Friendship According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

made out of big cardboard boxes. A circle of chairs surrounded a large platform. Happy circus music was playing and I could smell popcorn and lemonade.
    Aldo set my cage on a big table and said, “Welcome to Richie Rinaldi’s Crazy Carnival! Step right up, one and all!”
    Soon my friends from Room 26 made their way down the stairs. Gail and Heidi (not together, of course), Kirk, Garth, Mandy, Sayeh, A.J. and Art, Seth and Tabitha.
    As soon as Sayeh saw Tabitha arrive, she hurried over to greet her. “Oh, I’m glad you came!” she said.
    Then, down the stairs came Marty. Marty? I blinked hard and looked again. Sure enough, Martin Bean, the guy who’s REALLY MEAN, was right there in Richie’s basement!
    “My mom made me invite him,” I heard Richie tell Garth. “He’s in my Sunday school class.”
    There’s school on Sunday, too? Gee, you learn something new every day.
    The kids all put brightly wrapped presents on a table. Most of them said hello to me. Then Aldo said, “Step right up and play the most amazing games on earth!”
    Each of the booths along the wall featured a different activity. Richie’s dad had a booth where the kids tossed rings at empty soda bottles. If three rings landed over the bottles, you got a pink ticket.
    Cousin Mark’s booth featured a game where you threw a small basketball through a hoop. You got a pink ticket for each basket made.
    In Grandpa Rinaldi’s booth, you had to knock little bowling pins down with a ball. If you knocked them all down, you got a pink ticket.
    Closest to me was Maria’s booth. She had a flowered scarf on her head and a big glass ball in front of her. “Come, hear Madame Maria tell your fortune,” she called to the crowd.
    Madame Maria told Mandy that in the future, she would eat “much popcorn.” (I think she already had.) Then Maria told Kirk that in the future, he would have a lot of fun. Kirk always does!
    There was so much noise in Richie’s basement, I was tempted to go into my sleeping house for some peace and quiet. But I didn’t want to miss any of the fun.
    Then—uh-oh—I noticed someone not having fun. Heidi Hopper was on her way to the basketball booth when Big Mean Bean stood in front of her, blocking her way. She moved to the right to go around him. Marty moved to the right and blocked her.
    “What’s your hurry?” he asked in a nasty voice.
    Heidi moved to the left to go around him. Marty moved to the left and blocked her.
    “Say the magic word,” said Marty.
    “Please,” Heidi said in a soft voice.
    “Can’t hear you!”
    “Please!” Heidi spoke much louder now.
    Marty sneered. “That’s not the magic word. Guess again.”
    Once more, Heidi tried to go around him and he stopped her. She was almost in tears. This was unsqueakable behavior!
    “Let her go!” I yelled. Not that anyone could hear a small hamster over all the hubbub.
    Suddenly, Gail appeared out of nowhere. “Stop it, Marty!” she said, and she pushed him out of the way. She grabbed Heidi’s hand and pulled her toward the fortune-telling booth. “Come on, Heidi.”
    Marty stood there with his mouth wide open. I could hardly believe what I’d seen myself. First of all, I thought Gail was mad at Heidi. Second of all, no younger kid had ever dared to push Marty before. Especially not a girl. Gail’s a lot stronger than she looks.
    “Yoo-hoo, ladies! Fortunes told! Let Madame Maria tell you what your future will bring!”
    Heidi and Gail looked at one another.
    “Step this way,” Maria called to them.
    The two girls scurried over to her booth and sat down as Maria stared into the glass ball.
    “You will be best friends forever,” Maria predicted. Hooray! Heidi and Gail looked happy with their fortunes. As they walked away, I heard Gail say, “I’m sorry I said you were a cheater. I was wrong.”
    “I’m sorry I called you a crybaby,” said Heidi.
    They didn’t seem to know what else to say, until Mandy raced up and asked if they’d tried the