Pamela nodded. She felt better knowing that Tamara, who was so cool, did not like animals.
“But I think you are going to have to hold one,” Tamara went on. “Try to find a small one, then just hold it for a second. I think that is the only thing you can do.”
“I will be too afraid,” wailed Pamela.
“Try not to think about it,” advised Tamara. “Pretend it is an ice-cream sandwich.”
“What?” asked Pamela.
“Just look at the baby animal and pretend it is an ice-cream sandwich,” said Tamara. “Then pick it up, like you pick up an ice-cream sandwich. Hold it for a second, then put it down. Boom. Problem solved.”
Pamela looked at the last bit of her ice-cream sandwich. She tried to imagine it was a small, wiggling baby animal with fur or scales or feathers. It was hard. A small, wiggling baby animal would not be dripping vanilla ice cream on the kitchen table.
She looked at Tamara.
They both started laughing at the same time.
THE NIGHTMARE BEGINS
The next morning was the day of the field trip. Mrs. Harding drove Pamela to school. She gave Pamela three dollars to spend any way she wanted.
“Good-bye, honey,” she said as they pulled up to Stoneybrook Academy. “Have a good time today.” She gave Pamela a big smile.
Pamela did not want to get out of the car. She thought about saying she suddenly had a stomachache. But she could not. For one thing, it would be a fib. Her stomach felt fluttery, but she was not really sick. For another thing, Chris and Omar and Bobby and probably a bunch of other people in her class would know she had chickened out. The teasing would never stop.
For just a moment Pamela wished she had never teased Chris and Omar that day on the playground. Then maybe none of this would have happened. But she had thought they deserved it at the time. Second-graders should not be afraid to go to the top of the jungle gym.
“Mom?” she said. “Why don’t we have a dog or a cat?”
“What?” asked Mrs. Harding. “Why do you ask?”
“I have been wondering.”
“Well, when I was little, I had a cat. Her name was Silver. I loved her so much. She was the best cat in the whole world.”
“Really?” Pamela had never heard this story.
“Yup. Then one summer we moved, and we could not take Silver with us. My grandmother kept her for us. Silver was very happy with her. And whenever we went to see Grammy, I could see Silver again. But it was not the same. And I felt so sad about it that I decided I did not want to have another cat again.”
“Gee.” This was amazing.
“But you know what?” said Mrs. Harding. “Maybe I would feel better about it now. Maybe it is time for me to think about getting another cat.”
“Would the cat be mean?” asked Pamela.
“Oh, no,” said Mrs. Harding. “Cats are usually not mean, unless you are mean to them. Silver was the sweetest cat in the whole world. Now, you better run on, honey. The bell is about to ring.”
Pamela could see the kids in Ms. Colman’s class on the playground. She did not have to rush inside. “What about dogs?” she asked.
“Oh, I do not like dogs very much,” said Mrs. Harding. “They are all yappy and bouncy and muddy. They wet on the floor and chew your shoes. I would not like to have a dog.”
Pamela smiled. She knew that other people thought dogs were wonderful. It cheered her up to know that her mother did not.
“ ’Bye, Mom,” she said. She kissed her mother and got out of the car.
“Okay, boys and girls,” called Ms. Colman. “Please line up with your partners.”
It was time for the field trip. Pamela and Leslie were partners. Jannie was partners with Tammy. Everyone in class 2A lined up, ready to get on the big yellow school bus that would take them to the zoo. Behind Jannie and Tammy were Audrey and Sara, Hannie and Nancy, Karen and Terri, Chris and Omar (of course), Ian and Hank, Bobby and Ricky, and Natalie and Ms. Colman.
“Does everyone have his or her lunch?” asked Ms. Colman.
“Yes!” the whole class said.
“Okay, then. Start filing onto the bus. Remember your manners.”
Pamela and Leslie sat on the long seat at the very back of the bus. Jannie and Tammy sat next to them. To Pamela’s dismay, Chris and Omar sat right in front of her.
“Remember our dare,” said Chris. “I am surprised you came today. I thought you would pretend to be sick.”
