Cheetah (2 page)

“You look like a cheetah too,” said Mia. “Dad, look! This is Cheetah. Can I keep her? Please?”

“I don't think so,” said Dad.

“I'll take good care of her,” said Mia. “I'll keep her in a box. She won't get loose in the house. Please, please, PLEASE?”

“Okay,” said Dad. “You can take care of it for a week. We'll bring it back next weekend.”

“Aww...”

“It's a wild animal, Mia. It doesn't belong in a box. One week. That's the deal.”

Mia didn't like the deal. She wanted to keep Cheetah forever. But having Cheetah for a week was better than not having her at all.

They walked back to the drop zone. Mia carried Cheetah in her hands. She asked the man at the snack bar for an empty box. He washed one out that said
Bean Salad.

“You need some holes in the lid so he can breathe,” the man said. “And put some mud in to keep him moist.”

“Cheetah is a
her
,” said Mia. “I'm pretty sure.”

“That's a good name for a leopard frog,” the man smiled.

“You're a leopard frog!” Mia whispered to Cheetah. “Isn't that great?”

She set Cheetah gently in the box.

“She might miss her friends,” the man said.

“She'll have me,” said Mia.

“We're bringing it back next weekend,” said Dad.

Mia hoped they wouldn't have to come back. She'd show Dad and the snack bar man. Cheetah would love her new home. She'd never want to leave.

“Yikes!” said Mom.

“Isn't she the most beautiful frog you ever saw?” said Mia.

“I never saw one this close,” said Mom.

“Can I play with her?” Maggie asked.

“If you're gentle,” said Mia.

“I'm always gentle,” said Maggie.

“No, you're not. What about when you ripped off Fred's head? And threw him under the bed?”

Fred was Maggie's monster doll. “He likes that,” Maggie said.

“Mia,” said Mom, “are you going to keep the frog in that box?”

“I think it's too small,” Mia said. “She can't hop very far in it.”

“No, she can't,” said Mom.

“I can let her hop around my bedroom.”

“No, you can't,” said Mom. “Let's see if we have a bigger box.”

They found a large plastic box with clear sides. Dad drilled breathing holes in the lid. Then Mia and Mom filled it with things for Cheetah. They put stones in the bottom. They covered them with dirt. They planted some grass and moss. Mia put in a stick. It looked like the sea serpent log at the pond.

“A pond!” she said. “Cheetah needs water to swim in!”

She filled a bowl with water and set it in the dirt.

“Can I put something in?” Maggie asked. She held up one of her shells.

“That would be perfect.” Mia smiled. “Thank you.”

Maggie put the shell beside the pond. The girls sighed happily.

“If you were a frog, Maggie,” said Mia, “wouldn't you love to live in there?”

“I wouldn't like to be a frog,” said Maggie. “But I would like to live there. I'd have to be a lot smaller, though.”

“See if Cheetah likes it as much as you girls do,” Mom said.

Cheetah hopped right into the bowl of water. She floated like a bath toy. Mia clapped her hands.

“She loves it!”

“Now, what do you think she likes to eat?” Mom asked.

“I don't know,” said Mia.

“Pizza's good,” said Maggie.

“Frogs don't eat pizza,” said Mia. “Frogs eat...bugs, I think.”

“Let's see if we have a book that will tell us,” Mom suggested.

They went to the bookshelves. There was a whole shelf of books about animals. But none of the books said what leopard frogs like to eat.

“I'm sure Cheetah will be fine for tonight,” said Mom. “Tomorrow we'll find out what we can feed her.”

Mia put a quilt on the floor beside Cheetah's box. Cheetah snuggled into her grass. Mia snuggled into her quilt. They watched each other.

“Are you happy, Cheetah?” Mia whispered.

Cheetah didn't answer.

“You'll feel better tomorrow. I'll get you some food.

Then I'll show you around. You'll love it here.”

Mia yawned. “Good night, Cheetah. Sweet dreams.”

Mia checked the books in the science corner of her classroom. She found a book with a whole page on leopard frogs. Mia read: “Leopard frogs eat wood lice, worms and spiders.” The picture showed the roly-poly bugs that curl up into balls. Hooray! Mia's backyard was filled with Cheetah food!

Mia thought about Cheetah all day. They made graphs in math. Mrs. Rose asked the class what their favorite animals were. Most people liked dogs, cats and horses. Mia was the only one who said “frogs!”

“I thought you liked giraffes,” Hailee whispered.

“I have a new favourite,” Mia whispered back.

Mia made the frog column on her graph extra
special. She colored it green with black spots and gold stripes.

“Very froggish!” said Mrs. Rose.

Then Mrs. Rose read a story to the class. It was about a sad stegosaurus named Sam. She stopped reading before the end.

“I'd like you all to write your own ending to the story,” she said.

Mia thought and thought. She doodled some frogs. Then she wrote in her draft book:

Sam was sad. He did not like his plain gray skin. He wanted spots like Cheetah the frog.

