“Do we need to put newspaper under the shavings?” my mom asked.

  “No. Just the shavings are fine. You should put fresh water in his water bottle once a day and put a handful of this hamster food in his little feeding dish each day as well.”

  “What about the toast?” I asked.

  “The toast? Freddy, what are you talking about?” asked my mom.

  “Oh, Mrs. Thresher, we discovered that Harold likes toast, so feel free to give him some for a snack.”

  “That’s the funniest thing I ever heard,” my mom said, smiling. “A hamster who eats toast!”

  “Well, I think you’re all set,” said Mrs. Wushy. “Oh, wait! I almost forgot to give you the Hamster Journal.”

  “The what?”

  “The Hamster Journal. The kids record their weekend with Harold in this Hamster Journal, and then they share their adventures with the class. They can draw, write, take pictures and paste them in—whatever they want.”

  “So now are we all set?”

  “Yes, I think you have everything,” said Mrs. Wushy. “I hope you and Harold have a great weekend, Freddy.”

  “Oh, we will!” I said, grinning from ear to ear. “I think it’s going to be a weekend I’ll never forget!”

  CHAPTER 4

  Harold at Home

  As soon as we got home, Robbie and I took Harold up to my room.

  “Remember, do not let him out of that cage!” my mom yelled up the stairs.

  “We won’t!”

  “Well, what should we do with him first?” I asked Robbie.

  “How about a makeover? I’m sure Suzie has some pink nail polish we could use.”

  “A makeover! Are you crazy?”

  Robbie burst out laughing. “I was just kidding, Ding-Dong. I can’t believe you actually thought I was serious!”

  “Ha-ha. Very funny. Should we build him something out of Legos?”

  “Yeah, let’s make that castle we were talking about before.”

  “Nah. I don’t really like that idea. What else can we make?”

  “How about a spaceship? We can be space explorers, and Harold can fly to a strange planet and meet some aliens.”

  “Great idea, Robbie! You always have the best ideas.”

  We got to work building a huge spaceship. It took a long time, but we finally finished. Then we put Harold and his cage inside. “Look! He fits perfectly. Buckle up, little guy. Get ready for takeoff!”

  Robbie and I did the countdown together. “Ten-nine-eight-seven-six-five-four-three-two-one—blastoff!” Harold traveled through space for a while, and he eventually landed on the Planet Greep. There he met a friendly alien named Teetoo who gave him a tour of the planet. We played space explorers for a while, but Harold slept through most of the game.

  “I think Harold’s bored. Let’s take him outside. Maybe he needs some fresh air.”

  “Good idea,” said Robbie. “How about if we have a skateboard contest, and Harold can be the judge?”

  We grabbed our skateboards, helmets, and Harold’s cage, and we ran down the stairs. We were careful not to swing the cage too much. We didn’t want Harold to toss his cookies.

  “Mom, we’re going outside to ride our skateboards,” I yelled.

  “Where’s Harold?”

  “He’s with us!”

  “Do not take him out of that cage, boys, especially outside.”

  “We know. We know. We’ll be careful.”

  We went out front and put Harold down on the grass. Then we put on our helmets. “Hey, Harold, wake up!” I called, tapping gently on the cage. “Watch what we can do!”

  Robbie and I set up a little ramp, and we did a few wheelies and some jumps, but Harold slept through it all. “I can’t believe how much Harold sleeps,” I said.

  “Remember, hamsters are nocturnal. They sleep during the day and are awake at night. He’s going to be really busy tonight when we’re trying to sleep.”

  “But that’s no fun. I really want to play with him now.”

  “Maybe he’ll wake up a little bit if we take him back inside,” Robbie said. “The sun is really bright out here.”

  “I’m starving anyway. Let’s go get a snack.”

  We carried Harold back inside and went into the kitchen. My mom was there, making brownies. I set Harold down on the counter.

  “Hey, Mom, those smell great! Can Robbie and I have some?” I asked as I reached for one.

