Microsaurs_That's MY Tiny-Saurus Rex

by Dustin Hansen

  “Hello, class. I’m Annie,” the taller of the two said.

  “And I’m Samantha, but you can call me Sam,” the other said. “And we need two volunteers.”

  Lin shot her hand up so fast she nearly knocked me and the twins to the floor, and I had a sneaking suspicion that Vicky’s went up even faster.

  CHAPTER 8

  JUNIOR ZOOKEEPER’S CLASS

  With the mint tin lying on top of the desk, I had a pretty good view of the class. I could see the zookeepers, Sam and Annie, and their two apes, as well as a good portion of the class. Even Vicky and her sparkly outfit.

  “Okay. How about you in the bike helmet,” Annie said, pointing to Lin.

  “YES!” Lin said. She pumped her fist, then raced to the front of the class, leaving me and the twins behind on her desk.

  “And the sparkly girl with the glasses,” Sam said.

  “NO!” Lin said. The instructors looked at Lin, and Lin immediately backtracked, smiling and waving her hands. “I’m only kidding. I’m such a kidder. Look at me kid.”

  “I like to kid, too,” Annie said as she welcomed Vicky up, directing them to stand next to each other, between the apes. “Well, let us introduce you to the stars of today’s first feeding experiment. This is Ella. She’s a six-month-old orangutan, and she loves to climb just about anything.”

  “And this is Buttons. He’s an eight-month-old chimpanzee, and he loves to throw things, make funny faces, and, unfortunately, stick things up his nose,” Sam said, and the class exploded with laughter. The fuzzy little primates were adorable.

  “We brought them here to help demonstrate something very important. It’s not only good to know what to feed animals, but it’s also good to know when they are full,” Annie said.

  Sam took over. “True. Most animals aren’t all that great at knowing when to stop eating, and if we give them too much at the zoo, they will just keep on eating. Even if it makes them sick. So it’s important to look for clues that the animals give that will tell us if they are hungry or full. Can you think of what those might be?”

  A large boy in the back of class raised his hand. “When I’m totally full I get sleepy,” he said when Annie called on him.

  “Excellent. Who else?” Annie said.

  “When I’m done eating I rub my belly,” said another kid.

  “Yeah, apes and monkeys do that as well. They are a lot like us,” Sam said. “How about you?” She pointed to someone behind me that I couldn’t see from inside the mint tin.

  “When I’m done eating sometimes I burp.” The class laughed again.

  “That’s a good one,” Annie said. “Those are all great signs, and I hope our volunteers are paying attention.”

  “Okay, you two, the class has given you some good ideas. Now it’s time to put them to the test. I have one banana here, but two apes. Which would normally be a big problem, but one of these little guys has already had its lunch. You two get to look for clues and decide which one gets the banana,” Sam explained.

  From where I was it looked like the orangutan was almost asleep. She slumped in Annie’s arms like she was being held by a comfy, jungle canopy cradle. She took a handful of Annie’s hair and twisted it slowly with her fingers. Then she did the cutest thing of all—she started sucking her thumb.

  The whole class let out a group “Awwwwww” as we started hearing the sucking noise.

  In contrast, the chimp was wiggling in Sam’s arms. He was trying to steal her hat and put it on his head. Or perhaps eat it. I couldn’t tell.

  I looked up at Lin through the hole and saw her rubbing her chin like I do when I’m thinking real hard. I could tell she was about to point to the chimp, a decision I agreed with, when Vicky jumped forward and spoke first.

  “It’s Buttons. I know it. Look at him. He’s so hungry he’s almost crying,” Vicky said.

  Buttons stuck out his tongue, then grinned real wide, showing the class his big white teeth. Everyone laughed at the adorable chimp.

  “Doesn’t look like he’s crying to me,” Lin said. “But he is rubbing his tummy. He’s full. Totally full.”

  “Are you sure?” Sam said as she held the wiggly chimp in her arms. I thought Vicky was right. He was the hungry one. But just then Lin’s eyes narrowed.

  “Actually, Sparkles here is wrong. It’s Ella,” Lin said. “She looks hungry.”