Pamela stuck her nose in the air. “You are wrong. I am not afraid of baby animals. I will have no problem touching one.”
“You have to hold one,” Omar pointed out. “Pick one up.”
“Fine.” Pamela tried to look calm, but inside she felt as if she were in the middle of an earthquake. She did not know if she could hold one. But she knew she had to, somehow.
ZOO TOUR
It took almost an hour to drive to Bedford, where the zoo was. The bus ride was boring, boring, boring. Some kids were singing dumb songs like “The Wheels on the Bus” and “A Hundred Bottles of Pop.” Pamela wished they would be quiet.
Instead of singing, Pamela, Leslie, Jannie, and Tammy talked. Tammy had brought her latest Cricket magazine, and they took turns reading it.
“I cannot wait to get to the zoo,” said Leslie.
“It is better than a whole day of school,” said Jannie.
“Yes,” said Pamela. “But I wish we were going to Adventure World instead.”
“That would be so fun,” said Leslie.
“I love Adventure World,” said Jannie.
“Okay, class, here we are,” called Ms. Colman from the front of the bus.
Everyone cheered. Pamela did not.
“Remember, we will be in two groups,” said Ms. Colman. “I will lead one group, and our room father, Mr. Ford, will lead the other. First we will tour the zoo. Then we will have a picnic lunch. Then we will see the special baby-animal exhibit.”
Chris leaned over and made a spooky sound at Pamela. “Oooh-oooh,” he said softly. “Not baby animals!” He opened his eyes wide. “Baby animals! Oh no! Save me! Saaave meeeee!” He pretended to fall down in his seat, kicking and thrashing.
Omar was laughing so hard that he almost fell over too.
Pamela set her jaw and stared out the window.
“Is there a problem back there?” said Ms. Colman.
Chris popped up into place. “No.”
“Good. Everyone off the bus.”
The zoo was a good place for animals, Pamela decided half an hour later. It was much better than animals out in nature. For one thing, Pamela knew the animals could not escape. For another thing, as soon as you got bored, you could move on to another habitat.
Pamela and Leslie were in Mr. Ford’s group. Thankfully, Chris and Omar were in Ms. Colman’s group. Pamela tried to relax and prepare herself to hold a baby animal. She tried to look as if she saw wild animals every day and they did not bother her.
“Wow! Look at those huge teeth!” Audrey said when they saw the hippo yawn.
“Hmm, yes,” Pamela said in a bored tone.
“That cheetah is running so fast,” said Bobby a little while later. “I bet it could catch anything.”
“Uh-huh,” said Pamela. She looked down at her zoo map.
The Bedford Zoo was not as big as the Bronx Zoo in New York City or the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. But the habitats made the animals feel at home, and many spring flowers were in bloom. Pamela enjoyed looking at the tulips and daffodils and hyacinths.
That morning, Mr. Ford’s group saw practically the whole zoo. Pamela liked the rhinos and zebras the best, because they were the farthest away. There was a large bird enclosure, which she hated. Birds flew overhead, squawking, and there was bird doo on the ground. Pamela was afraid that a bird would swoop down and bite her. She walked slowly and stiffly through the exhibit.
When it came time to go into the reptile house, Pamela held Leslie’s hand a little bit tighter. Lesl
ie squeezed her hand and smiled at her. Pamela smiled back tightly. Inside the reptile house it was dark and warm. The walls were lined with exhibits of snakes, lizards, and frogs.
“Frogs are amphibians,” said Ricky.
Whoop-de-do, thought Pamela. Then she saw an exhibit of turtles. They were behind glass, with a small pool to swim in and rocks to climb on. They were walking slowly around their habitat. Their sign said SNAPPING TURTLES.
“Chomp, chomp,” said Bobby, coming up behind Pamela. “I bet that turtle could take your finger right off.”
Pamela felt like crying. Bobby had ruined even turtles for her. The rest of the time she was in the reptile house, Pamela kept her eyes on the pictures and fact cards on the opposite wall.
Ms. Colman’s group was waiting for them outside. “Time for lunch,” Ms. Colman said cheerfully.