  My mom grabbed my arm. “Hang on there, bud. These are for dessert after dinner. Besides, you can’t have anything until you wash your hands. They’re filthy! And please get that dirty cage off my clean counter!”

  I put Harold’s cage on the floor by the table, and Robbie and I washed our hands. “If we can’t have any brownies, what can we have?”

  “How about some cheese and crackers? That should keep your tummies happy until dinnertime.”

  “That sounds good to me, Mrs. Thresher,” Robbie said.

  “Me, too, Mom. Thanks!”

  My mom set a plate of cheese and crackers down on the kitchen table, and Robbie and I munched happily. I looked down at Harold. “Hey, look, Robbie! I think he woke up! He’s watching us eat.”

  “Maybe he’s hungry,” Robbie suggested.

  “Hey, little guy,” I said. “Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?”

  He looked right at me and smiled. “Hey, Robbie. I think he just smiled at me! He just smiled at me!”

  “And you thought I was crazy!”

  “No, really. He did!”

  “Okay, Dr. Dolittle. Then let’s give him some food.”

  “Mom, would you please make a piece of toast for us?”

  “A piece of toast! You just had cheese and crackers. You’re going to spoil your dinner!”

  “No,” I said, laughing. “The toast is for Harold. I think he’s hungry.”

  “Sure, honey. Why didn’t you say so?” My mom made a piece of toast and handed it to me. “Here you go. I hope Harold likes it.”

  I took the piece of toast, picked up the cage, and started walking out of the room.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where are you going?”

  “Up to my room to feed Harold.”

  “I don’t think so. You know you’re not allowed to have food in your room.”

  “But it’s not for me. It’s for Harold. He’s going to be eating it in his cage. He won’t get any crumbs on the floor.”

  “I don’t care. A rule’s a rule, and I say no food in your room. You’ll have to feed Harold down here in the kitchen.”

  “Aw, Mom.”

  “Do you want me to take Harold back?” “No.”

  “Then you’ll do what I say. Harold eats in the kitchen just like the rest of the family.”

  I put Harold’s cage on the kitchen table.

  “Freddy! What do you think you’re doing?” my mom yelled.

  “Uh … feeding Harold.” What did she think I was doing?

  “Get that filthy hamster cage off the table where we eat!”

  “But I thought you wanted me to feed Harold in the kitchen.”

  “I do, but Harold is not a person. People eat at a table. He’s an animal. Animals eat on the floor. Please put the cage on the floor.”

  “Sure, Mom.” I set the cage on the floor and started to open the latch.

  “Be very careful, Freddy. Do not open the door too wide and let Harold escape. The last thing I want is that hamster running loose in the kitchen.”

  “Don’t worry, Mom. Robbie’s going to help me. He’s going to be the guard and make sure Harold stays in the cage.”

  “Harold won’t get past me, Mrs. Thresher. No matter how quick he is. I have a pet mouse.”

  “Thank you, Robbie. I appreciate your help.”

  Robbie and I fed Harold little pieces of toast. I think he really liked it because he ate the whole piece! “Wow, you must have been hungry, little guy,” I said. “Now that you’re full, maybe you’ll want to play.”

  Robbie and I closed the door of the cage. “Mom, we’re taking Harold upstairs now to play. Let us know when dinner is ready.”

  “Okay, honey. Just be sure you latch the cage tightly. We don’t want him to escape.”

  “We will. Don’t worry, Mom. He’s not going to get away.”

  CHAPTER 5

  The Great Escape

  Later that night, Harold watched the Nature Channel show When Sharks Attack with me and Robbie. I think he was a little scared by those great white sharks. “Don’t worry, Harold. They won’t eat you. They live in the ocean, and you don’t even know how to swim!”

  “OK, boys. It’s time to go to bed,” said my mom as she came in the room and turned off the TV.

  “Aw, Mom, can’t we stay up just a little later? Harold wants to see the next episode of When Sharks Attack.”

  “Oh, really? Harold does? I thought Harold was afraid of the sharks. Isn’t that what I just heard you say?”

