Free Secrets According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

one night. “This good news is hard to keep secret, but a promise is a promise.”
    â€œYou know I won’t tell anyone,” I said. Which was true, because humans can’t understand me, anyway. “And neither will Og.”
    â€œBOING-BOING-BOING!” my neighbor agreed.
    But Aldo didn’t share his secret.
    It’s a very good thing to be able to keep a secret. But it’s a very bad thing to know that someone has a secret that he won’t share.
    I was glad when Friday finally arrived, and I think Mrs. Brisbane was happy as well.
    â€œWho is taking Humphrey home ? ” she asked.
    Tall-Paul waved his hand. He looked unsqueakably happy.
    â€œSorry to leave you here alone,” I squeaked to Og as Tall-Paul carried me out of Room 26.
    I heard a distant “BOING-BOING!” as the door closed behind us.

    Tall-Paul is by far the tallest student in Room 26.
    He’s almost as tall as Mrs. Brisbane. In fact, he’s almost as tall as Principal Morales!
    So I was unsqueakably surprised when I got to his house and discovered that compared with the rest of the Green family, he wasn’t tall at all. In fact, he looked short!
    This was one tall family! It was like being surrounded by giants—at least to a short hamster like me.
    But they were very
friendly
giants. And I was HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY that they didn’t have any gigantic pets.
    In the evening, Tall-Paul and his tall parents sat by my cage, so I put on a show for them.
    First, I spun on my wheel. Then, I hopped off and climbed up the side of my cage to the top. Next, I climbed down my tree branch, back to the wheel, and started spinning again.
    â€œWatching Humphrey is much better than watching TV,” Mrs. Green said.
    Mr. Green agreed. “It’s like watching a one-hamster circus.”
    They were friendly and
smart
giants.
    â€œI told you he was fun,” Paul said. “So can I get a hamster now ? ”
    â€œLet’s see how the weekend goes,” his father answered.
    I thought it would be wonderful if Paul got a hamster. I decided I’d do everything I could to prove that hamsters make pawsitively wonderful pets!

    The next day, Paul’s mom asked if he wanted to invite some friends over.
    â€œPaul Fletcher,” Tall-Paul quickly answered. “And Felipe.”
    â€œI’ll call them,” Mrs. Green said. “And who else ? How about Thomas ? ”
    Tall-Paul thought for a few seconds and then shook his head. “No, just Paul F. and Felipe.”
    â€œI thought you were friends with Thomas, too,” his mom said. “And Joey.”
    â€œI am.” Paul hesitated. “But this time I just want Paul and Felipe to come over.”
    Mrs. Green looked puzzled but she didn’t say anything more.
    She left and came back a few minutes later to say that Paul F.’s mother would bring both boys to the house.
    When Small-Paul and Felipe arrived, they came into the bedroom and Tall-Paul closed the door.
    â€œMy mom wanted me to invite Thomas and Joey, too,” Tall-Paul said. “But I talked her out of it. If they came, we couldn’t do our secret club things.”
    â€œOh, I almost forgot,” Small-Paul said. He spread his arms like wings and so did Tall-Paul and Felipe.
    â€œ
Bata-wata-fata!
” they all chanted.
    I don’t think it was really Egyptian. I think it was something they made up.
    â€œFlying Pharaohs forever!” they added, and they bowed to each other.
    Then they acted normal again.
    â€œSo this is our first real meeting,” Tall-Paul said. “What do you want to do ? ”
    Felipe shrugged. “I don’t know. Something pharaohs would do, I guess.”
    â€œI have an idea,” Tall-Paul said. “I was reading about ancient Egypt and they played one of the earliest board games.”
    â€œCool,” Small-Paul said. “What did it look like ? ”
    Soon the friends were on Paul Green’s