  “Look. Ella is practically falling asleep in Annie’s arms,” Vicky said as the orange ape closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again and smiled up at Annie lovingly. “It’s Buttons,” Vicky said. “Isn’t that right, Buttons?” Vicky asked the chimpanzee directly, which I had to admit was a pretty good idea.

  Buttons shook his head then blew out a BRRRRAPT! through his big lips.

  “Told ya. He’s full,” Lin said. “I’ve decided. It’s Ella. She’s the hungry one.”

  “Are you sure?” Annie asked.

  “Yep,” Lin said. “She’s starving.”

  “All right. Suit yourself, but I’m not feeding that orange monkey,” Vicky said.

  Lin picked up the banana and started peeling it. “I’ll be glad to. And besides, she’s an ape, not a monkey. Isn’t that right, Ella?”

  Ella screeched and pointed into her open mouth.

  “Are you sure you’re sure?” Sam said. “Sometimes animals play tricks on us.”

  “I think they’re trying to give you a hint, Lin,” I said from inside the mint tin. I didn’t have the best view of the experiment, but there was something that didn’t quite seem right to me.

  “Am I missing something?” Lin asked me quietly in the Invisible Communicator.

  “What did you say?” Annie asked.

  “Oh, don’t worry about her. Lin’s been talking to herself all day,” Vicky said. “Go ahead, Lin. Feed the orange monkey.” The class started chanting, Ella, Ella, Ella, as Lin finished peeling the banana.

  “She’s not a monkey, Vicky! Ella is an ape. A hungry little ape,” Lin said, and she stepped forward and handed the banana to Ella.

  At first, I thought everything was going to be fine. Ella sat up in Annie’s arms as she inspected the banana. She sniffed it. She licked it. Then she turned to Lin, stuck out her hand, and smashed half of the banana all over Lin’s favorite shirt.

  Once again, the class exploded with laughter. Only this time, there were some groans and moans mixed in. Vicky was laughing so hard I thought she was going to fall over, but Lin wasn’t giving up that easy. She scraped the banana off her shirt and held it in her hands.

  “It’s okay, Ella. I understand,” Lin said. She held out a mountain of whitish, yellowish mush to Ella. The little ape looked at Lin and smiled so wide you could count all her teeth. “Go ahead. It’s all mashed up and ready.”

  The bright orange ape reached out and took the handful of mashed bananas and stuffed them in her mouth. The class went silent for a few seconds, then they cheered.

  “Very, VERY good, Lin. That was incredible. You have the makings of a true zookeeper,” Annie said. “How did you know to keep trying to feed Ella?”

  “Well, I like to play with my food, too,” Lin said.

  “Brilliant,” Sam said.

  I peered over at Vicky, and she wasn’t laughing anymore. Her eyebrows tilted down toward the center of her face, and her right nostril flared as her mouth turned down in a frown.

  “That really was brilliant, Lin. I’m super impressed,” I said.

  “Thanks, Danny,” Lin said.

  “Who’s Danny?” Sam asked.

  “Oh, no, I said Annie. Thanks, ANNIE,” Lin covered quickly.

  “All right, class. Who wants to go feed the otters?” Annie asked.

  “Will they smash oysters on our shirts?” someone in the back of the class asked, and everyone laughed again.

  “Only if you’re lucky,” Annie said. Two new helpers came in the room and took Ella and Buttons.

  “Say good-bye to Ella and Buttons,” Sam said.

  The cl
ass waved good-bye to the apes, then they followed Annie out of the classroom. Vicky and Lin were the last two out, and Sam came up to them holding a bright yellow shirt.

  “Sorry about the banana mash. I hope this will make up for it.” Sam handed the shirt to Lin.

  Now, getting a free shirt from the zoo is cool. But everyone knows that getting a free official Zoo Helper T-shirt from an actual zookeeper is even cooler!

  “Jeez. Thanks. You didn’t need to do that. I’m really fine with a little smashed banana on my shirt,” Lin said, which I knew was absolutely the truth.

  “It’s no problem,” Sam said.

  “Do all the volunteers get a shirt?” Vicky asked.

  “No, sorry. Not this time. We save these for volunteers who are covered in smashed bananas. Thanks for your help, though,” Sam said. “Run along and catch up with the class while your friend here changes. There’s a private room back there.” Sam pointed to a room in the back.

  “Fine. I’m sure the otters need my help anyway,” Vicky said.