  “Yeah … uh …” I turned to Robbie. Robbie, help me out here, I mouthed.

  “If he watches how the sharks behave, Mrs. Thresher, then he might overcome his fears.”

  Is Robbie a genius, or what? “Good one,” I whispered.

  “Nice try, boys, but it’s time for bed. Go brush your teeth.”

  I picked up Harold’s cage. “Come on, Harold. Let’s go see if Princess Suzie is home yet and hogging the bathroom.”

  When we got to the bathroom, the door was locked, so I pounded on it.

  “Hold your horses, little brat! I’ll be out in a minute.”

  “Yeah, right. More like a few hours,” I whispered to Robbie.

  “Hey, I heard that!”

  “Well, would you hurry up? Harold really hates to wait.”

  Just then the bathroom door opened a crack. “Harold? Did you say Harold? Why didn’t you tell me the little cutie patootie was with you? Come right in,” Suzie said, opening the door wider and reaching for Harold’s cage.

  Wow! Harold must have some kind of magic powers. He can turn the evil Suzie into a charming sister.

  “Oh, you are such a cute, little, fluffy wuffy,” Suzie cooed into the cage. “I could just eat you up! Look at you!”

  “You are such a weirdo.”

  “No I’m not!”

  “Yes you are!” I said, making the cuckoo sign. Robbie and I burst out laughing.

  “Am not!”

  “Are too!”

  Just then my dad stuck his head in the bathroom. “Hey, what’s the noise about? You are all supposed to be getting ready for bed. Freddy, can you hand me Harold’s cage?”

  “Why, Dad?”

  “Because I am taking Harold down to the kitchen. Your mom and I have decided that Harold will sleep in the kitchen.”

  “The kitchen?”

  “Yep, the kitchen. Do you remember I told you that hamsters are nocturnal? Harold is going to be partying all night long. He’ll be making lots of noise, and your mother and I don’t want him to keep you up all night, so he’s going to spend the night in the kitchen.”

  “Please, Dad,” I pleaded. “Please let Harold stay with me and Robbie. We promise we’ll go right to sleep. He won’t keep us up.”

  “I don’t think …”

  “Just for tonight, Dad,” I interrupted. “Let’s see. If he keeps us up, then we’ll take him downstairs. I promise.”

  “Well … “

  I hugged my dad around the waist and looked at him with my “sad puppy” eyes. “Pretty please with a cherry on top?”

  “Oh, all right.”

  Yes! The sad puppy eyes work every time!

  “Thanks, Dad. You’re the best!”

  After we finished brushing our teeth, I filled up Harold’s water bottle and we went to my room. I put Harold’s cage right in between our two sleeping bags. “You’ll be safe tonight, little guy. Robbie and I will protect you. And if you have any nightmares, we always have the Dream Police.”

  Harold looked up at me and wiggled his nose. Then he jumped on his hamster wheel and started running. My mom and dad walked in to say good night. “Looks like the party’s already started,” said my dad.

  “Are you boys sure you don’t want us to put him in the kitchen? That wheel is awfully squeaky,” said my mom.

  “We’re sure.”

  “Well, just let us know if you change your minds, OK?”

  “Good night,” said my mom. “Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” She gave us each a kiss.

  “Good night,” said my dad. “Get some sleep.”

  They turned off the light and shut the door.

  As soon as we heard their footsteps disappear down the hall, Robbie and I turned on our flashlights. We wanted to watch Harold in action. Since he had slept most of the day, I wanted to see what he did when he was awake.

  “Wow! He sure runs fast for such a little guy,” I said.

  “Look at him go!” said Robbie. “I’m getting tired just watching him.”

  “I wonder how fast he can actually run.”

  “You mean how many miles per hour?”

  “Yeah. Come on, Robbie. You must know. You know everything.”

  “Well, not everything.”

  “You mean there is something the ‘walking encyclopedia of science’ doesn’t know?”

  “I don’t know how many miles per hour a hamster can run, but we can look it up on the Internet tomorrow morning.”

