What kind of pets do people have in your country? Dogs? Cats? How about a duck, hippo or lion? Here are two cases of animal owners with unusual pets.

Barrie Hayman has a pet duck called Star. Barrie adopted him after his brothers and sisters stayed away from him at birth. Barrie, a duck breeder, realized the little duck needed special attention. So he began taking Star with him everywhere he went. "I would put him in my pocket while I did my shopping," said Barrie. Now, at five months, Star is too big for Barrie's pocket, but the two are still _ . They watch sports together and even share a drink together. Barrie said, "He is one fantastic duck. I've never known any like him." Star even has his own Facebook page, with more than 2,000 Facebook friends.

Then there's the case of Tonie and Shirley Joubert in South Africa. They live with their pet hippo, Jessica. Tonie saved Jessica from floodwaters when she was only a day old. Jessica lives outside their riverside house, but she knows how to open the kitchen door, and often goes there for a snack. Tonie recently said, "I don't know whether Jessica sees me as a hippo or whether she sees herself as a human." Shirley is more certain, "Jessica sees herself as our child and I see Jessica as my daughter. I can't imagine my life without Jessica." Jessica is free to leave, and often visits wild hippos that live nearby. But she always returns home at night. Jessica's website notes that she has three hippo boyfriends, but one in particular, Fred, is her favorite. They often go grazing together and Fred has recently moved onto the Jouberts' house as well. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who was Star?
2. 'what does Barrie Hayman do for a living?
3. What did he do with Star when he went shopping?
4. How old is STar now?
5. What kind of pet do Tonie and Shirley Joubert have?
6. What is the hippo's name?
7. What's the setting for the Joubert's house?
8. What country is it in?
9. Can Jessica leave if she wants to?
10. Does she?
11. How many boyfriends does she have?
12. What's the name of her favorite?
13. What do they do together?
Answer: 1. a pet duck
2. a duck breeder
3. put him in his pocket
4. unknown
5. hippo
6. Jessica
7. riverside
8. South Africa
9. Yes
10. she always returns home at night
11. three
12. Fred
13. go grazing

CHAPTER VIII

SHADOW HAMILTON'S CONFESSION

"I simply can't understand it, Phil. Gus Plum was frightened very much, or he would never have offered me a hundred dollars to keep quiet."

Dave and his chum were strolling along the edge of the campus, an hour after the conversation recorded in the last chapter. The boy from the poorhouse had told Phil all that had occurred.

"It is certainly the most mysterious thing I ever heard of, outside of this mystery about Billy Dill," answered Phil. "Plum has been up to something wrong, but just what, remains to be found out."

"And what about Shadow Hamilton?"

"I can't say anything about Shadow. I never thought he would do anything that wasn't right."

"Nor I. What would you advise?"

"Keep quiet and await developments. Something is bound to come to the surface, sooner or later."

"Hello, you fellows, where are you bound?" came in a cry, and looking up they saw a well-known form approaching.

"Ben!" cried Dave, rushing up to the newcomer and shaking hands warmly. "When did you come in? And how are all the folks at Crumville? Did you happen to see Professor Potts and the Wadsworths?"

"One question at a time, please," answered Ben Basswood, as he shook hands with Phil. "Yes, I saw them all, and everybody wants to be remembered to you. Jessie sends her very sweetest regards----"

"Oh, come now, no fooling," interrupted Dave, blushing furiously. "Tell us the plain truth."

"Well, she sent her best regard, anyway. And all the others did the same. The professor is getting along finely. You'd hardly know him now, he looks so hale and hearty. It did him a world of good to go to live with the Wadsworths." What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who was frightened?
2. how much did he recieve?
3. for what?
4. where were they walking?
5. for how long
6. who came from the poor house?
7. who did the boy speak too?
8. was there mystery?
9. surrounding who?
10. did they know what plum was doing?
11. was he known for bad deeds?
12. who saw them all?
13. who saw them all?
14. coud dave be fooled?
15. who demanded the truth?
16. who sends her regards?
17. who was the professor?
18. who was shaking hands?
19. how does the professor look?
20. who did he live with?
Answer: 1. Gus Plum
2. $100
3. to keep quiet
4. along the edge of the campus
5. an hour
6. Gus
7. Dave
8. Yes
9. Billy Dill
10. No
11. Yes
12. Ben
13. Ben saw them all
14. No
15. Dave
16. Jessie
17. Professor Potts
18. Ben and Phil
19. hale and hearty
20. the Wadsworths

Have you ever listened to young children talking in the playground? They are always boasting. They say things like, "My Dad's car is bigger than your Dad's," and "My Mom is smarter than yours." They particularly like to boast about their families.

There were three little boys, Harry, Ted and Gavin, who were always boasting. Gavin was the worst. Everything about his family was always the best or the biggest or the most expensive.

Whatever the others said, he could always go on better. One day when they were walking to

school, Harry said, "My father had a bath twice a week," Ted spoke next. "That's nothing," he said. "Having a bath twice a week is dirty. My father has a bath every day, sometimes twice a day." Ted looked at Gavin. Now it was his turn. But what could he say? "This time," Ted thought, "I'm going to win." Gavin didn't know what to say. He couldn't say that his father had a bath three times a day. That was silly. He walked on in silence. Ted smiled at Harry, and Harry smiled back. They were sure that for once they had beaten Gavin. They reached the school gates. Still Gavin said nothing. "We've won," Ted said to Harry, but he spoke too soon. On the way home, Gavin said, "My Dad is so clean that he doesn't have to bathe at all." What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Where were the boys walking to when Harry started talking about his father?
2. Who was he boasting about?
3. What did he say his dad had had two of that week?
4. Who thought his dad was better than Harry's?
5. How often does Ted's dad take a bath?
6. Only once a day?
7. Whose turn was it to boast next?
8. Did he say anything?
9. What would it be if he said his dad bathed three times a day?
10. Did Gavin know what to say right then after Ted had finished talking?
11. Did Harry and Ted think they'd finally beat Gavin?
12. Had Gavin said anything before they reached the school gates?
13. When did Gavin finally speak?
14. Did he say his dad was cleaner or dirtier than the other boys' dads?
15. How often did Gavin boast his father had to wash himself?
16. Were Harry, Ted and Gavin little boys or little girls?
17. Were any of their parents divorced?
18. Has one of the boys ever said their mom was smarter?
19. What did one of the boys previous brag that their dad's was bigger?
20. Did the boys like talking about their families?
Answer:
1. school
2. his father
3. baths
4. Ted
5. every day
6. sometimes twice a day
7. Gavin's
8. yes
9. silly
10. no
11. yes
12. no
13. On the way home
14. cleaner
15. he said he doesn't have to bathe at all
16. little boys
17. unknown
18. unknown
19. unknown
20. yes