  “That’s the spirit,” Sam said. “See you soon.”

  “Um, hey, Sam,” Lin said as she dug in her pockets and pulled out a little plastic bag of Microbites. “I was wondering what you thought about these snacks.”

  From my point of view, I could only see half of Sam, but she took the bag from Lin, unzipped it, and gave the treats a sniff. “Interesting,” she said. She pulled one out and inspected it closer. “What are they for?”

  “Well, I was thinking they might be good for small birds, parrots maybe. I don’t know, maybe even reptiles,” Lin said. I was pretty impressed that she was giving such good hints, while still keeping the Microsaurs a secret.

  “Well, I’m not sure about the raisins. They have a lot of sugar in them. Maybe something more like sunflower seeds, which are packed with protein. But the oats are a great idea.” Sam sniffed them again. “Is that peanut butter?”

  I could see Lin grinning proudly through the cracked-open lid of my box. “Yup. One-hundred-percent-natural, no-preservatives-added peanut butter. It’s one of my favorite snacks, so I thought they might like it, too,” Lin said.

  “Well, you were right. I think these are a great healthy snack for birds, parrots, and small reptiles. Maybe for zookeepers, too,” Sam said, then she popped one in her mouth. Lin laughed, and Sam joined her. “Okay, keep the raisins.”

  “Or maybe half raisins and half sunflower seeds,” Lin said as she took the bag back from Sam.

  “Perfect!” Sam agreed.

  “Thanks,” Lin said. “I’m going to change now. I smell like a monkey’s birthday party,” Lin said.

  Then she took her new shirt and ran to the changing room. On her way, she carefully pressed the lid of the mint tin closed again, securing us in place. Her hands were obviously still slathered in bananas, because she smeared the top of the case and even stuffed a little in through the airholes. Pizza and Cornelia surprised me by licking up the banana mash like it was their favorite snack.

  “Well, guys, that was exciting,” I said to Pizza and Cornelia, who growled quietly as I scratched their noses, trying to keep them as calm as possible. “Now let’s talk Lin out of the otter tank. I think we’ve seen enough adventure for one day.”

  But before I could settle in and relax among the cotton balls, food scraps, and the twin tiny-saurus rexes, I heard Vicky’s voice as she came bursting back in the classroom.

  “Sorry. I forgot my mints,” Vicky said.

  “Oh, here they are,” Sam said. My world bounced and shook as the zookeeper mistakenly picked up the wrong box of mints and handed them to Vicky.

  “Thanks. See you at the otters,” Vicky said as she dropped us in the bottom of her purse. Or at least that’s what I thought it was because it smelled like bubble gum and perfume, and a couple flecks of glitter fell into the tin through the airholes.

  “I was wrong. Looks like our adventures are still under way,” I said. Pizza and Cornelia roared in agreement, and all I could do was hope that the zoo was noisy enough to cover the sound of their voices.

  I jiggled around inside my little tin box. One moment, I was on top of the twins, then after a few bouncy steps, I found myself on the bottom of the pile again. Pepperoni and corn-dog chunks flew through the air. Dino tails slapped the sides of the case, and I had to swoosh out of the way to keep from being accidentally caught in Pizza’s open and not-so-happy mouth.

  The whole time, Cornelia laughed like she was at a clown birthday party at the premiere of the funniest movie ever made while eating a bucket of Sugar Squidgees covered in extra sugar. Like I said, there’s something wrong with that girl.

  I tapped the Invisible Communicator in my ear, turning it on to talk to my best friend. “Lin, I think we have a problem. A very big problem.”

  CHAPTER 9

  WE’RE DOWN HERE!

  “Is this about the Expand-O-Matic again?” Lin asked.

  “Worse. Much worse. We’ve been kidnapped,” I said in the most calm voice a kidnapped, Shrink-A-Fied guy with two endangered tiny-saurus rex twins could be.

  “What?” Lin shouted, and the Invisible Communicator nearly popped out of my ear.

  “Too loud, TOO LOUD!” I said.

  “But wait. I just changed my shirt, and I see the mint tin right there on the desk,” Lin said.

  “That’s Vicky’s mint tin. She has yours. I mean, she has US!” I said.

  “I knew she was up to something,” Lin said.

