12. Your Proboscis Is Showing Too

Chapter 12 Your Proboscis Is Showing Too I took Hamilton to my room so he could see all his friends. Everyone wanted to hear his exciting story. I grabbed Geraldo from my laundry basket so he could welcome his buddy back. I started to close the closet door. But something made me stop. And it wasn't a ghost. I looked down at the laundry basket. Two sad black eyes stared up at me.

Hamilton and I were together again, but Bobo was still alone. And I knew that wasn't right. I told Dad all about how I had bear-napped poor Bobo. It felt good to get that old bear off my chest. Then Dad and I drove over to Wyatt's house. On the way, Dad and me talked about jumping to conclusions.

Jumping to conclusions isn't about the fun kind of jumping. Like jumping rope. Or jumping jacks. Jumping to conclusions is when you decide something before you know all the facts. Like for instance when you think someone is a pig-napper. Only they aren't. We also talked about how you are innocent until somebody proves you guilty. Personally, I can see how that idea might come in handy. Wyatt sure was happy to see Bobo. I told him I was really sorry I thought he was a pig-napper. And really sorry I was a bear-napper. Before I left, I remembered something important I had to ask. "Wyatt?" I said. "What's a

proboscis?" "It's just another name for nose," he said. He grinned. "I learned it from my big brother. They're good for some things." Wyatt gave Bobo a hug. Then he sniffed him. He squinted his eyes. "You didn't give him a bath, did you?" he asked.

"No!" I said. "I might be a bear-napper. But I would never go that far!" I sighed. "Somebody did that to Hamilton. They even put a dress on him." Wyatt shook his head. "Some people have no shame."