Wildlife According to Og the Frog Page 9

—Granny Greenleaf’s Wildlife Wisdom

  Throughout the day in the Nature Center, one thing is clear. All the campers can think about is who will win the Clash of the Cabins.

  When Garth comes in to take his nature quiz, he doesn’t look as confident as he has been. In fact, he looks about as gloomy as a vulture with an empty stomach.

  “Did you hear? Super-Sam has poison ivy—a lot of it!” Garth says.

  “Eeek!” Humphrey squeaks.

  I had noticed Sam scratching his arms a lot at breakfast.

  “The nurse says Sam won’t be able to compete in most of the events,” he says. “Nobody wants to touch the things he’s touched.”

  I don’t know who’s suffering more, Sam or Garth.

  Sayeh comes in to talk to Humphrey, while Garth hangs around my tank.

  “I wish I’d practiced harder, but now it’s too late,” he admits.

  “Think positively!” I remind him.

  “I wish I hadn’t bragged to A.J. so much,” Garth admits. “Without Super-Sam, we’re definitely going to lose to the Blue Jays. But there’s nothing I can do.”

  “It’s never too late to try!” I tell him. “Give it your all! Give two hundred percent!”

  To encourage him, I dive into the water and swim fast laps. Believe me, I make quite a splash.

  “Hey, Og, you’re getting my glasses wet,” Garth says.

  I hop back up on my rock and do some fantastic leaps. “Reach for the stars!” I tell him, hoping that he’ll work a little harder in volleyball.

  “I wish I could leap like you, Og,” Garth says. “I’d be a better volleyball player.”

  “Hop to it!” I shout. “Just be as fast as you can be!”

  Garth chuckles at my antics. It’s good to see him grin. “I wish you were on my team,” he says.

  As he walks to the desk to pick up a test, I realize that I’m on everyone’s team at Camp Happy Hollow. I know they all can’t win, but everybody can try!

  Then I hear a familiar voice say, “Oggie-pie! How’s my cutie-wootie today?”

  As Lindsey leans in close to my tank, I stay silent. Maybe if I don’t respond, she’ll call me by my real name.

  “I brought you a treat,” she says.

  Yum! To me, a treat is a cricket, a fly or even a mealworm.

  My mouth waters, until she drops a round thing with red and white stripes around it right into my tank. That’s no insect!

  It slowly sinks to the bottom, and I see the water around it turning pink.

  Yuck!

  “It’s a peppermint,” she tells me. “See how much I love you?”

  Noah rushes up to the tank. “What are you doing? He doesn’t want that. Don’t you know anything about animals?”

  “It’s just a peppermint,” she says.

  “It’s not good for him or Humphrey,” Noah says as he races to Katie’s desk and picks up a little net with a long handle.

  “I’ll take it out.” Lindsey pushes back the lid of my tank and starts to stick her hand in, but Noah stops her.

  “Don’t,” he says. “Your hand is probably full of germs. You’ll contaminate the water. You don’t want to hurt Og, do you?”

  Lindsey looks as if she’s going to cry. “Noooo,” she wails. “I love Og.”

  Noah fishes out the peppermint and says, “Aw, don’t cry. I’m sorry I got upset, but even if they’re pets, animals are still animals. They don’t eat the same things or live like we do.”

  “I never had a pet,” Lindsey says. “I always wanted one.”

  “Well, if you ever do get one, you need to learn how to take care of it,” Noah tells her. “Hey, there’s a great book about frogs here in the rec room. After the test, we can clean his tank, and I’ll show you if you want. It has cool pictures.”

  Lindsey wipes away a few tears. “Thanks. I’d like that.”

  She turns to me. “I’m sorry, Og.”

  “It’s okeydoke,” I tell her.

  And I’m glad that she’s going to read that book. The sooner, the better! In fact, I wouldn’t mind having a look at it myself.

  * * *

  I am as jumpy as a nervous jackrabbit in the dining hall later that night, waiting to see how the campers will react when they find out which cabin won the competition.

