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    “Come see Rainbow,” Violet said in her soft voice. “She wants to go home.”
    “Go home! Go home!” the Aldens heard Grayfellow yell all the way from the store window in front.
    Mrs. Tweedy laughed. “That’s the first funny thing that’s happened all day. Every night I tell Grayfellow that I have to go home. That’s how he knows those words.”
    “Smart parrot,” Benny said. “Well, I don’t want to go home. I want to stay here and take care of animals.”
    “And so you shall,” said Mrs. Tweedy. “I’m so glad you children are here. I’ve been upset with Mr. Fowler about Rainbow and George. I suppose he was doing a good deed, but it breaks my heart to see these beautiful wild creatures cooped up.”
    George let Benny scratch his head through the cage. “It’s nicer in here than in the cold storage building, isn’t it, George?”
    Mrs. Tweedy looked alarmed. “What do you mean? Were these animals in the unheated building?”
    Henry nodded. “That’s where Mr. Fowler’s friend dropped them off last night. We had to come back because the orders got mixed up.”
    Mrs. Tweedy’s jaw dropped. “That’s not at all what Mr. Fowler told me. He said the animals were left in a cage in front of the store. A note said the owner couldn’t take care of George and Rainbow anymore.”
    Benny had something to add. “That happens at the animal shelter, too. People sometimes leave their pets if they get too big.”
    “Or too much trouble,” Violet said in a sad voice. “Maybe some people shouldn’t get pets.”
    Mrs. Tweedy was upset now. “Certainly not pets who belong in the wild. I’m going to speak to Mr. Fowler and get to the bottom of this.”

CHAPTER 7
Topsy-turvy
    The Aldens went about their chores that afternoon without talking much. They shredded newspapers for the hamster and guinea pig cages. Violet sprinkled pinches of food into the fish tanks. She didn’t mind when she had to spray water on the plants inside the lizard tank, even though the lizard was a little scary-looking.
    “There you go, Lizzy,” Violet said. “You can drink the drops of water from the plants now so you won’t be thirsty.”
    Lizzy, the lizard, stared at Violet as if she understood every word. Soon she was flicking her long tongue at the water drops dripping from the plants.
    As they worked, the children heard Mr. Fowler and Mrs. Tweedy arguing.
    “You led me to understand that Rainbow and George were abandoned, Mr. Fowler. I’ve now discovered that a friend of yours delivered them here,” Mrs. Tweedy said in a quiet, low voice.
    Mr. Fowler banged something down before he spoke. “Were those kids telling stories about me? They don’t know a thing. I had them out delivering orders, and they couldn’t even get that right. In all the excitement, I guess I forgot to say that my old friend Jack found the animals where he works at Bird Jungle, over in Tannersville.”
    Mrs. Tweedy interrupted. “Then how did they wind up in my shop?”
    Mr. Fowler didn’t answer right away. “Well … uh … Bird Jungle had no place for them, so Jack … uh, came here. He remembered that I knew all about wild animals from when I worked on a fishing boat out of South America. He couldn’t leave them out on the street. He knew this was a good place.”

    “The rain forest was a better place,” Mrs. Tweedy said in a sad voice. “Now do you understand why I don’t sell animals like George and Rainbow? If no one would sell them, no one could buy these beautiful creatures. They wouldn’t be taken from their homes. Now, when did you say the Tropical Animal Society will be coming for them?”
    Mr. Fowler cleared his throat. “Um … this weekend. But before they do, why not consider selling animals and birds like that to your customers? Look how many people asked about buying them today.”
    Henry peeked over the shelves. Mrs. Tweedy’s blue eyes were as dark as slate. “I have told you before, and this is the last time I