Chapter 9

Chapter 9 Sugar climbed the rungs up to the sleeping area, and the squad followed as quietly as they could. Their cousins were all sound asleep, lined up in neat rows. "What brings you to the barn, Booger?" The giant chicken stepped out of the darkest corner on the highest row. "Well, what have we here?" said Sugar. "A large speckled chicken with a wide face, enormous eyes, and a long gray string hanging out of his mouth!" "I'm pretty sure that's a mouse tail," said Dirt, moving in closer. "Ew!" said Sweetie. "I can see you clearly now, Befrizzle," said Sugar, stepping closer. "Very, very clearly. And

you are no chicken." "I never said—" Befrizzle began. "Listen, kid," said Sugar. "You know exactly what you are, and I know exactly what you are. You're an... emu!" "An emu?" said Dirt. "A what-mu?" said Befrizzle, blinking rapidly. "Why wouldn't he admit to being an emu?" asked Dirt. "You're right, Dirt. My bad," said Sugar. "He's a SHEMU!" "A shemu?" said Dirt. "What's a shemu?" "It's the female form of emu," explained Sugar. "Like cow and bull, rooster and hen. Gander and goose. You know... emu and shemu."

"I don't think that's right," said Dirt. "I'll tell you what's not right," said Sugar. "Befrizzle is not right! He doesn't look like one of us; he doesn't even breathe like one of us!" Dirt, Sweetie, and Poppy gasped. "What's not right," Sugar continued, "is Befrizzle pretending to be part of our family so he could steal our jelly beans!" Tears rolled down Befrizzle's exceptionally wide face. "Why am I suddenly getting that weird feeling again?" asked Sugar.

"I'm pretty sure you get that feeling whenever you're being, well, rude," suggested Sweetie. "She's right," said Dirt. "Plus... a mob of awkwardly silent chickens has surrounded us, and that does feel really weird." "Befrizzle is absolutely part of this family," said Bailey, Bassie, Bert, and Bodie. The chicken cousins all took a step toward Sugar, pressing closer. Befrizzle wiped his tears with an enormous speckled wing.

"Oh no, poor Befrizzle," said Poppy. "Sugar didn't mean to be rude. She... just... well, is, sometimes!" "Only when Mom's not around!" protested Sugar. "That doesn't really count!" Befrizzle closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. "I think I know what you are looking for." He opened his expansive wings and took off into the rafters of the barn without making a sound. The chicken squad watched in awe. He landed silently a moment later with the cage and the feather decoy. "This little one

looked so scared in the cage in the dark that I couldn't bear to leave her there alone. She hasn't said a word, but she's very sweet, and she's been keeping me company all night." Sugar looked down at her feet. "You can't sleep at night?" asked Dirt. Befrizzle shook his head. "Are you nocturnal?" Dirt asked gently. Befrizzle nodded. "Does that mean 'lonely'?" asked Poppy. "No," said Dirt. "Animals that are awake mostly at night and sleep during the day are nocturnal. Like owls and mice." Dirt turned back to Befrizzle. "You're an owl, aren't you?" Befrizzle nodded slowly. "I bet it's kind of lonely being the only one up at night," said Poppy. "It is," explained Befrizzle. "That's why I was so happy to have company. Even if she was too afraid to come out of the cage."