The Device
"Maybe later," Perry said, much to the dismay of his uncle, who listened with much mortification.
Not that interested in his uncle's pet, Perry convinced his friend to leave the room to watch some television with him.
Meanwhile, poor Mr. Pensky tried to pull his way to the top of the squirming mass of grubs into which he had fallen, using the bump-like protuberances that were not quite limbs on the sides of his transformed body to help with his progress. Reaching the top of the jar, resting on the wiggling mass of grubs beneath him, changed nothing. The lid screwed onto the jar served as an impossible barrier.
At this point, he clung to the hope Tommy would return, sooner rather than later. The transformed scientist wondered, "Where is he anyway?"
CLICK!
The door to the room opened and Perry's friend, Seth, slid inside and carefully pulled the door closed behind him, careful not to make a sound. His friend's bathroom break had given the boy the opportunity to sneak back to the room with the pet frog that fascinated him.
Inside the jar, Mr. Pensky felt the tremors as the boy walked across the floor and visited with the frog.
"You still hungry, buddy?" Seth inquired as he tapped on the front pane of the frog's tank. "Want another juicy grub?"
"No!" Mr. Pensky panicked.
The boy turned and walked toward the jar of grubs. "No! No! Stay away..."
The boy removed the lid and reached into the crowded jar.
"No! Please! No!"
As the boy plucked the closest available grub between fingertips, Mr. Pensky lamented his misguided earlier effort that had put him in such easy reach.
He felt like he might pop in the tight pinch between the boy's fingers as he was carried toward the tank.
"Stop!" Mr. Pensky wriggled his tiny grub form. "Please don't!"
The boy unlatched the lid over the tank and dropped his hand inside the cage.
Mr. Pensky's odd eyes saw the waiting frog seated on a patch of green moss. "No!"
The boy released the grub, which dropped onto the carpet of spongy moss, bounced once, and rolled to rest near a large decorative rock.
"No!" Mr. Pensky realized the kid had dropped him inside the tank... with the frog! "I've got to get out! Get me out!"
The lid closed with a slam and Seth lowered his face to watch.
Mr. Pensky knew exactly what to expect. Conditioned to expect food every time the lid lifted, the frog's sticky tongue left its open mouth swiftly and whipped the grub into its mouth.
"Seth?" Perry asked, opening the door to the room and finding his friend there. "What are you doing?"
"I just wanted to give the frog one more snack."
Perry frowned, but realized what was done was done. "I guess there's no harm in it."
The frog's throat bulged slightly.
Not that interested in his uncle's pet, Perry convinced his friend to leave the room to watch some television with him.
Meanwhile, poor Mr. Pensky tried to pull his way to the top of the squirming mass of grubs into which he had fallen, using the bump-like protuberances that were not quite limbs on the sides of his transformed body to help with his progress. Reaching the top of the jar, resting on the wiggling mass of grubs beneath him, changed nothing. The lid screwed onto the jar served as an impossible barrier.
At this point, he clung to the hope Tommy would return, sooner rather than later. The transformed scientist wondered, "Where is he anyway?"
CLICK!
The door to the room opened and Perry's friend, Seth, slid inside and carefully pulled the door closed behind him, careful not to make a sound. His friend's bathroom break had given the boy the opportunity to sneak back to the room with the pet frog that fascinated him.
Inside the jar, Mr. Pensky felt the tremors as the boy walked across the floor and visited with the frog.
"You still hungry, buddy?" Seth inquired as he tapped on the front pane of the frog's tank. "Want another juicy grub?"
"No!" Mr. Pensky panicked.
The boy turned and walked toward the jar of grubs. "No! No! Stay away..."
The boy removed the lid and reached into the crowded jar.
"No! Please! No!"
As the boy plucked the closest available grub between fingertips, Mr. Pensky lamented his misguided earlier effort that had put him in such easy reach.
He felt like he might pop in the tight pinch between the boy's fingers as he was carried toward the tank.
"Stop!" Mr. Pensky wriggled his tiny grub form. "Please don't!"
The boy unlatched the lid over the tank and dropped his hand inside the cage.
Mr. Pensky's odd eyes saw the waiting frog seated on a patch of green moss. "No!"
The boy released the grub, which dropped onto the carpet of spongy moss, bounced once, and rolled to rest near a large decorative rock.
"No!" Mr. Pensky realized the kid had dropped him inside the tank... with the frog! "I've got to get out! Get me out!"
The lid closed with a slam and Seth lowered his face to watch.
Mr. Pensky knew exactly what to expect. Conditioned to expect food every time the lid lifted, the frog's sticky tongue left its open mouth swiftly and whipped the grub into its mouth.
"Seth?" Perry asked, opening the door to the room and finding his friend there. "What are you doing?"
"I just wanted to give the frog one more snack."
Perry frowned, but realized what was done was done. "I guess there's no harm in it."
The frog's throat bulged slightly.
