Ferbert Flembuzzle's
Most Exotic Zoo

Chapter 11 - The Book

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The next day at school, Sophia made some minor adjustments but maintained her invisible armor. She never turned around in her seat to see the board, and when she sat by the trashcans at lunch, she ate so fast that she barely chewed, ensuring she was done before the other kids could dump food on her. At recess, she went straight to the tree and hid in the high branches, and in PE, she sat under the bleachers when teams were picked and never asked which one she was on. She continued doing all her classwork but stopped asking about her Zs. Soon, her teachers and classmates barely paid Sophia any attention. She became nearly as invisible as her armor.

Every day, when Sophia returned home from school, Ferbert sat at that table and invited her to read in the maple tree. Every day, however, Sophia declined his offer before retiring to her room.

Days, weeks, and months passed until the night Sophia discovered the book that changed everything.

She was sitting in her bed, looking at a calendar and counting the days since Mayor Monev had given her a ride in his limousine. She had almost made it through the entire school year and was now only a month away from her eighth birthday.

She looked at her clock: it was late and she should have been asleep already, but she suddenly felt thirsty. She put down the calendar and went to the kitchen to get a drink, and as she passed the hall, she saw a light on in Ferbert’s office. Curious, she tip-toed down the hallway and peered through the open door. Ferbert sat at his desk hunched over a book with his back to her.

It was a book she had never seen before. It was hand written and had a leather cover with tattered, worn corners. The pages were thick and crimped from water damage. It was old and beat up, but something about it seemed precious and valuable.

As she watched Ferbert read, she thought about all the afternoons she’d spent in her room instead of reading in the maple tree with him. She wished there was a way to get those afternoons back; she didn’t want to miss any more.

I should talk to him, Sophia thought. I should tell him about everything at school and how I want to go back to the way things were.

As she debated what to say and how to say it, Ferbert removed his reading glasses and sat up in his chair. Sophia watched in silence as he picked up the book, placed it in the bottom drawer of his desk, and locked the drawer with a key. He placed the key underneath the lamp on his desk, stood, and started turning to leave. Fearing she had seen something she was not meant to see, Sophia slid behind the door and waited there until her dad walked out of the room and turned off the light.

When Sophia was certain he had gone to bed, she tip-toed through the dark office, lifted the lamp, and picked up the key. She unlocked the bottom drawer with a soft click. The drawer made a faint rubbing noise as she pulled it open. Goosebumps raced up her arm as her fingertips touched the leather cover and pulled the book into the crook of her arm.

She closed the drawer, hurried back to her room, and hid under her covers with a small reading light, where she examined the book. She thought about how her dad kept it locked up. Who was he hiding it from? Why was he hiding it at all? Sophia felt a tinge of panic when she considered the possibility that it might contain awful secrets—secrets that might confirm all those horrible things Mayor Monev had told her.

Hesitantly, she pulled open the front cover with her thumb and hesitation transformed into confusion as she began reading.

Step One: Find the right tree. Not all Jumondo trees will share their sap. (Note: Finding the right tree is a matter of luck.)

Step Two: Climb to the first branch. (Note: Only the best climbers should attempt this.)

Step Three: Place the pointed end of the sap-tap against the trunk directly above the first branch. (Note: This is the only part of the tree weak enough to get a wooden sap-tap through the thick bark.)

Step Four: Hammer the sap-tap into the trunk by striking it five times. (Note: The first four must be gentle and the fifth must be as hard as you can.)

It was clear these were instructions for getting sap from Jumondo trees, but for what purpose? Sophia had read all about them but had never heard of anyone getting sap from the trees. She wondered if it meant anything at all as she continued to the next page, which began with a short message in different handwriting—Ferbert’s handwriting.

This book contains the most spectacular events of my life. These events are unbelievable but all true. Don’t read this unless you are capable of believing in the unbelievable.

Sophia paused before continuing to the next page. She had no idea if she was capable of believing the unbelievable. For a moment, she thought about closing the book and putting it back, but a small part of her seemed to be saying, “Keep reading.”

Taking a deep breath, she turned the page.