8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = Chaos Read Online Free PDF Page A

harmless snake who has no poison to protect himself. So I said, “I could help.”
    The squirrel had misstepped and was dangling from the cord that lowers the maps. “How?” he asked. “By eating me before the dog has a chance to?”
    â€œI’ve had my frozen mouse this week,” I said. “My stomach is satisfied till Tuesday.”
    They all said, “Yech.”
    â€œSet me free,” I said. “I’ll distract the dog while some of you push that SNAKE TRANSPORT box off the shelf. Timed just right, it should tip over on top ofhim and hold him safe from eating any of us. I would never be so discourteous as to snack on schoolmates. Except, perhaps, on Tuesdays. Besides, history teaches us that we are stronger with allies.”
    â€œAllies,” the rat repeated. “Like fish in a school.”
    â€œTrussst,” I encouraged them.
    The rat—fearless, steadfast rat—scurried to my enclosure and shoved that screen aside.
    Just then the dog ran in, still attached to his cart and snarling, “Where’s that less-than-worthless squirrel?”
    The squirrel tried to scamper back up the cord, unscrolling “Renaissance Cities” till Florence was on the floor.

    The blue and gold macaw flew into the classroom and squawked:
“ Señor Dog’s on the loose,
so move your caboose.
Everyone to your places.
Pretend you’re at the races.”
    No one told the bird her meter was off.
    I slithered onto the floor. Seeing me, the dog scuttled in reverse. If he could have scaled up his fish cart, I suspect he would have. He didn’t notice thesquirrel, the rat, and the hamster climb onto the shelf and begin shoving at that SNAKE TRANSPORT carton. The macaw saw, and went to their support.

    The box moved closer and closer to the edge of the shelf.
    I hissed, posing as ferocious, causing the dog to back up closer and closer to the overhang of the shelf.
    The rabbit thumped her back leg, and the vibration was the last assistance that suspended receptacle needed.
    Over the edge SNAKE TRANSPORT tipped, showering pine shavings on all. But the fit and our timing were flawless. The box landed just so, to trap that dog—but not the cart—inside.
    â€œSassafras!” I said.

GALILEO AND NEWTON
(science lab geckos)

GALILEO:
Most geckos sleep by day . . .
NEWTON:
But we are day geckos.
GALILEO:
So we sleep by night . . .
NEWTON:
And are awake during the day.
GALILEO:
Just like the students in Mr. Russell’s science lab.
NEWTON:
Well, most of them. Some of those students seem to like to sleep during the day.
GALILEO:
Our scientific family name is Gekkonidae.
NEWTON:
And our genus name is Phelsuma. We are—
GALILEO:
Reptiles.
NEWTON:
We live in a vivarium . . .
GALILEO:
Where there are plants . . .
NEWTON:
And bamboo to climb on . . .
GALILEO:
And crickets and mealworms to eat.
NEWTON:
Sometimes we get mangoes. I like mangoes.
GALILEO:
I know you do. I prefer the houseflies, which are crunchier.
NEWTON:
But not as sweet.
GALILEO:
Mr. Russell teaches science.
NEWTON:
We like science.
GALILEO:
Every year Mr. Russell has a science fair.
NEWTON:
We especially like the science fair.
GALILEO:
It’s fun and instructional.
NEWTON:
That’s what Mr. Russell says.
GALILEO:
I was quoting him.
NEWTON:
Quoting is fine, copying is wrong.
GALILEO:
I know that.
NEWTON:
The students make replicas of the solar system.
GALILEO:
And the human eye.
NEWTON:
And volcanoes.
GALILEO:
I like the volcanoes.
NEWTON:
They do experiments with helium . . .
GALILEO:
And fruit flies.
NEWTON:
Sometimes we get the leftover fruit flies.
GALILEO:
Some of the children bring their pets in and do a report on them.
NEWTON:
We’ve seen kittens.
GALILEO:
And tree toads.
NEWTON:
And mice.
GALILEO:
And worms.
NEWTON:
I don’t think the worms were pets.
GALILEO:
Sometimes they do a special report on us.
NEWTON:
We are very