raised my paw, too. Amazing Abby just might show Super-Sam a thing or two, which might be good.
But Sayeh looked unhappy, which was definitely bad.
NOTE TO SELF: Humans aren’t so good at climbing, squeaking or spinning, but they have some VERY-VERY-VERY unusual talents.
10
Lovey Dovey
I t was raining a little bit the next morning. Sprinkles, humans call them. Thankfully, not enough to get me wet on my way to the Nature Center.
“I don’t like keeping secrets. Especially not from Miranda,” Sayeh said as she carried my cage. I clung tightly to the bars of my cage and watched the trees along the path bob up and down.
“I can understand that,” I managed to squeak back, though my throat was as wobbly as my tummy.
“I’d love to tie knots with Miranda. We’re always braiding each other’s hair. It’d be fun if we all got good at knots, but I don’t want to let the other Chickadees down,” she continued.
“Eek!” I said as Sayeh turned a corner abruptly. “I mean, of course not.”
Sayeh sighed. “I guess I’ll concentrate on doing well on that test.”
“You can do it!” I said, and I believed it, too.
When we had reached the Nature Center, Sayeh placed me next to an empty spot on the table. The spot where Og’s tank usually sat. I’d been all set to tell him about Sayeh’s dilemma and he wasn’t there! Besides, his tank was usually between my cage and Jake the Snake, and not having him there made me just a little jittery. I hoped Jake had been fed that morning.
Sayeh moved on and found a place to sit. Counselor Katie was already in the room, setting up a small projector.
“I think you’ll be interested in what I’ve got for today, Sayeh,” Katie said.
I thought I’d be interested, too, as long as it didn’t involve snakes.
A few more campers trickled in. I climbed up to the top of my cage to see if Og was coming. Just as I was feeling quite worried, Brad, from the Blue Jays’ cabin, entered, carrying Og’s tank.
“HI-HI-HI!” I squeaked as Brad plunked the tank down on the table.
“BOING!” Og replied.
“Dumb frog,” Brad muttered.
I was stunned. Og . . . a dumb frog ? Brad clearly didn’t know what he was talking about.
“He doesn’t even say ribbit like a normal frog,” he complained.
I scampered down to the bottom of my cage and looked up at Brad. “Now see here,” I squeaked. “That’s because he’s not an ordinary frog. He’s a very special frog with a very special sound!”
I wished he could have heard more than just “SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK.”
Brad wasn’t paying a bit of attention to me. He was checking out the Nature Center.
“Welcome, Brad,” Katie greeted him. “You picked a great day to come.”
“Is this the whole thing?” he asked. “A frog, a bird, a hamster and a plain old snake? My other camp practically had a whole zoo in theirs,” he said. “They had a hawk and . . . a raccoon and a boa constrictor!”
Katie kept smiling.
“We try to keep the animals in the wild as much as possible,” she explained. “Of course, Humphrey and Og are pets. Some of the workers found Jake under some boards. And Lovey here was a rescue. You’ll learn more about her today. Just take a seat.”
Brad sat down next to Gail, who was busily writing a letter. She might as well have been at her desk in Room 26. I guess she would have been happier in Room 26.
When the session began, Katie explained that while she was hiking one day, she found Lovey lying out in the woods. It was obvious that her wing was broken.
Then she dimmed the lights and started showing slides. I must say, seeing the lovely Lovey on the ground with one wing just hanging limply was a sad, sad sight. There were even a few drops of—gulp—blood.
“Look at this, Og!” I rushed to get a better view of the screen.
Katie said that it’s not a good idea to get close to a wild bird who might be injured. But in this case, it was obvious that the dove was in trouble. When she
But Sayeh looked unhappy, which was definitely bad.
NOTE TO SELF: Humans aren’t so good at climbing, squeaking or spinning, but they have some VERY-VERY-VERY unusual talents.
10
Lovey Dovey
I t was raining a little bit the next morning. Sprinkles, humans call them. Thankfully, not enough to get me wet on my way to the Nature Center.
“I don’t like keeping secrets. Especially not from Miranda,” Sayeh said as she carried my cage. I clung tightly to the bars of my cage and watched the trees along the path bob up and down.
“I can understand that,” I managed to squeak back, though my throat was as wobbly as my tummy.
“I’d love to tie knots with Miranda. We’re always braiding each other’s hair. It’d be fun if we all got good at knots, but I don’t want to let the other Chickadees down,” she continued.
“Eek!” I said as Sayeh turned a corner abruptly. “I mean, of course not.”
Sayeh sighed. “I guess I’ll concentrate on doing well on that test.”
“You can do it!” I said, and I believed it, too.
When we had reached the Nature Center, Sayeh placed me next to an empty spot on the table. The spot where Og’s tank usually sat. I’d been all set to tell him about Sayeh’s dilemma and he wasn’t there! Besides, his tank was usually between my cage and Jake the Snake, and not having him there made me just a little jittery. I hoped Jake had been fed that morning.
Sayeh moved on and found a place to sit. Counselor Katie was already in the room, setting up a small projector.
“I think you’ll be interested in what I’ve got for today, Sayeh,” Katie said.
I thought I’d be interested, too, as long as it didn’t involve snakes.
A few more campers trickled in. I climbed up to the top of my cage to see if Og was coming. Just as I was feeling quite worried, Brad, from the Blue Jays’ cabin, entered, carrying Og’s tank.
“HI-HI-HI!” I squeaked as Brad plunked the tank down on the table.
“BOING!” Og replied.
“Dumb frog,” Brad muttered.
I was stunned. Og . . . a dumb frog ? Brad clearly didn’t know what he was talking about.
“He doesn’t even say ribbit like a normal frog,” he complained.
I scampered down to the bottom of my cage and looked up at Brad. “Now see here,” I squeaked. “That’s because he’s not an ordinary frog. He’s a very special frog with a very special sound!”
I wished he could have heard more than just “SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK.”
Brad wasn’t paying a bit of attention to me. He was checking out the Nature Center.
“Welcome, Brad,” Katie greeted him. “You picked a great day to come.”
“Is this the whole thing?” he asked. “A frog, a bird, a hamster and a plain old snake? My other camp practically had a whole zoo in theirs,” he said. “They had a hawk and . . . a raccoon and a boa constrictor!”
Katie kept smiling.
“We try to keep the animals in the wild as much as possible,” she explained. “Of course, Humphrey and Og are pets. Some of the workers found Jake under some boards. And Lovey here was a rescue. You’ll learn more about her today. Just take a seat.”
Brad sat down next to Gail, who was busily writing a letter. She might as well have been at her desk in Room 26. I guess she would have been happier in Room 26.
When the session began, Katie explained that while she was hiking one day, she found Lovey lying out in the woods. It was obvious that her wing was broken.
Then she dimmed the lights and started showing slides. I must say, seeing the lovely Lovey on the ground with one wing just hanging limply was a sad, sad sight. There were even a few drops of—gulp—blood.
“Look at this, Og!” I rushed to get a better view of the screen.
Katie said that it’s not a good idea to get close to a wild bird who might be injured. But in this case, it was obvious that the dove was in trouble. When she
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