Chapter 9

Chapter nine, I convinced everyone to change direction and head to the pet store. Even though Frankie and Ashley had their mouths watering for pizza, they understood that I needed to get to the pet store right away. When I have an idea, I need to fly into action that very minute. And I was hoping that this idea was the answer to my Fred-the-Frog problem. "If you're thinking that you can replace Fred with another frog, you're wrong," Ashley said as we walked quickly down the street. "Don't you think Principal Love knows his own frog?" "Maybe Fred has an identical twin in the back who's been really missing his brother," I said. "That could happen."

"Yeah, when penguins wear soccer shorts," Frankie said, opening the front door to the store. As you go into Pets for U and Me, instead of a bell ringing, you hear the sounds of jungle birds and monkeys. You feel like you're in a South American rain forest. "Hi, how can I help you today?" George said, coming out from behind the cash register. "Did you come for some treats for Cheerio?" It's cool that George knows all the animals in the neighborhood. "I'm not here on dog business today," I told him. "I'm here on frog business. Please say you

have a White's tree frog I can buy." "Oh, they make great little pets," George said. "Let me check in the back and see what I have." As George headed for his storeroom, Papa Pete put his hand on my shoulder. "I like that you're trying to replace what you lost, Hank," he said. "But you cannot pretend that this new frog is the original." While I was thinking about that, George came bouncing out, carrying a small plastic tub. "It's your lucky day!" he said. "I've got just the guy for you." We all looked inside, and there was a fat little frog, sitting on a green plastic log. He looked just like Fred! "Can I hold him?" I asked. "Sure," George said, scooping the frog up. "Just hold him firmly in both hands." The little frog sat comfortably in my palms. Suddenly, he made a noise that sounded just like a burp.

"Well, excuse you," George said to him. Then looking at me, he added, "He just had two crickets for lunch." Frankie, Ashley, and I studied the little frog closely. "He's about the same size as Fred," I said. "With the same little suction cups on his toes. And the same white spots on his back." Ashley put her finger under his belly and gave him a little tickle. The frog moved, and my heart sank. His belly was not pinkish like Fred's.

It was yellow. Definitely yellow. "Do you happen to have one just like this but with a pink belly?" I asked George. "I'm afraid this is the only one I have," George said. "I can be on the lookout for a pink- bellied one." "I need it by Monday morning, before school," I told him. "I'm sorry. I can't help you there, Hank. You're sure this guy won't do?" "He's a wonderful frog," I told George. "But no thank you." We left the store and stood outside on the sidewalk. A cold breeze blew in our faces, reminding me that I was still soaking wet. I shivered. "We better get you home and into some dry clothes," Papa Pete said. "I can always go pick up some pizza later." "Thanks, anyway," I said to him. "I'm just not in the mood for pizza anymore." What I had done was hitting me like a ton of elephants. I had lost Fred for good. And I was

just going to have to face that.