22-SMALL, BUT NASTY!!!

SMALL BUT NASTY!!! Finally, they all left. I sat on the bed, thinking. What was going on? Was I just having nightmares, like Trap insisted? Or did I actually see a ghost, a mummy, and now a witch? I was starting to feel like I was losing my mind! To cheer myself up, I started chanting again: "EVERYTHING'S UNDER CONTROL! EUERVTHING'S UNDER CONTROL!" But this time, I didn't feel any better. Oh, how I wished I was home! Suddenly, a gray owl flew into the room through the open window. It perched on the edge of the fireplace. The owl opened its beak. "Hey you, cheddarface!" it croaked.

My jaw dropped. Then the owl began to sing: "I may be small, But don't cross me. One wrong move And you're history!" It left in a WHIRL of feathers. As the owl flew away, I heard a mechanical sound. tick tack tick tack. How very strange, I thought. I wanted to tell someone. Whoever heard of a talking owl? And not just any talking owl. This was one nasty talking owl! I opened my mouth to yell for help. Then I snapped it shut. Why bother? No one would believe me anyway. They'd call

me a cheesebrain. They'd call me a mad mouse. They'd call me for advice and do the exact opposite of whatever I said. No, no one would believe me. Well, no one except Benjamin. I scrambled out of bed. Then I raced out of the room in search of my dear, sweet nephew.