  “Okay, no. It wasn’t really her fault. It was totally an accident, but that’s not the point. We are still tumbling around in the bottom of a very glittery bag,” I explained.

  “I’m on my way! The class was heading to the otters. Do you hear anything otterish?” Lin said.

  “I think I can hear squawking. A lot of squawking,” I said. The twins could hear it, too, and they made a noise that sounded like a growl-squawk in return.

  “Could you be by the parrots? I’m almost there, but I don’t see Vicky,” Lin said.

  “We just passed the seals. I can hear them barking and it smells like fish,” I explained.

  “That’s definitely on the way to the otter house. Hang on. I’ll be right there,” Lin said.

  Images of her darting through the crowd popped into my mind. As she ran, Lin kept saying “sorry” and “excuse me” and “watch out!”

  Sounds and smells drifted by me as we traveled through the zoo. The twins were getting restless again, digging through the food scraps in the case, and really making the place a mess. I smelled cotton candy and hot dogs, and I knew we’d passed the Snack Shack. The smell of peanuts and hay and the trumpety cry of an elephant meant we were getting close. The otters live right across from the elephant environment.

  “I’m here,” Lin said in my ear. She was breathing heavy, out of breath.

  “I think we’re close. I can hear splashing water, and it smells kind of fishy,” I said.

  “The whole class is here, but I don’t see Vicky. What else can you see?” Lin asked.

  “Nothing. Purple light. Smells like perfume and fish. That’s all I can offer,” I said. “I’m starting to freak out a little, Lin.”

  “Me too. I can’t see Vicky anywhere,” she said. “And the class is already feeding the otters. Vicky wouldn’t miss that, would she?”

  The swaying and bouncing motion stopped, and I knew Vicky had arrived at the destination for the next step of her plans. Those plans, I had a feeling, included opening the mint tin case and discovering two tiny dinosaurs and one tiny me. I was nearly frozen with fear as I listened carefully for clues, but I couldn’t hear anything that would help. Perfume, pizza, and corn-dog smells filled my nose as I took a deep breath in, but nothing else came to help me discover where we were.

  “Danny, I can’t see her anywhere. I need a clue,” Lin said.

  I looked around inside the dark mint tin box. We were trapped, and I knew that if I didn’t act fast it would be a disaster. Another disaster. I’
d already destroyed the Fruity Stars Lab, put two precious Microsaurs in danger, and busted the Expand-O-Matic today. I wasn’t about to let Vicky discover us, too. I leaned my shoulder against the top of the box and pushed, but the lid wouldn’t budge.

  “Guys. I need your help,” I said to the twins. “We’ve got to get out of here, and I mean NOW!”

  The twins didn’t really know what was going on, but they were excited by my actions. Pizza joined in first, shoving his wide head against the lid of the box. But no luck. It wouldn’t move a smidge.

  “I think I see Vicky,” Lin said. “She’s right in the front of the class. Right against the glass otter tank window. Hang on, Danny, I’m coming!”

  “Come on, Corney. Help us out, would ya?” I said as Pizza and I strained against the tin lid with all our might. It creaked, then moaned, but it didn’t budge. It felt like the banana muck mixed with Vicky’s purse glitter had basically glued the mint tin shut.

  “Stop! Thief!” Lin shouted in my ear. “You stole my mint tin!”

  I could hear Vicky’s voice among the crowd noise, and she sounded genuinely surprised.

  “Who me? A thief? What are you talking about, Lin?” Vicky said.

  “You stole my mint tin, and I need it back. NOW!” Lin said.

  “I did NOT steal anything from you. You’ve lost your marbles,” Vicky said.

  “No, I’ve lost my mint tin, and it’s in your bag. See, this one right here. It’s yours,” Lin said. I couldn’t see her, but I imagined her holding out Vicky’s mint tin that she’d left behind in class.

  “No. This is my mint tin right here,” Vicky said. We began to rise in the purplish dark of the purse as Vicky lifted us out. “Ooh. Gross,” Vicky said. “This is absolutely disgusting. It is covered in banana goo. You’re right. This is definitely yours, not mine.”

  “STOP! That is MY TINY-SAURUS REX!” Lin shouted, and the crowd around us stopped talking at once. The only sound I could hear was the otters swimming in their tank.