  When Garth rushes in, he hurries over to my tank. “Og! We tied for second place in volleyball! I was leaping around like, well, like you! And I finished third in swimming!”

  “Way to go!” I tell him. “BOING-BOING-BOING-BOING!”

  The room gets unusually quiet when Hap Holloway stands up to make the announcement.

  He doesn’t say who won, at least not first thing. He says the Robins came in third and the Bobwhites and Chickadees tied for second place.

  There’s plenty of cheering, and I see Garth smiling. Miranda is smiling, too, because she got second place in horseback riding . . . with Golden, of course.

  And Abby and the Chickadees won first in knot tying. I’m not a bit surprised.

  Then comes the big announcement. Hap says, “And in first place, the winners of this year’s Clash of the Cabins competition: the Blue Jays!”

  A.J. starts jumping up and down, chanting, “Blue Jays rule! Blue Jays rule!”

  There’s even more cheering when Hap announces a special award is going to Sam for his great athletic abilities.

  Sure, the Bobwhites would have won if Sam didn’t have poison ivy, but they gave it their all and tied for second place.

  Suddenly all the anxiety and competition among the cabins is over. Chickadees and Robins are hugging, and Brad and Richie are laughing with Noah. Best of all, Garth tells A.J. he’s sorry for the way he acted. I’m hoppy to see Garth and A.J. shake hands.

  “It’s all over now,” A.J. says. “And you outplayed me in volleyball.”

  Lindsey leaves the excited crowd to visit me. “Og, I’m going to try to find you a real treat tomorrow—a cricket! Noah’s going to help me.”

  Noah may have put me in danger by releasing me at Lake Lavender, but he’s more than made up for his mistake now.

  * * *

  That night Humphrey and I stay in the cabin with Ms. Mac, Katie and Mrs. Wright. I’m hoppy to see that shiny silver whistle hanging around Mrs. Wright’s neck. And yes, she does sleep with it on!

  After such an exciting day, I look forward to a good night’s sleep, and I get it.

  Good thing, too, because the next day, all the campers—not only the Blue Jays—are howling, “Owooooo!” all day long.

  Our time in the Nature Center gives everyone something else to think about besides the Howler, because a stranger shows up.

  He is a veterinarian from the wildlife refuge.

  “Meet Dr. Singleton,” Katie says. “He’s the vet who helped us fix Lovey’s wing when she was rescued.”

  “And today he’s here to see if she’s healed enough to be released,” Ms. Mac adds.

  The vet examines Lovey carefully and says, “She looks completely healed.”

  The campers cheer.

  Katie rushes off to make an announcement to the whole camp while the vet answers questions about doves like Lovey. I am hoppy to hear that they mostly eat seeds, unlike hawks and owls, who eat small creatures like frogs and little furry things.

  Then Dr. Singleton meets Humphrey and me. He must be a smart doctor, because he takes one look at me and says, “Ah, Rana clamitans.”

  “That’s me!” I answer.

  I hear Katie’s voice on the loudspeaker, saying that anyone who wants to see the release should come to the Nature Center. Before long, every single camper at Happy Hollow shows up.

  After Ms. Mac assigns Sayeh, Brad and Noah to assist in the release, they take Lovey’s cage outside.

  “Good luck, Lovey!” I shout after her.


  Then Miranda grabs Humphrey’s cage and rushes out.

  “Hey, wait!” I shout. “BOING-BOING! BOING-BOING!”

  I know it’s easier to transport Humphrey’s little cage than my tank, but I really want to see the release. Instead, I’m stuck here with Jake the Snake.

  Luckily, there’s a window behind me, and I see the crowd outside huddled around in a circle, but I can’t see Lovey.

  I keep my eyes on the group and watch Sayeh step out of the circle, carefully holding the bird.

  She sets her on the Nature Center porch, and Lovey spreads her wings. Yep, her injured wing is healed, all right. Without hesitation, she flaps her wings and begins to hop.

  Dr. Singleton nods and says something. Sayeh picks up Lovey and carries her away from the building to an open space as the crowd watches from a distance. Unfortunately, they block my view of Lovey again.

