The Judy Moody Star Studded Collection - Megan Mcdonald [4]
“Mouse is so old, and she’s afraid of everything. Mouse is a lump that purrs.”
“You’re NOT thinking of a dog, I hope,” said Dad. Mouse jumped off the chair and stretched.
“Mouse would definitely not like that,” said Judy.
“How about a goldfish?” asked Stink. Mouse rubbed up against Judy’s leg.
“Mouse would like that too much,” Judy said. “I was thinking of a two-toed sloth.”
“Right,” said Stink.
“They’re neat,” said Judy. She showed Stink its picture in her rain forest magazine. “See? They hang upside down all day. They even sleep upside down.”
“You’re upside down,” said Stink.
“What do they eat?” asked Dad.
“It says here they eat leaf-cutter ants and fire-bellied toads,” Judy read.
“That should be easy,” said Stink.
“Tell you what, Judy,” said Dad. “Let’s take a ride over to the pet store. I’m not saying we’ll get a sloth, but it’s always fun to look around. Maybe it’ll even help me think of a five-letter word for fish that starts with M for my crossword puzzle.”
“Let’s all go,” said Mom.
When they arrived at Fur & Fangs, Judy saw snakes and parrots, hermit crabs and guppies. She even saw a five-letter fish word beginning with M — a black molly.
“Do you have any two-toed sloths?” she asked the pet store lady.
“Sorry. Fresh out,” said the lady.
“How about a newt or a turtle?” asked Dad.
“Did you see the hamsters?” asked Mom.
“Never mind,” said Judy. “There’s nothing from the rain forest here.”
“Maybe they have a stinkbug,” Stink said.
“One’s enough,” said Judy, narrowing her eyes at Stink.
They picked out a squeaky toy mouse for Mouse. When they went to pay for it, Judy noticed a green plant with teeth sitting on the counter. “What’s that?” she asked the pet store lady.
“A Venus flytrap,” the lady said. “It’s not an animal, but it doesn’t cost much, and it’s easy to take care of. See these things that look like mouths with teeth? Each one closes like a trap door. It eats bugs around the house. Like flies and ants, that sort of thing. You can feed it a little raw hamburger too.”
“Rare,” said Judy Moody.
“Cool,” said Stink.
“Good idea,” said Mom.
“Sold,” said Dad.
Judy set her new pet on her desk, where the angle of sunlight hit it just right. Mouse watched from the bottom bunk, with one eye open.
“I can’t wait to take my new pet to school tomorrow for Share and Tell,” Judy told Stink. “It’s just like a rare plant from the rain forest.”
“It is?” Stink asked.
“Sure,” said Judy. “Just think. There could be a medicine hiding right here in these funny green teeth. When I’m a doctor, I’m going to study plants like this and discover cures for ucky diseases.”
“What are you going to name it?” asked Stink.
“I don’t know yet,” said Judy.
“You could call it Bughead, since it likes bugs.”
“Nah,” said Judy.
Judy watered her new pet. She sprinkled Gro-Fast on the soil. When Stink left, she sang songs to it. “I know an old lady who swallowed a fly. . . .” She sang till the old lady swallowed a horse.
She still couldn’t think of a good name. Rumpelstiltskin? Too long. Thing? Maybe.
“Stink!” she called. “Go get me a fly.”
“How am I going to catch a fly?” asked Stink.
“One fly. I’ll give you a dime.” Stink ran down to the window behind the couch and brought back a fly.
“Gross! That fly is dead.”
“It was going to be dead in a minute anyway.”
Judy scooped up the dead fly with the tip of her ruler and dropped it into one of the mouths. In a flash, the trap closed around the fly. Just like the pet store lady said.
“Rare!” said Judy.
“Snap! Trap!” Stink said, adding sound effects.
“Go get me an ant. A live one this time.”
Stink wanted to see the Venus flytrap eat again, so he got his sister an ant. “Snap! Trap!” said Judy and Stink when another trap closed.
“Double rare,” Judy said.
“Stink, go catch me a spider or something.”
“I’m tired of catching bugs,” said Stink.
“Then go ask Mom or Dad if we have any raw hamburger.”
Stink frowned.
“Please, pretty please with bubble-gum ice cream on top?” Judy begged. Stink didn’t budge. “I’ll let you feed it this time.”
Stink ran