Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 When you're a squirrel from the Middle East who's been frozen in time for who knows how long, a fifth-grade classroom in modern-day middle Tennessee can be a

fascinating place. Merle spent the morning peeking out of Michael's backpack, oohing and ahhing at all the amazing gadgets around him, while Pearl tried her best to keep him from being seen. From pencil sharpeners to smart boards to the teacher's laptop computer, Merle had no idea what all this stuff was and what it did, but he was very interested in finding out. After all, he was a squirrel who was good with his paws, and he'd enjoyed building things ever since he was a kit. He'd built the raft that had carried him and Pearl down the Jordan River to the Dead Sea. And while you could argue that the Dead Sea was not the best place in the world for two squirrels to vacation, there was no denying that it had been a fine raft, a fact Merle constantly reminded Pearl of. "Pearl!" Merle whispered. "Look at that contraption on the wall. The kids put a dull stick in, and it makes a kind of strange chewing noise. After a few seconds, it comes out a sharp stick!" "I don't see why a stick sharpener is necessary," Pearl said. "Are you kidding me? I could build tons of stuff with sharp sticks!" Merle exclaimed. "Like what?" "I don't know specifically at the moment, but I could figure something out."

"Shhhhh!" Pearl shushed her husband. "Keep your voice down." "I'm telling you, Pearl, this place is amazing!" Merle whispered. "If I hadn't gotten us lost in that cave, we would have never found this place! You're welcome." Pearl sniffed. "If it means spending every day in a backpack, I'm not ready to thank you, Merle." "True." Merle poked his head out of the backpack. "Pssssst! Michael! When's lunch?" Michael looked around, terrified that someone might have heard or seen Merle. Thankfully, no one had. "Soon!" Michael whispered. "Now get down and be quiet!"