Free Imagination According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney Page A

you like to introduce our guest ? ” Mrs. Brisbane asked.
    â€œNow ? ” Nicole said.
    Mrs. Brisbane nodded. “I’ll get her.”
    She disappeared into the cloakroom and then came out carrying a large tank.
    â€œThis is Pearl,” Nicole said. “Mrs. Brisbane said I could bring her so you’d see what a real dragon looks like.”
    There was quite a bit of commotion among my friends, as you can imagine!
    â€œI’ll put Pearl’s cage on the table next to Humphrey,” Mrs. Brisbane said. “Then everybody can come up and take a look at her.”
    â€œEeek!” I squeaked. “Can’t you put her somewhere else ? ”
    Mrs. Brisbane was already walking over to our table. “I’ll put her right between Humphrey and Og so they can both see her,” she said.
    I was curious about Pearl, but I wasn’t sure whether I really wanted to meet a dragon.
    And when I could actually see her, I was
certain
I didn’t want to meet a dragon. My whiskers wiggled and my tail twitched, but I couldn’t squeak a word.
    Pearl was small for a dragon but huge compared to me.
    Her head was shaped like a triangle with sharp spikes on the sides. She had a long tail with more spikes, large, ugly claws, and she was all kinds of colors, from green to pink.
    She looked right at me and stuck out her tongue, which is REALLY-REALLY-REALLY rude!
    â€œShe’s so pretty!” Kelsey said.
    Maybe Kelsey needed glasses.
    I don’t think Og liked Pearl, either. He started hopping around his tank and twanging, “BOING-BOING-BOING!”
    I climbed up to the tippy top of my cage so I could get a better look.
    â€œBOING-BOING-BOING-BOING!” Og continued.
    Then, Pearl
hissed.
Even over all of Og’s noise, I could hear her.
    â€œHisssssss!”
    I didn’t think that was a friendly thing to do, since Og and I live in Room 26 and she was just a visitor. But I kept quiet. I didn’t want her to hiss at me.
    Meanwhile, my classmates pointed and pushed and tried to get a better look at Pearl.
    â€œShe looks like a dinosaur,” Sophie said.
    â€œShe looks like a dragon,” Harry said.
    â€œShe’s actually a reptile,” Nicole explained.
    â€œWow!” Thomas said. “We have a reptile, a rodent and an amphibian in our class—and we’re all mammals!”
    Mrs. Brisbane laughed. “Very good, Thomas. But now you need to return to your seats and begin class.”
    My friends all moved to their desks.
    Pearl stayed right where she was.
    â€œHi, Pearl,” I squeaked, though my voice was shaky. “I’m Humphrey. Welcome to Room Twenty-six.”
    Pearl turned her head a little. “Hissssss!”
    No manners at all! The dragon in the book was much nicer!
    â€œBOING-BOING-BOING!” Og was so excited, he did a high dive into the water side of his tank.
    I swallowed hard. If Pearl was going to be next to me all day, I REALLY-REALLY-REALLY wanted to make friends with her. At least I didn’t want to be her enemy!
    I tried to be calm as I looked over at her tank. It had rocks, leaves, a water dish—even a thermometer, which was something Og and I don’t have.
    â€œNice tank!” I squeaked.
    Pearl turned her head from side to side and then she did it again!
    â€œHissssssss!” she said.
    I was pretty sure Pearl didn’t like me.
    How could anybody dislike a friendly classroom pet like me ?
    I guess Og was on my side, because he left the water side of his tank and said, “BOING-BOING-SCREEE!”
    â€œSCREEE” is a sound he makes only when he thinks there’s danger around.
    â€œCalm down,” I told him. “Maybe she’s scared of
us
!”
    I guess Og had never thought of that, because he was quiet for a long time.
    â€œLet’s listen to Mrs. Brisbane,” I said. “She’s our friend.”
    Pearl, Og and I were totally silent for a while.
    There wasn’t a