Mother said to quiet my voice.

“Your grandmother did not steal Sparkle, Junie B. She caught him at the lake. That fish was hers, remember?”

She picked me up and carried me to bed.

“You’re just going to have to accept this, Junie B.” she said. “You cannot take a dead animal to school for Pet Day. End of story.”

After that, she kissed me good night on my cheek.

And guess what?

I did not kiss back.

On Monday morning, Grampa Frank Miller babysitted me before school.

I did not speak to that guy.

’Cause he is married to the thief of Sparkle, that’s why.

I ate my breakfast very silent.

Grampa Miller looked at my pet jar on the counter.

“Boy oh boy. Look at those ants, would you?” he said. “They’re always on the go, aren’t they?”

He squinted his eyes at them.

“What’s that they’re carrying around on their heads?”

I did a frown.

Then I thought very careful. ’Cause the cheese puff was already gone. And so what could they be carrying?

Just then, my eyes got big and wide.

’Cause I had a bad feeling about this situation, that’s why.

I runned to my jar speedy fast.

“OH NO!” I hollered. “OH NO! OH NO! IT’S BUZZY THE SWATTED FLY!”

I quick took off the lid.

“PUT HIM DOWN! YOU PUT HIM DOWN RIGHT NOW! AND I MEAN IT!”

The ants did not obey me.

That’s how come I zoomed them out to the grass. And I shaked them right out of my jar.

“GO HOME ANTS!” I hollered. “YOU GO HOME THIS VERY MINUTE!”

The ants went home.

I brushed my hands together very proud.

’Cause I saved Buzzy, that’s why.

After that, I reached in the grass and picked up my jar. Only something did not feel right, exactly.

I looked inside of it.

Oh no!

It was empty!

All of the dirt was gone!

And Noodle was gone, too!

“NOODLE!” I shouted. “NOODLE! NOODLE! WHERE ARE YOU? WHERE ARE YOU?”

Then I crawled all over in the grass. And I searched and searched and searched.

But I never saw Noodle again.

⁸/_{A Surprise in the Freezer!}

I cried on my bed for a real long time.

“Pet Day is ruined! It’s ruined! It’s ruined! It’s ruined!”

Grampa Miller looked all over the house for pictures of Tickle.

He taped some on cardboard. And brought them to my room.

“Look,” he said. “This doesn’t look too bad, does it?”

I raised my sagging head off the pillow.

Then I looked at the pictures. And I patted him real gentle.

“You did your best, old man,” I said very soft.

Grampa Miller rolled his eyes up at the ceiling. I looked up there, too. But I didn’t see anything.

After that, I got out of bed. And I dressed myself for school. And I walked to the kitchen very slumping.