As a rosy sun sank in the summer sky, Momma lizard scurried past the poppies. Into the soft grass she burrowed, eager to reach her den.
Suri Salamander yawned and put her book aside when Momma wriggled through the door. "Good evening, Mrs. Skink," she greeted, "How was your outing?"
"Eventful!" Momma said, “Today a yellow school bus parked by the side of the creek . The door swung wide and boys and girls filed out for a picnic upon the grassy slopes.
“Didn't you run away?” Suri gasped.
Momma laughed. “Heavens no, I'm much too quick a lizard. The children were on a field trip. They were learning about nature,” she explained. “It was wonderful to see.” Suri shook her head then reached for her coat. "Well, your eggs are fine, Mrs. Skink,” she said. “Such lovely little ovals, won't be long now!" She smiled a knowing smile then waved goodbye.
Momma set her jars of worm jam on the table. She untied her bonnet and placed it on the hook. As she crept into the nursery, she spied a crack on the nearest egg. She moved closer. The next one shook ever so slightly. The last egg, the smallest of the bunch, gave a little hop.
Momma’s tail swung from side to side. A tiny claw had poked through the smooth surface of the nearest white shell. “What eager little skinks have I!” she exclaimed as another claw burst through and then another.
“Welcome children!” Momma called to the three baby skinks clamoring out of their crumbling eggs. She slithered forward and swept them into her arms…
Cooper the calico cat crouched behind a chrysanthemum bush. All morning long he watched the red brick house on the corner. Nobody went in and nobody came out. How very curious! With a flick of his fuzzy tail, he looked both ways then raced across the street to investigate.
He reached the house's yard then crouched low. His pointy ears twitched: Loud cars rumbled past him. Shop bells clanged down the street and rubber balls bounced on sidewalks. Cooper sat up and wrapped his furry tail around him. He drew out his cool-cat glasses and put them on. Unlike his noisy neighborhood, the red brick house stood silent and still.
Two boys whizzed by on bicycles. Cooper wriggled his whiskers. No bikes or scooters littered this front lawn. No upside-down roller skates were in flower beds. How very peculiar he thought as he stole around the back of the red brick house ...
