7. Swan Surprise

Chapter 7 Swan Surprise "What're you guys looking at?" Brian asked. He and Lucy were standing behind Nate. "S-snake!" Nate said, pointing. "It's a giant, man-eating python!" "No it isn't," Bradley said. "It's just a big water snake." "Very big!" Brian said. "Snakes are shy," Lucy said. "I bet it's more afraid of us than we are of it."

"It couldn't be more afraid than I am!" Nate insisted. "It's so beautiful," Lucy said. "Look how shiny its scales are." Pal lowered his nose to sniff the snake. The snake uncurled its long body and started to crawl away. "What's the matter with its belly?" Brian asked. "It's got a big bump!" "I think it just ate something," Bradley said. The kids watched as the snake disappeared in the tall weeds. "What if it ate one of our eggs?" Nate said. "That bump in its belly looks like an egg!" "I saw a snake on TV that swallowed an egg whole," Lucy told the boys. "How do they crack them open?" Brian asked. "I think their stomach muscles crack the egg once it's inside," Lucy said. "Oooh, gross!" Nate said.

"Guys, we don't know if that snake ate our egg," Bradley said. "That lump in its belly could be a frog or something." "And we don't know if the raccoons did, either," Brian said. "So what do we do?" "Keep looking for the eggshells," Lucy suggested. "If we find them, at least we'll know something ate our eggs!" "If we bring the eggshells home, maybe we can still get the prize," Nate said. When the snake was gone, the kids kept walking. Pal was still tugging on the leash. His nose was on the ground, sniffing everything. Suddenly the two swans swam closer to the kids. They began hissing and flapping the water with their wings. "Guys, I don't think they want us here," Nate said. "I wonder why," Brian said.

"I know why they're mad at us," Bradley said. "Look." He bent down and parted the grass next to the water's edge. "It's their nest." The nest was as big around as a tire. It was made of three layers. The bottom layer was twigs and small branches. On top of the branches was a thick layer of grass. The grass was lined with soft swan feathers. "Oh my goodness!" Lucy said, pointing at the nest. In the middle of the feathers lay four golden eggs.