3 IT’S NOT FUNNY

Chapter three, it's not funny. Sassafras was already meowing at the back barn door by the time I got there. I took a quick moment to close my eyes and hope for an exciting new magical creature to help. Then I slowly opened the door… and immediately doubled over laughing. Oh my goodness. "It's not funny." Pip stood outside the barn door with his arms crossed. And with a full head of flowing green curly hair. Sassafras meowed and leapt backward, which only made me laugh harder. I swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry, Pip." Pip rolled his eyes. "I am sure it looks

somewhat silly, but—" "Oh my. You haven't seen it yet?" I choked out. It was very hard to hold back my laughter. Pip shook his head, which made the green curls bounce. He took one of the longer locks of hair and held it in front of his face. "I mean, I can see parts of it, obviously." I held up a finger (it was easier to not laugh if I didn't talk) and turned to look through the drawers in the barn. "Bingo!" I whispered and

held up a small mirror. I swallowed hard to keep myself calm, walked back to Pip, and showed him. "OH! Oh my!" Pip exclaimed. And then began to giggle. He bent over laughing hard, and I joined in. "OK, OK, I guess it is pretty funny for a frog to have hair." He poofed up each side with a hand. "But the green looks good with my purple skin!" I smiled and nodded. "Is it a wig?" "Nope, it's real hair!" Pip shrugged. I wrinkled my eyebrows together. "But…?" "I know. I don't get it, either. I was walking through the forest when the top of my head began tingling. I started scratching and poof—all of a sudden I had hair!" Pip looked down at the ground and blushed. "I maybe might have screamed at that point." He moved some dirt around with his foot. "I maybe might have screamed most of the way here." I wiped my eyes and bent down. "Oh, Pip. I am sure it was pretty scary. I honestly don't know what I would do if I was walking alone in the woods and suddenly sprouted very colorful

new hair." Pip gave me a little smile. He reached up and grabbed two handfuls of green curls and gave them a tug. "It definitely does not come off. But, uh, I'd prefer to not live the rest of my life with hair, so… do you think you can fix it?" "Hmmmm." I sat down cross-legged next to my friend. "How to fix a case of sudden hair. Ummm." I looked over at Pip and his eyes got a little watery. I gulped and straightened my back. "We'll sort it out, Pip. Don't worry!"