Monkey Trouble Read Free Page A

pointing at a peacock pen near the lunch tables.
    “You can’t,” his twin Matthew said. “You took the last three pictures. It’s my turn. And I don’t like peacocks.”
    “But he’s a pretty bird,” Griffin said. “And his feathers are all spread out. Quick. Give me the camera.”
    Matthew hid it behind his back. “No way,” he said.
    Griffin reached over and pushed his twin, so Matthew shoved back. “If you want to take so many pictures, get your own camera,” Matthew said.
    “Fine! I will get my own camera.” Griffin stood up and grabbed his lunch bag. Then he went and sat with the rest of the group at the other table.
    “Tour group!” Mr. Newton called. He rushed up to the tables. “Some new butterflies are hatching from their cocoons!” Mr. Newton excitedly announced. “Let’s head over to the butterfly pavilion right now. The ones that hatched a few days ago are taking flight for the first time!”
    The children from the tour quickly started to clean up.
    Annika grabbed her camera off the table, stuffed her half-eaten food back into its sack, then walked over and dumped it in the cooler.
    Blake was about to head over to the cooler, but he picked up his camera first. “I’d better put this away before anything bad happens to it,” he said. He shoved the camera into his over-the-shoulder bag and laid the bag on the table. Then Blake went over to the cooler with his leftover lunch.
    The rest of the spring break tour group rushed about, gathering their cameras and lunches. They were in a hurry to see the butterflies.
    On their way, a zookeeper and a woman wearing a security badge walked by. They were carrying a small monkey in a metal cage. It jumped about and made hooting sounds.
    “I can’t wait to get to the monkey area,” Violet said.
    “I think we’re seeing them at the end of the day,” Henry told her.
    They finally entered the butterfly pavilion. “This is incredible,” Jessie said.
    There were butterflies all around, on branches and bushes. One even landed for an instant on Benny’s head. Violet quickly took a picture before it few away.
    Mr. Newton told the children that once the butterflies come out of their cocoons, they need to hang upside-down for a while so their wings can expand and dry before they fly. Some of the butterflies were just coming out. Others, like the one that landed on Benny’s head, had emerged a few days earlier.

    When the tour group left the butterfly pavilion, the students went on to see some newly hatched hummingbirds. They were resting in their cup-shaped nest, waiting for their mother to return and feed them. After that, the group followed Mr. Newton and Benny to the baby alligators’ habitat. When they arrived, the small alligators were sunning themselves on rocks to keep warm. Henry took a few pictures.
    At the jaguar exhibit, it was Jessie’s turn with the Alden camera. She focused on a baby jaguar, climbing up a tree. But she was suddenly interrupted by Blake shouting. “My camera! It’s gone! Someone stole my camera!” he said.

Chapter 3
A Mystery
    M r. Newton rushed over to Blake and confirmed that Blake only had one of his two cameras. He then called the group together. “We have a problem,” Mr. Newton announced. “Blake’s camera is missing. If you have a camera, please check and make sure that it is yours.”
    “How would we know if it is Blake’s camera?” asked Matthew. He looked at the camera in his hand. “I think this is mine and Griffin’s, but it doesn’t have our names on it.”
    “Yes. All the cameras we bought this morning look alike,” Griffin added. “They’re twins, just like me and my brother!” The twins high-fived each other. It seemed like they were back to being friends.
    “Is there any chance you put your name on it?” Henry asked Blake.
    “I didn’t think I had to,” Blake said. He was growing angry. “Someone took it. They knew my best picture was on that camera so they stole it!” He looked