“How can I get spots like you?” he asked.

“I don't know,” said Cheetah. “Try rolling in the mud.”

Sam rolled in the mud. He did not get spots.

Cheetah said, “Try splashing in the pond.”

Sam splashed in the pond. He did not get spots.

“I know!” said Cheetah. “I will draw spots on you.”

“They will wash off,” Sam said sadly.

“No, they won't,” said Cheetah. “I will use permanent marker!”

Cheetah drew spots on Sam with permanent marker. Then Sam and Cheetah jumped in the mud. They splashed in the pond. Sam's spots stayed on. And Sam was happy!

Hailee read Mia's story.

“Frogs, frogs, frogs!” she said. “What's going on?”

“You'll find out on Wednesday,” said Mia. Wednesday was News Day at school. Cheetah was going to be Mia's best news ever.

Mrs. Rose noticed that Mia was thinking about frogs too. After school, she said, “I saw you looking at the frog book, Mia. Would you like to borrow it?”

“You mean I could take it home?” Mia asked.

“Yes, for a while.”

“Thank you!”

Mia hopped like a frog right up to Mrs. Rose's desk to get the book.

Mia carried a pail and spoon into the backyard. She took a deep breath. Bugs and worms were not her favourite creatures. But Cheetah was hungry!

She turned over a rock. Three roly-poly bugs were hiding there. The frog book called them “wood lice.” Mia knew that people sometimes got lice in their hair. She wouldn't want these roly-polies rolling around her head! She scooped them into the bucket.

Now for the worms. The garden was always full of worms. Mia turned over some dirt with her spoon. Two juicy worms poked their heads out. Or maybe it was their tails. It was hard to tell. Mia scooped them into her pail.

She didn't look for spiders. Wood lice and worms
stayed in the pail, but spiders would crawl out. Mia did NOT want to have to chase them.

Maggie came out the back door.

“What's in the bucket?” she asked.

“An after-school snack,” said Mia.

Maggie peeked in the pail. She pretended to throw up.

“Very funny,” said Mia. “They're for Cheetah.”

“Do you have to kill them first?”

“I don't think so,” said Mia. She hoped not. If she had to kill them first, she'd feel like a murderer.

“You mean she eats them
alive
?” Maggie asked.

“I'm not sure,” said Mia. “I'd rather not think about that part.”

She took the lid off Cheetah's box. Cheetah was floating in the pool.

“I brought you some food, Cheetah,” said Mia. “Be gentle with it.”

She tipped the pail into Cheetah's box. The roly-polies lay like balls on the grass. The worms burrowed into the dirt. Cheetah didn't move.

“Cheetah, what's wrong?” Mia asked.

“I told you,” said Maggie. “She likes pizza.”

“Frogs don't like pizza,” said Mia.

“I think Cheetah does,” said Maggie.

Mia had an awful thought. Maybe Maggie already fed Cheetah some pizza. Now she was sick! No wonder she didn't want her roly-polies!

“DID YOU GIVE HER PIZZA?” Mia roared.

“NO!” Maggie roared back.

“WELL,
DON'T
GIVE HER PIZZA! DON'T GIVE HER
ANYTHING
!”

“I
WON'T
!” Maggie yelled. She stomped off to her room.

Mia looked at the book from school. It didn't say what to do if your leopard frog wouldn't eat. Maybe she had an upset tummy. Mia's tummy got upset when she was sad or mad. She lay down beside Cheetah's box.

“Please be happy, Cheetah,” she whispered. “I love you.”

For the next two days, Mia tried to make Cheetah happy.

“Time for outside exercise, Cheetah!” she said.

Mia set Cheetah on the grass.

“Be careful she doesn't get away,” Mom warned.

“She won't,” said Mia.

Cheetah leaped forward.

“She's heading for the road!” Mom yelled. “Get her!”

Mia got her. “She's okay, Mom. Look, she learned a trick. Cheetah, HOP!”

Cheetah hopped.

“Isn't she smart?” said Mia.

Cheetah took a world-record leap.

“GET HER!” Mom yelled.

Mia ran to catch her. They had a nose-to-nose talk.

“Is she all right?” Mom asked.

“Yes, she's telling me about a new game. Watch this.”

Mia set Cheetah down on the grass. Cheetah hopped. Mia hopped behind her and touched her on the back. Cheetah hopped again. Mia tagged her again.

Maggie came outside.

“It's called ‘hop tag,'” said Mia.

“I want to play too!” Maggie said. She started to hop like a big crazy frog.

Mia scooped up Cheetah. “Maggie, you could have squished her!”

“Would not.”

“Would too!”

“Would not!”

“Girls, please,” said Mom. “Mia, put Cheetah back in her box.”

Mia set Cheetah in the bowl of water. Cheetah climbed out. She hid in the grass. Mia put the lid on.