  I manage to get a glimpse of Sayeh handing the bird to Noah. That’s a nice thing! Even if he made a mistake in taking me to the lake, he cares a lot about animals.

  The crowd blocks my view again, but then I see Lovey in the air, flapping her wings and rising quickly, stopping on a high treetop.

  BING-BANG-BOING!

  After a while, she takes off again, flying higher and higher until she’s a silhouette against the blue sky.

  A cheer breaks out as she disappears.

  “Lovey took off, Jake,” I say. “She’s free now.” I’m not sure he’s interested, but he has lived next to Lovey for a long time.

  The crowd huddles around again, talking. I can’t hear what they’re saying. They all raise their hands.

  Then Brad and Noah come into the Nature Center.

  “Jake, we all voted to release you into the wild, too,” Noah tells him.

  I can hardly believe my eyes, but it’s true! They pick up Jake’s tank and carry it outside.

  I don’t get to see the release because the crowd huddles around his tank, but after a while, there’s another cheer.

  I’m glad Jake is free. His tank seemed a little small for him. And I’m not that sad to see him go.

  When Humphrey’s cage is back on the table beside my tank, he excitedly tries to explain what he saw. “SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK!”

  “I know, pal,” I tell him, because for once I understand exactly what he says.

  The Haunted Howler

  Every day is the start of a new adventure.

  —Granny Greenleaf’s Wildlife Wisdom

  Things are quiet for the rest of the afternoon. Humphrey and I are in the rec room as it turns dark. The Blue Jays—including A.J., Richie, Simon and Brad—are pacing outside, and I don’t blame them. They are about to meet the Howler!

  Many of the other campers are gathered in the rec room, and they aren’t as excited.

  “They won fair and square,” Abby says. “But I’m still a little jealous.”

  Ty is the only one who is in a good mood. “I’m not. I don’t want to meet that Howler thing.”

  “I do,” Garth says. “But I’m happy that A.J. is going. After all, he’s my best friend!”

  “I still don’t think there’s such a thing as a Howler,” Noah says. “But I could be wrong. Right, Og?”

  “We all make mistakes!” I boing back.

  Ms. Mac comes in and says, “Everybody but the Blue Jays—attention! I’m taking you all to town to see a movie!”

  “Will it be scary?” Ty’s voice is shaky.

  Ms. Mac smiles. “Maybe . . . in a fun way,” she answers.

  Soon the room is empty except for Humphrey and me. We watch and wait.

  When a small bus pulls up in front of the rec room, Hap opens the door. “Okay, Blue Jays. All aboard for Haunted Hollow!” I hear him say.

  Aldo and some of the other counselors also get on the bus.

  Just before they leave, A.J. suddenly runs in and picks up Humphrey’s cage. “Hap Holloway said it was okay.” He sounds happy and excited.

  “Good luck!” I shout after my pal, but he’s gone.

  I’m all alone in the rec room and feeling a little sorry for myself.

  Of course, unlike the Blue Jays, I’ve already spent the night at Lake Lavender. And the funny thing is, I didn’t hear anything that sounded like the Howler. Curious, isn’t it?

  Still, when the Howler sees humans, he might come out of hiding.

  I stop feeling sorry for myself, and I think about Humphrey. If there is a Howler, my buddy might be scared. He might even be in danger! I wish I could be there to help him the way he helped me.

  “Feeling lonely, Og?” a voice says.

  It’s Aldo’s wife, Maria. She plops down on the couch near my table. “You’re not the only one left behind.”

  “Hi, Maria!” I greet her.

  “I had to prep breakfast for tomorrow. But we’re not entirely left out,” she says. “The windows are open, and I have an idea that you and I might get to hear the Howler from here.”

  She certainly believes there is a creature called a Howler.

  Maria opens a book and begins to read.

  I relax and slide into the water. Time to Float. Doze. Be.

  A long time passes, and I’m getting worried about the Blue Jays. It’s almost too quiet out there, so I sing softly to myself.

