Jake’s Jokeby Geri Murray

The day had come for Nate to go home. It had been fun staying with Tim and Jan and their pet pig Slim. Nate grabbed his tote bag and felt for Jake, his pet snake. Jake lived in a cage in the tote.

Nate froze. "Oh, no! There is a hole poked in the screen. Jake is lost!"

Jan said, "That’s a joke, right?” But it was no joke.

"I can't go home without Jake," Nate cried.

"We will have to find Jake fast and then go," said Mr. Jones. "Nate has to catch a plane home.“

Tim poked in a mole hole. “No snake in the hole,” he said.

Jan hunted near the flag pole.

"I think he is here," she cried.

"No, it's a rope." Nate sighed.

Nate checked the slope. "He might be under that big stone," he said.

“No snake under the stone. That was the place he liked to hide the most,” Nate sighed.

"Nate, we have to go,” said Mr. Jones. “When we find Jake, we will take care of him. He will be fine.”

Mr. Jones drove, and Tim and Jan rode with Nate. Nate did not speak to them. He did not want to go home alone. It was a sad ride to the plane.

When they got to the gate, Nate put his bag on the belt. The bag rode along to the x-ray screen.

Nate wanted to see his bag go by the screen. A man sat and stared at the stuff in Nate's bag. Nate watched the bag pass. He saw tape, the cage, and a rope.

“Wait. I don't have a rope in my tote,” said Nate.

He grabbed the bag. He opened it and dumped out his stuff. There in Nate's robe was the strange rope. It was Jake.

“Thank you, thank you!” Nate cried. “Just when I had given up hope!”

Mr. Jones smiled. “Time to get to the plane, Nate. We’re sad to see you go, but we’re glad Jake can go home with you."

Jan hugged Nate at the gate.

"It was fun having you with us, Nate. I hope you will miss us."

Nate blushed.

“I’m going to miss your jokes, Nate,” said Tim. “Call us on the phone when you get home.”

Nate felt sad. “I had such a fun time. You made me feel at home. You are the best friends I know. I hate to go.”

Nate got on the plane. “Next stop is home,” Nate said to Jake.

“I will be glad to see my friends Jess and Ben. I hope they missed me. I will try to trick them. I will say, ‘Jake ate Slim the pig.’ They will be so mad!”

Genie Collection© 2007