Summer According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney Read Free Book Online

all. Harmless, indeed!
    Sometimes the campers went out and took a hike, but they always came back laughing and happy.
    There were differences between camp and school, too. For one thing, I didn’t see the same kids all day every day. Since the kids got to pick their favorite activities, certain nature-loving kids showed up time and time again. Sayeh showed up every single day and so did Garth. A.J.’s brother, Ty, was a regular, too, and Miranda was usually around (but she was also very interested in drama classes).
    Another difference: there were no tests! I thought this was an excellent idea.
    Just like the campers, Og and I got a lot of fresh air and lovely outside sounds and smells. Plus Katie and Ms. Mac got everybody—including me—excited about the wonders of nature.
    Yes, I loved the Nature Center very much. I would have loved it more without the snake. I guess it wasn’t his fault, but he made me very nervous.
    But at least during the day, I didn’t have time to think about the SKITTER-SKITTER-SKITTER, SCRITCH-SCRITCH-SCRITCH sounds.
    And I tried HARD-HARD-HARD not to think about the Howler. But I was always listening for that “owoooooo!!!”
    NOTE TO SELF: Humans are unsqueakably smart, but they have an odd habit of liking scary things like dogs, cats and Howlers.

8
    Night Owls
    H umphrey, we worked our fingers to the bone to win you for the night.” That’s what Miranda told me as she carried my cage to the Robins’ Nest the next night.
    Her golden hair glistened in the moonlight, but I couldn’t see her bony fingers, because it was dark outside. I was also distracted by someone asking, “Who-who? Who-who?” over and over.
    “It’s me—Humphrey!” I finally squeaked back.
    Then the someone asked, “Who-who?” again.
    “We dusted and swept. Lindsey wanted to wash the windows, but we didn’t have a bucket,” Miranda continued. “We were determined to have you here tonight.”
    Inside, the Robins’ Nest was clean as could be. Stop-Giggling-Gail was there along with Miranda and some girls I didn’t know. They all crowded around my cage, squealing with delight.
    “He’s so cute !” said the girl called Lindsey.
    The Robins weren’t there long, though. Ms. Mac came in and said, “Time for our first campfire, ladies.”
    The girls seemed very excited, but Miranda had a question. “Shouldn’t we take Humphrey?”
    Ms. Mac thought for a few seconds. “Maybe not, Miranda. It might be a little hot and scary for him.”
    Miranda seemed to understand and the girls raced out of the cabin, leaving me to wonder why anyone would go to a fire. Weren’t fires hot and dangerous things that humans (and hamsters) should avoid?
    Yet I knew that Ms. Mac wouldn’t let my friends do anything truly dangerous.
    I could smell the faint aroma of smoke in the distance. I jiggled my lock-that-doesn’t-lock to make sure I’d be able to get out in case of danger. And I remembered when a firefighter came to Room 26 and told us if our clothes (even fur coats) caught on fire, we should “Stop, drop and roll.”
    But soon, the girls were back, smelling just a little smoky. Whatever the campfire had been about, they’d certainly enjoyed it.
    “Poor Humphrey,” Miranda said. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to go. You need to get out sometimes.”
    She took out my hamster ball. “Watch this,” she told her friends. She carefully placed me inside, gently set the ball on the floor and there I was, free to roll around the cabin. I hadn’t been in my hamster ball in a while, so it took time to get used to everything being yellow again (from the yellow plastic). And it took a little longer for me to remember how to spin around corners and change directions. Every turn I took seemed to amuse the girls.
    “Oh, if only Heidi could see you!” Gail said at one point. She plopped down on her bunk and pulled out a notebook from under her pillow. “I’m going to write her about everything you did.”
    Heidi was Gail’s