling a little smoky), Abby clapped and said, “Listen up, Chickadees.”
She sat on a large trunk and the other girls gathered around. “Do you know that a girls’ group hasn’t gone to camp out at Haunted Hollow for five years?” she asked.
A girl named Val groaned. “No way!”
“No fair—right?” asked Abby. “But
“Well, thanks, Humphrey.” Sayeh pushed her chair back and stood up. “It’s nice to know somebody will listen.”
I hopped on my wheel for a good, hard spin. While I was spinning, I talked to Og.
“I like to help humans. You know that, Og. But I don’t see how one small hamster can make a whole big camp more fun,” I said. I was huffing and puffing a bit, partly because I was spinning hard, but partly because I was getting a little worked up.
“BOING-BOING-BOING!” Og splashed wildly in his tank.
“Okay, okay, I’ll think of something,” I told him.
Suddenly, the next group of campers streamed into the Nature Center, along with Counselor Katie and Ms. Mac.
“Okay, kids. Who’s ready to learn some more about the wonders of nature?” Katie asked.
A hand shot up and Ms. Mac called on Noah. He was the boy from the Bobwhites’ cabin who liked bats and knew a lot about nature.
“Why are these animals in cages?” he asked, pointing to our table.
Ms. Mac explained that Lovey and Jake had been rescued and that Og and I were pets.
Noah wrinkled his nose. “Garter snakes live outside and they can get along almost anywhere.” My, Noah did know a lot.
“And hamsters are related to mice and rats. He’d probably be happier out in the woods,” he said.
“Not necessarily!” I squeaked. As much as Noah knew, he didn’t understand everything about hamsters.
“I’m impressed with how much you know about animals,” Katie said. “But I’m not sure Humphrey would be safe outside. What do garter snakes eat?”
Noah looked up, thinking. “Bugs, worms, frogs, small rodents . . .” he began.
“Hide!” I yelled to Og as I darted into my sleeping hut.
But Noah wasn’t finished. “I think we should let them out.”
“No!” a chorus of voices called.
“Not if Jake’s going to eat Humphrey and Og!” Ty shouted in a voice almost as loud as his brother A.J.’s.
“Calm down now,” Ms. Mac said gently. “We hope to get Lovey back outside this summer, if she’s ready. But Humphrey and Og are classroom pets. And Jake is kind of the camp mascot.”
“Animals weren’t meant to live in cages,” Noah argued. “They should roam free.”
The thought of roaming free at Camp Happy Hollow made me feel all shivery and quivery. Without a cage, what chance did a classroom hamster have when there were hootie owls and Howlers? And when I thought of Jake out there, the shivers and quivers turned to shakes and quakes.
“We’ll talk more about it when we take our nature hike,” Ms. Mac said. “Thanks for all the information, Noah.”
Noah seemed satisfied . . . for now.
That night, I ended up in the Chickadees’ Nest. Sayeh carried me there, and on the way she said, “You’ll make it more fun, won’t you, Humphrey?”
She knew I’d at least try.
I must say, the girls in the Chickadees’ cabin were very welcoming. Miranda’s stepsister, Abby, was one of them. Once upon a time, I thought Abby was mean and crabby, but it turned out that I was wrong. (Sometimes it’s good to be wrong!)
I didn’t know any of the other girls except Sayeh, but they seemed quite nice. They all watched me climb my tree branch and “oohed” and “aahed” and said how cute I was—perfectly normal behavior for humans.
I think I made the cabin more fun. But then, as on the other nights, the girls left me alone while they went to the campfire. I was still surprised that Aldo and Ms. Mac and the other counselors would take my friends to a dangerous fire. I will NEVER-NEVER-NEVER understand humans (but I’ll never stop trying).
Once they were back (smelling a little smoky), Abby clapped and said, “Listen up, Chickadees.”
She sat on a large trunk and the other girls gathered around. “Do you know that a girls’ group hasn’t gone to camp out at Haunted Hollow for five years?” she asked.
A girl named Val groaned. “No way!”
“No fair—right?” asked Abby. “But
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