THE BABY-ANIMAL EXHIBIT
Ms. Colman’s class ate lunch on picnic tables near the Education Center. The sun shone down warmly, and there was no breeze. Mrs. Harding had packed a special lunch for Pamela of hot-and-sour soup, a Chinese spring roll, and almond cookies for dessert.
Chris ate his peanut-butter sandwich as if he were a tiger devouring a gazelle. “Rrhhhhgh,” he growled, shaking his head from side to side. Crumbs flew out of his mouth. Pamela looked at him calmly, wishing he had come down with chicken pox today.
“Okay, everyone,” said Ms. Colman. “When you are finished, please throw away your trash. Then line up over here with your partners. It is time for the baby-animal exhibit.”
Suddenly Pamela’s almond cookie tasted like sand in her mouth. She swallowed hard and took a sip of milk. This was what she had been dreading for two weeks.
The baby-animal exhibit was divided into several different areas. Outside in small corrals were baby goats, lambs, and pigs. There were also a miniature donkey and some calves. In large cages around the corral were bunnies, ducks, and other animals. In a building next door were babies who could not be outside yet.
“Hello!” said a woman. Her name tag said SHERRY MCDONALD, ZOOKEEPER. “You must be Ms. Colman’s class.”
“Yes, that’s us,” said Ms. Colman.
“Come on in,” said Ms. McDonald. She held open the gate that led to the small corral. Inside the ground was hard, packed dirt. Lambs and baby goats saw them enter and ran to them.
Ms. McDonald laughed. “They think you will give them a treat,” she explained. “Here.” She handed out small pieces of chow that looked like dog kibbles. Sara, Karen, Hannie, and Jannie got some, and so did all the boys. The baby goats and lambs eagerly nibbled the chow, right out of their hands.
Hannie laughed. “This tickles,” she said. “Her tongue is so soft.”
Pamela shivered. The thought of a baby goat nibbling at her hand made her feel panicky.
A lamb started nosing around Leslie, and Leslie patted her. Pamela tried to back away casually, so no one would notice.
“This is a hedgehog,” said Ms. McDonald. She opened a hutch and pulled out a small brown pincushion. “His name is Moses. He’s very shy. That’s why he is all huddled up. You may touch him gently on his back. Use just two fingers.”
Ricky, Chris, and Natalie stepped forward and stroked the hedgehog gently.
“He is so prickly,” said Natalie. “Can he hurt us with his quills?”
“Well,” said Ms. McDonald, “it is a myth that hedgehogs or porcupines can shoot their quills at an enemy. But a porcupine can let go of its quills, so that they stick into an attacker.”
Great, thought Pamela. She edged away from the hedgehog. She was feeling very unhappy. This trip was horrible. If she had come with her parents, she could just walk around and enjoy herself. Now she felt as if everyone in her class were watching whatever she did. And she knew it was just a matter of time before Chris and Omar remembered their dare. What was she going to do?
She had not seen one animal yet that she thought she could pick up. She wished she were at home.
“Hey, look,” said Audrey. “Next door they have baby reptiles and birds. There are a baby iguana and a baby snake. There is even a baby ostrich. Let’s go look at them.”
“Is that what you will pick up?” asked Chris. He was standing in front of Pamela. “Will you pick up a baby snake?”
Pamela lifted her chin higher in the air. “You did not say it had to be a snake,” she said.
“No,” said Chris. “But you have to pick up something. I dare you.”
The other kids in Ms. Colman’s class were quiet. Leslie squeezed Pamela’s hand again, as if to tell her she did not need to do it. But Pamela knew she did. The rest of second grade would be terrible if she did not pick up a baby animal.
“Okay,” she said. “But I have to go to the bathroom first.”
Pamela turned and walked out of the baby-animal exhibit. She went through the gate and broke into a run.
HARRIET AND THE TORTOISES
No one was allowed to leave the exhibit without telling Ms. Colman or Mr. Ford. But that is what Pamela did. She did not care if she got into trouble. She did not care about anything except getting away from all the animals.
Her eyes filled with tears. Suddenly, wham! She ran into something and fell backward.
