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

house, the whole family came to watch the birds.
    ‘The female must be sitting on some eggs,’ Cassie’s dad said. ‘Watch how the male bird brings her food.’
    Cammy gave Cassie tips on how to get the best photos.
    Cassie’s dad printed the photos out for her.
    And Cassie’s mum found a book in the library about how birds build nests.
    ‘Look! There’s my old pink shoelace.’ Cassie pointed to the nest and Cammy took a picture.
    Cassie scribbled down notes, made drawings, and even made a video of the male bringing food for the female. Once in a while, she left the nest to get food and the male stayed behind.
    ‘They’re so wonderful. How can we help them?’ Cassie asked her mother.
    Cassie’s mum had an idea. She took Cassie to the shop to buy birdseed and a feeder, so it would be easier for the birds to have food.
    Cassie took more pictures of the birds taking turns going to the feeder.
    The birds worked hard together and helped each other. Just like Cassie’s family.
    I had a little pang as I thought about how wonderful families really were.

    On Sunday – my last day at Cassie’s – some very surprising things happened.
    First of all, Cassie and Cammy took baskets and ran around the garden, picking up brightly coloured eggs. They said the Easter Bunny had left them.
    But why an Easter Bunny? Why not an Easter Hamster?
    They also ate a good amount of chocolate, which they didn’t share with me. That was all right, because sweets aren’t healthy for hamsters to eat.
    The other surprising thing that happened on Sunday was that the small brown bird flew off while the father bird stood guard on the edge of the nest.
    That’s when we saw them: three small speckled eggs! Cassie managed to take a photo just before the mother bird returned to the nest.
    I never thought the sight of three eggs could be so wonderful! Even more egg-citing than the eggs left by the Easter Bunny.
    ‘I can’t wait for school tomorrow,’ Cassie told me that night. ‘I’ll have the best signs of spring in Room Twenty-six.’
    ‘I think you’re right,’ I squeaked.

    When class began on Monday morning, Cassie ran up to Mrs Brisbane and asked, ‘Are we going to share our signs of spring this morning?’
    ‘Yes,’ Mrs Brisbane said. ‘Did you find some?’
    Cassie nodded. ‘I found something wonderful.’
    Our teacher smiled and told Cassie to take her seat.
    Tell-the-Truth-Thomas entered with a shocked look on his face. ‘It’s starting to snow!’ he said.
    Mrs Brisbane looked surprised.
    I glanced out the window and saw that it was a beautiful, sunny spring day.
    Suddenly, Thomas grinned. ‘April Fools!’
    Mrs Brisbane smiled and said, ‘This isn’t April the first, Thomas.’
    ‘I know,’ Thomas said. ‘But we were on holiday for April Fool’s Day, so I had to do it today.’
    Just before the bell rang, Joey arrived, carrying the aquarium. It was covered with a cloth, so I couldn’t see inside. He walked very slowly and set it down SO-SO-SO carefully.
    ‘Wait till you see, Og,’ Joey whispered.
    ‘BOING-BOING-BOING!’ Og jumped up and down on a rock.
    Rosie rolled her wheelchair towards the aquarium. ‘Let’s see!’
    ‘Not now,’ Mrs Brisbane said. ‘Joey willuncover it when we talk about our signs of spring. Right, Joey?’
    Joey smiled and nodded. He looked like he had a big, happy secret.
    Normally, I wouldn’t change a thing Mrs Brisbane does. But that morning, I WISHED-WISHED-WISHED she wouldn’t make us study our vocabulary words first thing in the morning.
    How could I think about words such as ‘wander’, ‘observe’ and ‘drift’ when I observed that my mind was wandering and drifting to thoughts about that covered aquarium?
    I think many of my friends had the same problem, because they kept sneaking glances at our table by the window.
    At last, it was time for break and my friends all hurried out to the playground, leaving me staring at a piece of cloth. I concentrated on looking out