The next day was unusual—there were no catastrophes. In school, Amelia Bedelia focused on learning all about monkeys. Mrs. Shauk was happy to see her paying attention again.

Amelia Bedelia’s friend Pat was really handy at building things. Pat’s dad also had tons of tools, so during recess, she asked Pat if he could borrow some tools and rig up something special for her. That afternoon, while everyone else was working on the exhibits, Amelia Bedelia took Pat to the garage to show him what she wanted, but she did not tell him exactly why she wanted it.

Amelia Bedelia had researched how to train a monkey. She had learned that monkeys are very clever and can be taught to do amazing things. Monkeys had even flown into space, and they could assist people who needed help with everyday things. For example, if you dropped your keys and couldn’t reach them yourself, you could teach your monkey to pick them up.

The best way to train a monkey was to show it how to do something and let it copy you—monkey see, monkey do. Of course, using a treat as a reward helped. Amelia Bedelia felt the same way. She would do almost anything for a double-fudge brownie.

Together, Amelia Bedelia and Pat drew up a plan.

“This is definitely a contraption,” said Pat.

Amelia Bedelia liked that word. She wrote it on a big piece of poster board while Pat worked. She opened up cans of her dad’s old paint and made some signs for her zoo.

Her favorite was: MRS. SHAUK SAYS, BE AN ANIMAL!

When she had painted all the signs she could think of and Pat was still working on the contraption, she decided to tour the backyard to check on everyone’s progress.

Dawn was putting the final touches on a giant pair of ears. “Here, try them!” she said.

Amelia Bedelia put them on while Dawn walked to the edge of the yard and whispered a question to test them.

“Wow,” said Amelia Bedelia. “Yes, I can hear just like a jackrabbit!”

Then she tried on a pair of fuzzy slippers next to the rodent display. They let her walk as quietly as a mouse. A pair of binoculars would let visitors see like a hawk (or a Shauk).

Chip and Heather were finishing up the hibernation tunnel. At the entrance, they had taped a sign that said NOVEMBER and at the exit there was a sign that said APRIL. When the flaps at both ends of the tunnel were shut, it was pitch dark inside. There were pillows and blankets and a window inside the tunnel, but when the curtains were pushed aside, the “hibernator” just saw snow flurries!

Amelia Bedelia made a list of hibernating animals in her notebook. They were so amazing! She had most of these animals—except maybe a hedgehog—in the stuffed-animal basket in her room. Joy probably had a stuffed hedgehog, she thought. They could tuck all the animals under the blankets in the tunnel!

 

Soon it was almost time for supper. Amelia Bedelia’s friends left one by one. Just before he went home, Pat installed the dangling banana. Amelia Bedelia sat down in the car seat and pulled the banana to her. She did it a couple of times, hoping that she was teaching someone. Unknown to her, monkey eyes were watching.

The next morning, the car-seat banana was missing. “So far, so good,” said Amelia Bedelia. “Monkey saw, monkey did.”