“Talk,” she said sternly. “You know you can do it.”
They were all laughing now, even Abner. Celia ignored them—not an easy task—and whispered in the hamster’s tiny ear. “There’s no use pretending you can’t. You already talked, and I heard you. It’s not a secret anymore.”
“Give it up, Seal,” said Tate, calling Celia by her baby name. “And, Derek, it’s not that funny. Stop rolling on the floor. You’re full of dust.”
Abner hauled Derek up and brushed him off. “You almost had me, Celia. Put him back in the cage, and this time, lock it.”
The hamster gave Celia a pleading look.
Celia recognized the hamster version of puppy eyes. “I don’t feel one bit sorry for you. Hamsters that won’t talk
belong
in a cage.”
The hamster snuffled pitifully.
“Besides, I saved your life,” Celia pointed out as she tried to stuff the hamster throughthe cage door. “You probably owe me three wishes or something.”
The hamster squirmed in her hand, bracing himself against the wire frame. “Only one!” he squeaked. “One wish only! And it has to be approved by headquarters!”
CHAPTER 2
What a Hamster Wants
There was a couch in the Loft. It was big and shabby, and the previous owner had not wanted to move it. But the children didn’t mind its drab brown cover with the faded red dots. It was comfortable, and long enough to hold all of them. And it was on this couch they sat as they stared at the small rodent on the floor.
Derek found it easy to believe in a talking hamster. It took a little longer for Tate. AndAbner was still doubtful, some time after it had become clear to the others. But in the end they all understood that they were four very lucky children, for hadn’t Hammy mentioned a wish?
“Only it’s got to be approved by the Great Hamster,” said Hammy, pacing nervous circles on the scarred wooden floor. “And she’s not going to like it.”
Derek tossed a sofa cushion into the air and caught it neatly. “Who’s the Great Hamster?”
“And how do you know she won’t like it?” Tate pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and patted it into a soft nest for the hamster. “You don’t even know our wish yet.”
“We don’t even know it,” added Abner.
“It’s not the wish,” said Hammy. He stopped his pacing and rubbed his paws over his cheeks, ruffling his golden fur. The white patch over his eyes gave him a worried look. “She won’t like it that I was caught.”
“That wasn’t your fault,” said Celia at once. She got off the couch and knelt beside him.
“Yes, it was,” said Hammy miserably. “I wasn’t supposed to go near the house. But I couldn’t resist those dog biscuits! So crunchy!”
“Hey, I have an idea!” Derek dropped the sofa cushion and leaned forward. “What if you just don’t
tell
the Great Hamster? Then you could give us our wish right now.”
“Don’t tell?” Hammy sat back on his haunches and gave this idea some thought.
“You didn’t tell her you were going to ourcellar to eat dog biscuits,” Celia pointed out.
“Yes, and look what happened!” Hammy cried. “I got caught!”
“By four very nice children,” soothed Tate. “And we would never hurt you.”
“But are you going to let me go?” The hamster blinked his brown eyes and sniffled twice.
The children glanced at the empty hamster cage. It sat on a packing crate near the window. The late-afternoon sun shone between the metal bars of the cage and laid a crisscross pattern along the floor.
“Um—” said Celia.
Derek wouldn’t meet Hammy’s eyes. He took a tennis ball out of his pocket and began to pick at the lint.
“Of course we
want
to let you go,” said Tate carefully. She twined the end of her ponytail around her finger.
“We can’t, though.” Abner bent over the golden hamster with a worried look. “We’ll get in trouble.”
Hammy squeaked in alarm, looking past him.
“No, really, we will,” said Abner.
“Will
They were all laughing now, even Abner. Celia ignored them—not an easy task—and whispered in the hamster’s tiny ear. “There’s no use pretending you can’t. You already talked, and I heard you. It’s not a secret anymore.”
“Give it up, Seal,” said Tate, calling Celia by her baby name. “And, Derek, it’s not that funny. Stop rolling on the floor. You’re full of dust.”
Abner hauled Derek up and brushed him off. “You almost had me, Celia. Put him back in the cage, and this time, lock it.”
The hamster gave Celia a pleading look.
Celia recognized the hamster version of puppy eyes. “I don’t feel one bit sorry for you. Hamsters that won’t talk
belong
in a cage.”
The hamster snuffled pitifully.
“Besides, I saved your life,” Celia pointed out as she tried to stuff the hamster throughthe cage door. “You probably owe me three wishes or something.”
The hamster squirmed in her hand, bracing himself against the wire frame. “Only one!” he squeaked. “One wish only! And it has to be approved by headquarters!”
CHAPTER 2
What a Hamster Wants
There was a couch in the Loft. It was big and shabby, and the previous owner had not wanted to move it. But the children didn’t mind its drab brown cover with the faded red dots. It was comfortable, and long enough to hold all of them. And it was on this couch they sat as they stared at the small rodent on the floor.
Derek found it easy to believe in a talking hamster. It took a little longer for Tate. AndAbner was still doubtful, some time after it had become clear to the others. But in the end they all understood that they were four very lucky children, for hadn’t Hammy mentioned a wish?
“Only it’s got to be approved by the Great Hamster,” said Hammy, pacing nervous circles on the scarred wooden floor. “And she’s not going to like it.”
Derek tossed a sofa cushion into the air and caught it neatly. “Who’s the Great Hamster?”
“And how do you know she won’t like it?” Tate pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and patted it into a soft nest for the hamster. “You don’t even know our wish yet.”
“We don’t even know it,” added Abner.
“It’s not the wish,” said Hammy. He stopped his pacing and rubbed his paws over his cheeks, ruffling his golden fur. The white patch over his eyes gave him a worried look. “She won’t like it that I was caught.”
“That wasn’t your fault,” said Celia at once. She got off the couch and knelt beside him.
“Yes, it was,” said Hammy miserably. “I wasn’t supposed to go near the house. But I couldn’t resist those dog biscuits! So crunchy!”
“Hey, I have an idea!” Derek dropped the sofa cushion and leaned forward. “What if you just don’t
tell
the Great Hamster? Then you could give us our wish right now.”
“Don’t tell?” Hammy sat back on his haunches and gave this idea some thought.
“You didn’t tell her you were going to ourcellar to eat dog biscuits,” Celia pointed out.
“Yes, and look what happened!” Hammy cried. “I got caught!”
“By four very nice children,” soothed Tate. “And we would never hurt you.”
“But are you going to let me go?” The hamster blinked his brown eyes and sniffled twice.
The children glanced at the empty hamster cage. It sat on a packing crate near the window. The late-afternoon sun shone between the metal bars of the cage and laid a crisscross pattern along the floor.
“Um—” said Celia.
Derek wouldn’t meet Hammy’s eyes. He took a tennis ball out of his pocket and began to pick at the lint.
“Of course we
want
to let you go,” said Tate carefully. She twined the end of her ponytail around her finger.
“We can’t, though.” Abner bent over the golden hamster with a worried look. “We’ll get in trouble.”
Hammy squeaked in alarm, looking past him.
“No, really, we will,” said Abner.
“Will
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