range. (I was glad no one was around since I wasn’t interested in dodging sharp arrows!)
There were horses, too—the biggest creatures I’d ever seen—or hoped to see! Their hooves were gigantic and they must weigh a million pounds! And sitting right on top of one huge beast was A.J.
“Hi, Humphrey Dumpty!” he shouted.
I closed my eyes, hoping his loud voice wouldn’t scare the horse. (It didn’t.)
We moved on, passing by a deep blue swimming pool. And who was diving off the diving board? Super-Sam, of course.
Then the girls took me out to the lake.
“We’ve saved the best for last,” Miranda said. “Welcome to Lake Lavender.”
Though I’d been sailing once before (quite unexpectedly), I’d never seen such a large and thrilling stretch of water. There was a dock with canoes lined up, and just for one teeny-tiny second, I almost wished I could be a human! But then I realized that being a hamster gave me the chance to do and see things humans never could. And humans seem to have so many problems—I was only glad I’m around to lend a helping paw from time to time.
“What do you think, Humphrey?” Sayeh asked as we gazed out at the rippling water.
“It’s breathtaking!” I exclaimed.
And it was. With the blue of the lake and the blue of the sky and the—what was that circling in the blue sky? I squinted to get a better view of a very large bird.
“Oh, look! A hawk!” said Abby.
Oh, no! A hawk! Katie had talked about them, too. They were not friends to small furry creatures.
“Eeek!” I squeaked, and the girls all giggled.
But the lake was lovely. How Og would like it! It was hard to see water without thinking of my friend, whom I was beginning to miss.
Next the girls carried my cage up to the top of a hill. From way up there, I could see the camp nestled into a low spot.
“There it is, Humphrey. That valley there—that’s Happy Hollow,” Kayla said. So that’s where the camp got its name!
Miranda swung my cage around to another hollow right next to the camp. “And that’s Haunted Hollow,” she said in an ominous tone of voice. “Where one group will get to spend the night.”
“Yeah, the Chickadees!” said Abby.
Miranda looked a little surprised. “Or the Robins,” she countered.
Abby folded her arms and shook her head. “Sorry, Miranda. We’ve got it nailed. Right, Sayeh?”
I swiveled around in my cage to see Sayeh’s face. She looked surprised and upset at the question.
“May the best team win,” Miranda said. Then she added, “And that will be us!”
I wasn’t sure who the best team was. And I wasn’t at all sure who would win.
When we got back down to camp, something had changed. There was a group of campers gathered around a tree. And another group gathered around the next tree.
“I wonder what’s going on?” Miranda said.
Once we got closer, I could see another clump of kids staring up at the side of the Nature Center.
“Come on,” Kayla said, and we picked up our pace (which made it a tummy-wobbling trip).
When we reached the first tree, Miranda elbowed her way through the small crowd.
“What’s up?” she said.
“This is up.” Richie pointed at a handmade sign tacked to the tree trunk.
FREE THE AMINALS!
RELEASE OUR WILD AMINALS!
(Even though it was spelled “Aminals,” I think we all knew what it meant.)
In smaller letters underneath, the signs said:
FREE LOVEY, JAKE, OG, HUMFRY.
(The sign maker was definitely not a good speller.)
“Eeek!” I said without even thinking.
“Free Humphrey?” Miranda sounded truly puzzled.
“That’s not right,” Sayeh added.
“I am not a wild animal!” I protested. “Or aminal!”
“He is not a wild animal,” Sayeh repeated, even though she probably didn’t understand what I’d said. We just thought alike.
Just then Counselor Katie approached. When she saw all the kids gathered, she came up to check things out. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“This.” Miranda pointed
There were horses, too—the biggest creatures I’d ever seen—or hoped to see! Their hooves were gigantic and they must weigh a million pounds! And sitting right on top of one huge beast was A.J.
“Hi, Humphrey Dumpty!” he shouted.
I closed my eyes, hoping his loud voice wouldn’t scare the horse. (It didn’t.)
We moved on, passing by a deep blue swimming pool. And who was diving off the diving board? Super-Sam, of course.
Then the girls took me out to the lake.
“We’ve saved the best for last,” Miranda said. “Welcome to Lake Lavender.”
Though I’d been sailing once before (quite unexpectedly), I’d never seen such a large and thrilling stretch of water. There was a dock with canoes lined up, and just for one teeny-tiny second, I almost wished I could be a human! But then I realized that being a hamster gave me the chance to do and see things humans never could. And humans seem to have so many problems—I was only glad I’m around to lend a helping paw from time to time.
“What do you think, Humphrey?” Sayeh asked as we gazed out at the rippling water.
“It’s breathtaking!” I exclaimed.
And it was. With the blue of the lake and the blue of the sky and the—what was that circling in the blue sky? I squinted to get a better view of a very large bird.
“Oh, look! A hawk!” said Abby.
Oh, no! A hawk! Katie had talked about them, too. They were not friends to small furry creatures.
“Eeek!” I squeaked, and the girls all giggled.
But the lake was lovely. How Og would like it! It was hard to see water without thinking of my friend, whom I was beginning to miss.
Next the girls carried my cage up to the top of a hill. From way up there, I could see the camp nestled into a low spot.
“There it is, Humphrey. That valley there—that’s Happy Hollow,” Kayla said. So that’s where the camp got its name!
Miranda swung my cage around to another hollow right next to the camp. “And that’s Haunted Hollow,” she said in an ominous tone of voice. “Where one group will get to spend the night.”
“Yeah, the Chickadees!” said Abby.
Miranda looked a little surprised. “Or the Robins,” she countered.
Abby folded her arms and shook her head. “Sorry, Miranda. We’ve got it nailed. Right, Sayeh?”
I swiveled around in my cage to see Sayeh’s face. She looked surprised and upset at the question.
“May the best team win,” Miranda said. Then she added, “And that will be us!”
I wasn’t sure who the best team was. And I wasn’t at all sure who would win.
When we got back down to camp, something had changed. There was a group of campers gathered around a tree. And another group gathered around the next tree.
“I wonder what’s going on?” Miranda said.
Once we got closer, I could see another clump of kids staring up at the side of the Nature Center.
“Come on,” Kayla said, and we picked up our pace (which made it a tummy-wobbling trip).
When we reached the first tree, Miranda elbowed her way through the small crowd.
“What’s up?” she said.
“This is up.” Richie pointed at a handmade sign tacked to the tree trunk.
FREE THE AMINALS!
RELEASE OUR WILD AMINALS!
(Even though it was spelled “Aminals,” I think we all knew what it meant.)
In smaller letters underneath, the signs said:
FREE LOVEY, JAKE, OG, HUMFRY.
(The sign maker was definitely not a good speller.)
“Eeek!” I said without even thinking.
“Free Humphrey?” Miranda sounded truly puzzled.
“That’s not right,” Sayeh added.
“I am not a wild animal!” I protested. “Or aminal!”
“He is not a wild animal,” Sayeh repeated, even though she probably didn’t understand what I’d said. We just thought alike.
Just then Counselor Katie approached. When she saw all the kids gathered, she came up to check things out. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“This.” Miranda pointed
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