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Authors: Betty G. Birney

Summer According to Humphrey (18 page)

BOOK: Summer According to Humphrey

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Miranda received the prize for Most Likely to Become a Counselor. (I’d like to go to her camp someday.)

Sayeh had the Best Smile and Kayla was the Best Sleeper. Abby got a prize for “Knottiest” Camper and everybody cheered.

Naturally, Sam got an award for Itchiest Camper.

Noah got the Nature Lovers award.

Brad was very proud to be Most Improved Camper (which was true) and Simon was happy to be named the Loudest Burper! (An award he deserved.)

The awards went on and on until I think everybody had received something.

Then Hap said there was just one award left: Most Popular. And this year, the counselors couldn’t decide, so it was a tie.

I was waiting to hear who the lucky campers were when Ms. Mac picked up my cage and Katie picked up Og’s tank and carried us to the stage.

“The winners are Humphrey . . . and Og!” Hap announced.

We received special treats (the best kind—the kind you can eat) and again the crowd went wild.

The noise got so out of control, Mrs. Wright had to use her whistle to quiet things down again.

Suddenly, Hap seemed a lot more serious.

“I have to say, this has been one of the best sessions ever at Camp Happy Hollow,” he said. “I learned a lot from all of you. And now that it’s about to end, I just hope you’ll all be back again next year!”

Camp was about to end? Just the way school had?

I wasn’t just surprised. I wasn’t just sad. I was SICK-SICK-SICK. It was bad enough that school had ended and I wasn’t in Room 26 anymore. Now camp was ending, too. Isn’t there anything a hamster can count on to last?

When they all sang the Camp Happy Hollow song, I felt so miserable, I just crawled into my sleeping hut, even though I knew I’d never sleep.

I spent that night with the Blue Jays, since they had won the competition for Best All-Around Team.

They exchanged addresses and phone numbers and e-mails and were a little quieter than on the other nights I’d stayed there.

Just before lights-out, A.J. came over to my cage. “Humphrey Dumpty, don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”

I crossed my paws and hoped so. I hoped so all night long.

In the morning, Og and I watched from the rec room window as a line of cars drove up to the camp. Car doors opened and out came moms and dads and little brothers and sisters. Parents and campers carried suitcases, boxes, backpacks and duffel bags from the cabins to the cars.

Some of my friends came in to say good-bye: Miranda and Abby, Ty and A.J. and surprisingly, even Brad. Gail came in by herself and she had gifts for Og and me.

“I made these friendship bracelets in arts and crafts,” she said, holding up two colorful woven bands. “I was going to give one to Mom and one to Heidi, but I changed my mind. I’ll make new ones for them. I want you to have these.”

“THANKS-THANKS-THANKS!” I said, and Og splashed happily.

“I made a lot of new friends here,” Gail said as she taped one bracelet to the front of Og’s cage and wove the other one in and out of the bars of my cage. “But you’ll always be my special friends.”

And as she turned to leave, she told us, “I’ll tell Heidi hello from you!”

She hurried back outside, and after much hugging and many farewells, doors slammed and the cars pulled away, leaving the camp almost unbearably quiet.

“Was it just a dream, Og?” I asked my neighbor, who was floating lazily in the watery part of his tank. “It went so fast.”

He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. A camp alive with fun-loving kids wasn’t a dream. Now it was a memory.

Later, Ms. Mac came in to check on us.

“Why are you two looking so gloomy?” she asked. “Your work isn’t finished yet! Tomorrow a new group of campers arrive for the
next
session of camp.”

“What?” I squeaked.

“BOING-BOING!” Og twanged.

Ms. Mac laughed. “Summer’s not over yet,” she said. “And neither is camp.”

That was the BEST-BEST-BEST news I’d heard since the end of school!

The counselors had a quiet dinner in the dining hall. When Og and I were alone again, I looked out at the moonlit camp. If I went to the very top of my cage, I could even see a silvery sliver of Lake Lavender.

“You know what, Og?” I said. “Camp is great because we get to help our friends and have lots of fun.”

He splashed gently in response.

“But the best part is, we get to be together,” I continued.

Og leaped out of the water and goodness, I thought he’d pop the top of his tank!

“BOING-BOING-BOING-BOING!”

We stayed alone in the rec room that night, but I really couldn’t sleep, because the words of the camp song kept running through my head. And as I sang them softly to myself, I changed the words just a little.

Happy Hollow—a place close to my heart.
Happy Hollow—I loved it from the start.
Every day I wake up with so much to do,
Having fun with Og and that Bunny Foo Foo.
I’ll remember forever my new friend Goldenrod,
Lovey, too, and Jake, but he is rather odd.
Though I don’t know where I’ll be in days that follow,
I’ll remember happy days at Happy Hollow.

NOTE TO SELF:
Good things, unfortunately, end. But then you have good memories forever and ever!

Humphrey’s Top 10 Things to Pack for Camp

1. Earplugs—just in case somebody has a whistle

2. Stickers—because you never know when you’ll need one or more

3. A good book, some cards or a game for a rainy day

4. A cage—for protection—but preferably a cage with a lock-that-doesn’t-lock so you can get out

5. Lotion—for poison ivy (which I HOPE-HOPE-HOPE hamsters don’t get)

6. An interest in learning new things, like horseback riding, swimming and canoeing

7. A good cook—like Maria—who is generous with treats

8. Rope for tying knots because it looks like fun

9. A spirit of adventure—you’ll need it

10. A friendly attitude—you’ll make new friends, which is what camp is all about!