4 FROM WHERE

CHAPTER 4 FROM WHERE? I set a big serious-looking book down on the table next to the seed pod. "OK Sassafras, I'm going to read about different kinds of seeds in this botany book. Maybe there's a real-life seed pod that looks like this. And then we can get a hint about where this one might grow!" Sassafras ignored me and instead sniffed all around the seed pod. He reached out a paw and bopped it softly. Then harder. The seed pod rolled away from him, then bonked into the wall and rolled straight back at him. Sassafras hissed and jumped backward with his tail puffed up.

I caught the seed ball before it rolled off the table and laughed. I tapped him gently on the nose with one finger. "Why don't you try and stay out of trouble while I read?" Sassafras grumbled and jumped down from the table. While Sassafras explored spider webs in the corners of the barn, I read about seed pods and fruit seeds and flying seeds and dangling seeds called catkins (I liked saying that word because it reminded me of cats). But nothing sounded at all like our rainbow pod. "Ugh, Sassafras. Reading is not working. Now

what do I do?" Sassafras gave a little meow and began pacing the barn. I joined him and tapped my Thinking Goggles. It made a fun sound, so I started tapping out a little beat. That made me want to hum. And the humming quickly turned into a little song: Oh seed pod, seed pod, At your colors we are awed. I paused at the table. Wait a second. Was the seam getting bigger on the seed pod? Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. I shrugged and kept singing: This is really kind of odd. Then I jumped a little. The seam definitely looked bigger. Whoa. I scrambled to come up with more words to the song: At your surface, my cat pawed. And a magic creature clawed. I think you live somewhere abroad. If I knew where, I would APPLAUD! All at once, the two halves of the seed pod

swung apart. We peered inside at a couple dozen shiny black seeds as perfectly round and about the same size as bouncy balls. I reached in and pulled out a handful. Sassafras and I silently stared. Then I felt a frog on my head. "WHOA, ZOEY! IT'S OPEN!" Pip exclaimed. He jumped down to my wrist and touched a seed with a webbed hand. "You left the barn door open so I just let myself in. What happened?" "I think the pod liked my singing? I kept going, and it popped open!" Just then Mom walked in with a sandwich. "Do I hear my favorite frog?"

Pip hopped over to Mom, and we told her everything we'd figured out so far. "Well, this certainly makes things interesting," she said. "You couldn't figure out any hints on where the seed pod might grow from reading. Can you think of something other than reading that we could try?" I tapped my trusty Thinking Goggles. "Do you think we could—? I mean, would it be safe to use some of the seeds in an experiment?" "Aha! Good thinking," said Mom. "That's what I would try next. We have a good number of seeds. What sort of experiment do you have in mind?" Once I explained my idea to Mom, it was time to get to work.