“Are you okay?” asked a woman’s voice. Strong hands picked Pamela up and set her on her feet.
Pamela was crying now, trying to cover her face.
“Are you hurt?” asked the woman.
Pamela shook her head.
“Listen, my name is Harriet,” said the woman. “I am a zookeeper here. Are you lost? Please tell me what is wrong.”
Pamela looked up. The woman was wearing a zoo uniform. Her name tag said HARRIET SISKO. Pamela found herself blurting out the whole story about Chris and Omar and their dare, and how afraid she was of animals, and how all the animals she had seen were yucky.
“Now I have to hold one!” she wailed. “But I cannot. And if I do not, Chris and Omar will tease me for the rest of second grade. I will have to change schools.”
“Hmm.” Harriet scratched her chin. “It is too bad Chris and Omar are picking on you. It is not nice to tease someone about something they are scared of.”
Pamela bit her lip and looked at the ground. She had teased Chris and Omar about being scared of the jungle gym. This whole thing was almost her own fault.
“I’ll tell you what, Pamela,” said Harriet. “Come with me into a special part of the exhibit. I want to show you something.”
They were standing in front of a brick building that said ZOO NURSERY on it.
“This is where we keep animals that are too small for the exhibit,” Harriet said. “Usually babies stay with their mothers for about seven weeks. Sometimes the mother cannot care for them. Then we feed them and make sure they are all right.”
Inside the zoo nursery were several different rooms. The nursery looked almost like a hospital. Zoo workers bustled around. One woman held a baby bear wrapped in a towel. She was feeding him with a bottle. He held it in his paws like a human baby.
“This is Buster,” said Harriet. “He is about nine weeks old.”
“Oh,” said Pamela. Buster already had long claws.
“We will try to find some animal baby that you can hold,” Harriet told Pamela. “Let’s look in here.” She pushed a door open and they went into another room. The walls were lined with large steel cages.
“Here is a baby duck,” said Harriet. “It is about three weeks old. Would you like to try holding it?”
Pamela looked at the baby duck. It did not have feathers yet. It was covered with soft yellow down. It had small orange feet and a small orange beak. Its eyes were shiny and black.
“No, thank you,” said Pamela.
“How about this bunny?” asked Harriet. She opened a cage and brought out a tiny bunny. Its ears were not very long yet. It looked sleepy and soft.
“Does it have teeth?” asked Pamela.
“Small ones,” said Harriet. She showed her. “He
re, stroke its fur right behind the ears.”
Pamela reached out and gently touched the bunny. The bunny opened its eyes and looked at her. Pamela pulled her hand back.
“This bunny is just like a human baby in some ways,” said Harriet. “He still drinks his mother’s milk. He still sleeps a lot. He still needs protection.”
Protection? Pamela had not thought of that before. She had thought that just about any animal was dangerous and could bite. She had not realized that small baby animals — and maybe even some big animals — needed to be protected themselves.
“Would you like to hold this bunny?” asked Harriet. “And show your friends?”
Pamela wanted to say yes. But the bunny was kind of … wiggly. She was afraid she would drop it. “I do not think so,” she whispered.
Close by was a terrarium. It had sand and rocks at the bottom.
“What is in there?” asked Pamela.
“Those are star tortoises,” said Harriet. “They are not actually babies. They are about two years old. We are giving these little guys some vitamins and medicine to build up their strength.”
Inside the terrarium were several turtles the size of Pamela’s hand. They had little legs and little faces. Their shells were dark brown, with small yellow starbursts all over them. They were very, very pretty.
Pamela looked at Harriet and smiled.
TURTLE VICTORY
“It is a star tortoise,” said Pamela confidently. Harriet had let her carry one of the tortoises out to the petting yard. Now everyone in Ms. Colman’s class, including Chris and Omar, were gathered around her.
“It is from India,” Pamela continued. “It is called a star tortoise because of the markings on its shell.”
She held the tortoise carefully, like an ice-cream sandwich, and stroked its shell gently. “Isn’t it pretty?”
“I never knew a tortoise could be so pretty,” said Leslie.