  Where’s the Howler?

  Where’s the Howler?

  In the woods.

  In the woods.

  I hope my friends don’t see him.

  I hope my friends can flee him.

  Stay away!

  Stay away!

  Maria stops reading and stares at me. “Og, you’re a singer! No one told me that! I’m glad I stayed behind so I could hear your song.”

  I’m glad she did, too.

  Now it’s quiet except for the chorus of crickets outside. They wouldn’t be singing if I were out there!

  And then I hear it—a faint but definite “owoooo!”

  “BOING!” I say. “Wow!”

  Maria jumps out of her chair. “You heard that, Og? That’s the Howler.”

  I think of Humphrey—so small, so nervous, so out of place in the woods.

  “Owoooo!”

  Yep, it’s the Howler, but it’s not as eerie as I expected.

  Truthfully, it sounds like many little Howlers. There are a lot of voices howling, and they all sound young.

  They sound familiar.

  They sound like kids!

  Maria chuckles. “I hope Aldo is taking pictures,” she says. “I’d like to see the looks on the Blue Jays’ faces when they find out who the Howler is.”

  “OWOOOO! OWOOOO!”

  “What’s going on?” I ask Maria.

  And then I hear a new sound: laughter. The laughter echoes through the woods, and we can hear it all the way up here.

  “Oh, I’ll tell you, Og. Those campers didn’t go to a movie. Ms. Mac took them to Haunted Hollow, where they all hid in the woods and pretended to be the Howler. It’s a camp tradition to prank the Clash of the Cabins winners.”

  Another prank! But this one is a lot funnier than taking Mrs. Wright’s whistle.

  Best of all, my pal Humphrey is perfectly safe.

  It’s late when the campers return, laughing and chatting.

  “It was just a little scary,” Ty says with a big smile. “But in a fun way!”

  “SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK!” Humphrey tries to explain. “SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK!”

  “It’s okay, Humphrey,” I boing back. “I knew it all the time.”

  * * *

  The next day is quiet and relaxed. The campers get to sleep late, and so do Humphrey and I. Humphrey dozes in the rec room for much of the day, and I must admit, I do, too.

  From time to time, some of the campers c
ome in to play games or visit us. I’m so hoppy to see that Garth and A.J. are best friends again and Sam isn’t scratching his arms as much. Brad looks happy playing cards with Richie and Simon, and Gail is once again the giggliest girl in the room.

  Noah and Lindsey look at the frog book together, and Abby and Miranda go on a last horseback ride. The horse trainer, William, takes a picture of Miranda on Golden and gives it to her.

  That last night, there’s another awards ceremony in the dining hall. Humans sure like to give out awards!

  There are so many prizes, I lose track. Gail is the Funniest Camper, which I wouldn’t have predicted when she first arrived. A.J. is the Loudest Camper, which doesn’t surprise me at all.

  Sam even gets an award for the Itchiest Camper, and Brad is named the Most Improved Camper.

  But when it comes to the award for Most Popular Camper, Hap announces a tie . . . between Humphrey and me!

  Best of all, the prize turns out to be treats for both of us, and Lindsey presents me with a cricket! And she calls me just plain Og.

  Then . . . it’s over! I hear Hap telling the campers that is was a great session, and he hates to see it end.

  END? END!

  First school ended, and now camp is ending?

  This is sad news, and I know my pal Humphrey feels the same way, because his whiskers wilt and he crawls into his sleeping hut. I understand.

  I get one more night back with the Chickadees. There’s no knot tying, but there is lots of dancing like chickens and telling ghost stories. Ms. Mac even lets them stay up a little late.

  I will miss Camp Happy Hollow.

  * * *

  The next morning, from our place on the rec room table, I see what happens when camp ends. The same parents who left their children here not long ago return to pick them up.

  All the suitcases, boxes, backpacks and duffel bags are loaded back into cars. There are hugs and presents and good-byes . . . and then the campers are gone!

  It’s as quiet as a snake lying in wait. Even Humphrey doesn’t squeak for the rest of the day.