Read Online Adventure According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Betty G. Birney
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field!”
“Unsqueakably funny,” I said, though I was exaggerating a little.
“I’ve got a million of them,” Kirk said. “Did you hear the story about the spaceship? It was out of this world!”
He chuckled again, and so did I.
Kirk jumped up and stood close to my cage. “Here’s one for you, Humphrey. What did the hamster say when he broke his leg? ‘Quick! Call a hambulance ’!”
A hambulance! Now that was funny. I hopped on my wheel to show Kirk the joke made me happy.
If I’d had a gold ribbon, I would have given it to him. Like I said, it was quiet in Room 26. Og never squeaks up, much less tells a joke.
“Og, did you hear the one about the boy who wanted a prize so badly, he’d even hurt his best friend’s feelings to win it?” I asked my neighbor.
Og didn’t laugh, but that was okay. The situation wasn’t one bit funny. And I didn’t have any idea how to make things better between Kirk and Richie.
It didn’t take long for Gail to notice the flag the next morning. Heidi was back, too, and she asked who had made it. When the girls asked around, no one knew anything about it. (Except me, but nobody asked.)
When Mrs. Morgenstern came over to check on their progress, she asked Gail how she’d decided to decorate the sail.
“Mom, could I make a flag instead?” she asked.
“Fabulous idea!” Mrs. Morgenstern replied. “I love it!”
She seemed pleased, and so did Gail, who went right to work. First she studied nautical flags in one of Mrs. Brisbane’s books. It turns out there’s a whole language for flags. Boats raise them to send messages to shore or to other boats. Then Gail designed her own series of flags with brightly colored stripes and patterns. I was happy I’d been able to inspire her again.
Mr. Brisbane helped her string them along the side of the mast. Mrs. Morgenstern loved them, and best of all, Gail did, too.
It was a fine boat. They were all fine boats, especially after Mr. Brisbane helped Art and Mandy get their Viking ship to stand up straight.
Kirk looked very pleased when Mr. Brisbane checked out their tall ship.
“It floated perfectly last night,” Kirk said. “I knew it would.”
Mr. Brisbane was full of praise. After he moved on, Kirk turned to Richie and said, “I think we’ve pretty much got first prize wrapped up.”
“ You’ve got first prize wrapped up,” Richie snapped. “I’m just a big nobody.”
Kirk looked surprised. “Come on, Richie. No one has to know I did all the work. You’ll look like a winner.”
“But I won’t feel like one.” Richie quickly got up and sharpened about a million pencils. After a while, Mrs. Brisbane noticed and went over to talk to him.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“I guess,” he answered.
She tried to get more information out of him, but he just kept sharpening pencils. So she wandered over to Kirk and asked him if everything was all right.
“Yeah. The boat’s fantastic—look!” he answered.
“I mean between you and Richie,” Mrs. Brisbane said.
“Sure. We make a great team,” Kirk said. He sounded as if he meant it.
“Does Kirk really think Richie doesn’t mind being left out?” I squeaked to Og.
“BOING,” Og answered. He didn’t sound very enthusiastic.
Keep an eye on ye enemies, me hearties. There may be mutiny a-brewing!
From JOLLY ROGER’S GUIDE TO LIFE,
by I.C. Waters
9
Secrets, Secrets Everywhere
R ichie cheered up a little when Mrs. Brisbane announced that I’d be going home with him for the weekend. I was happy, too. I thought maybe we could both get our minds off boats. But once I got to the Rinaldi home, I found out I was WRONG-WRONG-WRONG. In fact, boats were just about all that Richie thought about.
There’s always a lot going on at Richie’s house with his parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins hanging out there. They were all there on Saturday—so many kids! Serena and Sarah, Anthony and Alex, George and Josie, Richie and
“Unsqueakably funny,” I said, though I was exaggerating a little.
“I’ve got a million of them,” Kirk said. “Did you hear the story about the spaceship? It was out of this world!”
He chuckled again, and so did I.
Kirk jumped up and stood close to my cage. “Here’s one for you, Humphrey. What did the hamster say when he broke his leg? ‘Quick! Call a hambulance ’!”
A hambulance! Now that was funny. I hopped on my wheel to show Kirk the joke made me happy.
If I’d had a gold ribbon, I would have given it to him. Like I said, it was quiet in Room 26. Og never squeaks up, much less tells a joke.
“Og, did you hear the one about the boy who wanted a prize so badly, he’d even hurt his best friend’s feelings to win it?” I asked my neighbor.
Og didn’t laugh, but that was okay. The situation wasn’t one bit funny. And I didn’t have any idea how to make things better between Kirk and Richie.
It didn’t take long for Gail to notice the flag the next morning. Heidi was back, too, and she asked who had made it. When the girls asked around, no one knew anything about it. (Except me, but nobody asked.)
When Mrs. Morgenstern came over to check on their progress, she asked Gail how she’d decided to decorate the sail.
“Mom, could I make a flag instead?” she asked.
“Fabulous idea!” Mrs. Morgenstern replied. “I love it!”
She seemed pleased, and so did Gail, who went right to work. First she studied nautical flags in one of Mrs. Brisbane’s books. It turns out there’s a whole language for flags. Boats raise them to send messages to shore or to other boats. Then Gail designed her own series of flags with brightly colored stripes and patterns. I was happy I’d been able to inspire her again.
Mr. Brisbane helped her string them along the side of the mast. Mrs. Morgenstern loved them, and best of all, Gail did, too.
It was a fine boat. They were all fine boats, especially after Mr. Brisbane helped Art and Mandy get their Viking ship to stand up straight.
Kirk looked very pleased when Mr. Brisbane checked out their tall ship.
“It floated perfectly last night,” Kirk said. “I knew it would.”
Mr. Brisbane was full of praise. After he moved on, Kirk turned to Richie and said, “I think we’ve pretty much got first prize wrapped up.”
“ You’ve got first prize wrapped up,” Richie snapped. “I’m just a big nobody.”
Kirk looked surprised. “Come on, Richie. No one has to know I did all the work. You’ll look like a winner.”
“But I won’t feel like one.” Richie quickly got up and sharpened about a million pencils. After a while, Mrs. Brisbane noticed and went over to talk to him.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“I guess,” he answered.
She tried to get more information out of him, but he just kept sharpening pencils. So she wandered over to Kirk and asked him if everything was all right.
“Yeah. The boat’s fantastic—look!” he answered.
“I mean between you and Richie,” Mrs. Brisbane said.
“Sure. We make a great team,” Kirk said. He sounded as if he meant it.
“Does Kirk really think Richie doesn’t mind being left out?” I squeaked to Og.
“BOING,” Og answered. He didn’t sound very enthusiastic.
Keep an eye on ye enemies, me hearties. There may be mutiny a-brewing!
From JOLLY ROGER’S GUIDE TO LIFE,
by I.C. Waters
9
Secrets, Secrets Everywhere
R ichie cheered up a little when Mrs. Brisbane announced that I’d be going home with him for the weekend. I was happy, too. I thought maybe we could both get our minds off boats. But once I got to the Rinaldi home, I found out I was WRONG-WRONG-WRONG. In fact, boats were just about all that Richie thought about.
There’s always a lot going on at Richie’s house with his parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins hanging out there. They were all there on Saturday—so many kids! Serena and Sarah, Anthony and Alex, George and Josie, Richie and
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