Free Dragon Keepers #1: The Dragon in the Sock Drawer by Kate Klimo, John Shroades Page A

peeled them, put the shells in a bowl, and took Emmy out into the backyard. They watched her as she sat in the old sandbox and crunched her way through the eggshells.
    After a while, Jesse said, “I think we need to measure her.”
    â€œI know what you mean,” said Daisy. “But I’m almost afraid to.” She got up, went into the house, and came back with the tape measure. She measured Emmy twice to make sure. Emmy was now eight inches long.
    â€œTwice as long as yesterday, to be exact,” said Daisy.
    â€œGreat,” Jesse said gloomily.
    â€œWhat if she doubles her size every day?” Daisy asked.
    â€œShe’s not going to fit in the sock drawer much longer, that’s for sure,” Jesse said.
    Daisy opened up her wildflower notebook and started writing on the back page. Jesse went to sit beside her so he could see what she was up to.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
    Day 1–4 inches
    Day 2–8 inches
    Day 3–16 inches
    Day 4–32 inches
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
    Daisy stopped writing and tossed her pencil over her shoulder. “Jeesh!” she said.
    â€œHow big do you think she’s going to be when Aunt Maggie gets back?” Jesse asked worriedly.
    Daisy dropped her head into her hands.
    Jesse went on: “You know how she had that meltdown yesterday in the barn? That was a four-inch tantrum….”
    Jesse didn’t need to continue, because Daisy was nodding. They were both thinking,
What would a
sixty-
four-inch meltdown look like?
    â€œHow are we going to afford food when she gets that big? She’s eating a lot now. How much is she going to need when she gets bigger? And where are we going to put her? And how are we going to keep her hidden?” Jesse was working himself into a real sweat.
    Daisy lifted her head and said with a weary smile, “Take it easy, Dragon Keeper. First Kilimanjaro, then Everest, right? Let’s check in with the professor. Maybe he can help.”
    Daisy was just gathering up Emmy when the phone in the kitchen rang. Uncle Joe banged open the screen door of the Rock Shop and ran across the yard, up the back steps, and into the house. He caught the phone on the eighth ring. The cousins waited and crossed their fingers.
    After a while, Uncle Joe kicked open the back door. He was still talking on the phone. From where the cousins were sitting, he did not look happy.
    Uncle Joe crooked a finger at them.
    Emmy let Jesse pop her into the pouch of his sweatshirt. As the cousins went up the steps to the back door, Jesse felt the new weight of Emmy swinging.
    â€œNo yakking,” he whispered to the load in his sweatshirt.
    â€œEm. Mee. Not. Yak,” Emmy whispered back.
    Uncle Joe put the phone to his chest and said to them in a low voice, “Looks like those signs of yours did the trick. This is the lizard’s owner I’m talking to. He’s coming over to get her.”
    When Uncle Joe saw the look on their faces, he held up his hand. “Easy now. You’ll recall I said that I knew a lizard that rare-looking probably belonged to somebody,” he said. “And this isn’t just anybody. He just joined the zoology department at the College of Mining and Science. He’s a well-regarded herpetologist.”
    â€œWell-regarded? A well-regarded
what
?” said Daisy. Jesse could tell that she was fighting tears.
    â€œHerpetologist,” said Uncle Joe. “A scientist who studies lizards and snakes and reptiles. I’m afraid I’ll have to let him come over and get his lost lizard. I’m really very sorry, guys, but that’s the way the limestone crumbles.”
    Uncle Joe shrugged sadly, then went back into the kitchen to give the herpetologist directions.
    The cousins stared at each other in shock. Slowly, they turned around and walked back to the sandbox. Emmy had heard it all. When Jesse removed her from the pouch and set her down in the sand,