  Robbie is a computer whiz. If there is something he doesn’t know, then he can definitely find the answer on the computer.

  Harold finally got tired of running on the wheel and jumped off.

  “I wonder if all that running makes the little guy thirsty?”

  Harold waddled over to his water bottle and took a sip.

  “I guess you know the answer to that question,” said Robbie with a chuckle.

  “I guess so,” I said, laughing. “Robbie, you are so lucky you get to have pets in your house. I love having Harold.”

  “It is really fun to have pets, but they are a big responsibility.”

  “Now you sound like my mom.”

  “But it’s true, Freddy. It’s a lot of work.”

  “I’d love to have just one pet.”

  “Well, be happy your mom let you bring Harold home for the weekend. That was really nice of her, considering she doesn’t like animals in the house.”

  “I am happy. Really happy,” I said, smiling at Harold.

  Robbie yawned. “I’m tired,” he said. “Let’s go to sleep.”

  “OK. Good night, little guy,” I whispered to Harold. “Good night, Robbie. Don’t let the hamsters bite.”

  “Very funny. Good night, Freddy.”

  We turned off our flashlights, rolled over, and went to sleep.

  Sometime in the middle of the night I awoke to the sound of Suzie flushing the toilet. I decided to turn on my flashlight to check on Harold. I looked and then I rubbed my eyes and looked again. He was gone!

  I shook Robbie. “Robbie, Robbie, wake up! Harold’s gone!”

  CHAPTER 6

  Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!

  Robbie rubbed his eyes and sat up. “Gone? What do you mean, gone?”

  “I mean he’s not in his cage!”

  “Of course he’s in his cage, Freddy. He must be hiding under something.”

  We both shined our flashlights all around the cage, but we didn’t see Harold anywhere.

  “See? What did I tell you? He’s gone!”

  We checked the latch, and it wasn’t in the locked position.

  “Oh no! The latch is open.”

  “How can that be?” asked Robbie. “We made sure we locked it after we gave him that toast.”

  “Remember how I filled up his water bottle before we went to bed? Maybe I didn’t close it tight enough. Oh no! What am I going to do?”

  “OK. Calm down.”

  “Calm down? Calm down? My mom is going to freak out when she finds out there is a hamster running loose in the house!”

  “She doesn’t have to know.”

  “What do you mean, she doesn’t have to know?” I said, even more panicked.

  “We’ll find him before she even finds out he was missing.”

  “How are we going to do that in the middle of the night? Huh, genius?”

  “We’ll use our flashlights. He can’t have gotten very far. Your door is closed.”

  Just then my door began to open. I jumped up and slammed my body against it to keep it from opening any more.

  “What’s going on in here?” Suzie whispered from the other side of the door. “I came out of the bathroom, and I saw the light from your flashlights. I heard you whispering.”

  “Nothing’s going on in here. Just go back to bed. OK?”

  “Something must be going on,” Suzie whispered louder, trying harder to push the door open.

  “We’re just talking. Now leave us alone!”

  Suzie gave the door one last, hard push. I went flying and landed with a loud thump on the floor.

  “I knew it! I knew it! You guys are doing something with Harold.”

  Just then, something small and furry ran right between Suzie’s legs. She started to scream, but I quickly jumped up and covered her mouth with my hand.

  “Shhhhh!” I put my finger to my lips.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Suzie whispered.

  I nodded my head fast. “Yes! It’s Harold! He’s escaped. And if you hadn’t opened the door …”

  Robbie dove to catch Harold, but he was already out the door and running into the hall.

  The two of us ran after him with Suzie at our heels. “Oooooh, you are in so much trouble!”

  I really didn’t need Suzie to tell me how much trouble I was in. I knew if I didn’t find Harold in the next few minutes, my life was definitely over.

  “Just wait until Mom hears about this.”

  “Robbie,” I whispered, “go get the flashlights.” Then I turned to Suzie. “Are you going to help me or not? Because if you’re not, then just get out of my way.”

 

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