The Big Dreams of Small Creatures by Gail Lerner

Author:Gail Lerner [Lerner, Gail]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2022-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

The Expert

Tillie rounded the corner only seconds after August had managed to lock the door behind Eden. He didn’t have time to slide Dot and the card into his pocket, so he cupped one hand over the other, hiding them both from view.

“Ho, ho, hello!” he said with a hearty laugh. For some reason, his Santa voice kept creeping in, no matter how hard he tried to stop it.

“Ho, ho, hello to you, too, Mr. Rattice! I’m so relieved to see you’re real!” Tillie said with delight. “When I woke up from my nap, I was worried I’d dreamed you. But here you are! Shall I take you on the tour?”

August sighed with relief. He’d gotten rid of Eden just in time. It was important that she and Tillie never meet. Tillie may be a hundred and twenty and barely able to hear or see, but she was definitely smart, and if she met Eden, Tillie would know right away that Eden knew more about this bug stuff than he did. Also, Tillie and Eden would probably like each other. They were both do-gooder types who wanted to protect those icky creepy-crawlies, a job they would probably succeed at if they ever met, which was why he had to do everything in his power to keep them apart.

“Why yes, that would be delightful,” he said, before suddenly being interrupted by loud, insistent pounding. It was that pesky girl, trying to get out of the dark room. August stifled a groan. He thought he’d gotten rid of her. Didn’t she know she was supposed to be quiet once he’d locked her in?

“What on earth is that sound?” Tillie asked.

“What sound?” he asked, as innocently as possible.

“That knocking sound. You don’t hear it?”

August grimaced. Tillie had said she was hard of hearing. Why was she suddenly so good at it now?

“Help! Help!” Eden cried. Her voice was muffled by the heavy door, but it was impossible not to hear her knocking.

“So, let’s take that tour now, shall we?” August said to Tillie, offering her his arm. He needed to maneuver her farther down the hall where she wouldn’t be able to hear Eden’s insistent knocks. But Tillie wouldn’t budge.

“Wait. Didn’t you hear that?” Tillie asked. “Someone is shouting.”

“I don’t think so,” August said through gritted teeth. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Help! Help!” Eden cried again.

“We’re the only people here,” Tillie said. “Where’s that voice coming from?”

“Um, me!” August said, pounding on the outside of the door just as loudly as Eden was pounding on the inside. “Help! Help! Help me understand how these doors are so beautifully crafted!”

“Ah, yes. Remarkable, aren’t they? I was hoping you’d ask,” Tillie said, allowing him to steer her down the hall and away from Eden.

“Please do tell me all about it,” August said, feeling grateful that he was as good at improvising as Ms. Batra said he was.

“Well,” said Tillie. “During construction, Minnie persuaded the powderpost beetles and wood borers to help construct the house instead of eat it.

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