Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Sticky-Fingers Cure by Ann M. Martin

Author:Ann M. Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Gabby stared blankly at him. His hands gravitated toward his ears. But he couldn’t help saying, “What was so much fun?”

“The hoops party. You know, Linden’s basketball birthday party. He tried about ten times to invite you, but you just kept talking about owls. And some other stuff I’ve forgotten. Seeds, maybe. And a flat tire on a delivery truck. Anyway, there was a basketball coach at the party and he gave us tips about free throws. I scored five baskets and got a prize! Boy, you sure missed a good party.”

Gabby vaguely remembered Linden trying to talk to him. He remembered more vividly that he himself had nattered on and on about the calls of various owls and had gone into great depth about an argument he and Sven had had over the sound a barn owl makes. And now he had missed Linden’s party.

After school Gabby rushed home, through the Snack Shoppe, which was as noisy as an airport waiting room because everyone there was talking, too, and upstairs, where he lay on the couch in the living room and hoped Sven wouldn’t come home. There were so many things he had wanted to say that day—for instance, about the bumblebee population. And just at that moment, he wanted to say to his mother, “I have a headache and I need a hug,” but he knew that if he went back to the restaurant, he wouldn’t be able to get a word in edgewise. At breakfast that morning, his entire family had talked about fleas for fourteen minutes.

Gabby didn’t say a single thing for the rest of the day, and he wasn’t sure his family even noticed as they jabbered on and on about so many dull topics that Gabby lost count.

It was during science class the next day, when all his classmates and Mrs. Porridge were talking, shouting even, about endangered species, that Gabby timidly uncovered his ears and raised his hand. Ms. Porridge stopped talking and looked at him. Gabby’s classmates stopped talking and covered their own ears.

“Yes?” said Ms. Porridge, and she winced.

“There’s a kind of bear, the Asian black bear,” said Gabby, “which is also called the moon bear, and I read that it’s considered ‘vulnerable.’ It’s in danger of becoming extinct.” He folded his hands and looked around the room.

Louie raised his eyebrows.

For a moment everyone was silent.

“Part of the problem is deforestation,” said Ms. Porridge.

Putney raised her hand. “What’s deforestation?”

Gabby realized he didn’t know the answer, so he looked intently at his teacher. And then a nice conversation unfolded, just the way conversations are supposed to unfold, with one person talking and the others listening, one person asking a question, and one other person answering.

Louie and Gabby walked home that afternoon, and when they reached Juniper Street, Gabby called, “See you tomorrow, Louie!”

“See you tomorrow, Gabe!”

Gabriel walked into the restaurant and wordlessly gave his mother a hug. She hugged him back. “How was school?” she asked.

“Fine. Really good, actually. Anything happen at

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