The Great Hamster Hunt
1My name is Priya, and this week it was my turn to take care of Peanut, our class hamster. On Monday morning, I walked into Room 12 with a bag of fresh carrots. When I got to Peanut's cage, the little door was open. Peanut was gone!
2I ran to tell our teacher, Mr. Bell. He did not panic. "Hamsters like dark, quiet places," he said. "Let's search carefully and keep our voices low."
3My friend Theo and I looked under the reading rug and behind the bookshelf. We found a lost crayon and an old spelling test, but no hamster. Then Theo had an idea. The lost-and-found box was dark and full of soft hats and scarves. He set a carrot on the floor next to it, and the whole class sat very still.
4After a few quiet minutes, a tiny pink nose poked out of the lost-and-found box. Peanut crept over to the carrot and began to nibble. His cheeks puffed up as he stuffed bits of carrot inside.
5Mr. Bell gently scooped Peanut up and carried him back to his cage. This time, he clicked the door shut and checked it twice. Theo and I gave each other a high five, and Peanut went right back to munching.