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rocked. “Wait a minute. That might work.” He chewed his lip in thought. “But not a secret
club
! A secret
society
! The Secret Chicken Society.”
    â€œWith passwords and secret handshakes and maybe a secret code,” said Kelsey, pleased.
    Daniel nodded. The Secret Chicken Society. Mission: To keep Peepers a secret. So nobody would find out that he was a rooster. So nobody could take him away.
    â€œWe have to take an oath. A secret oath. A double secret oath. A blood vow!” said Daniel.
    â€œWe can’t use blood anymore. Mom said,” Kelsey reminded him.
    â€œA spit promise, then.”
    â€œEww,” said Emmy. “I’m not doing blood or spit. That’s gross.”
    â€œOkay, okay,” said Daniel. “A pinkie swear.”
    â€œNo swearing,” said Kelsey. “Mom said.”
    Daniel sighed. It was hard to take a double secret oath without blood or spit or swearing. “Okay. A pinkie promise.”
    Kelsey nodded. She held out her hand and hooked pinkie fingers with Daniel. “Repeat after me,” said Daniel. “I solemnly swear . . .”
    â€œYou mean
promise
,” Kelsey said.
    Daniel started over. “I solemnly
promise
 . . .”
    â€œWait! Wait!” yelled Emmy from beneath the tree. “I want to be a secret chicken, too.”
    Daniel sighed again. He and Kelsey climbed down. Daniel and Kelsey hooked pinkies. Emmy slid her little finger on top of theirs.
    â€œRepeat after me,” Daniel began again. “I solemnly swear . . .”
    â€œPromise!”
said Kelsey and Emmy together.
    â€œI solemnly
promise
 . . .”
    â€œHey!” said Tyler. He came out the back door. His hair was rumpled. He bit into an apple. “What’cha doing? A pinkie swear?”
    â€œPinkie
promise
!” yelled Daniel, Kelsey, and Emmy.
    Daniel and Kelsey traded glances. “We’ll have to tell him. He’ll find out soon enough.”
    Daniel gave Tyler a stern look. “Okay, but you have to promise not to tell.”
    â€œTell what?”
    So Daniel explained, with help from Kelsey. About Peepers being a rooster. About Mr. Grafalo threatening to call the police. About the Secret Chicken Society, dedicated to keeping Peepers a secret.

    Tyler shook his head when they were done. “This will never work,” he said.
    â€œWell, you don’t have to be in the Secret Chicken Society if you don’t want to help,” said Daniel. “But you still can’t tell.”
    Tyler hooked his pinkie with Daniel’s and Kelsey’s. Emmy put hers on top again. They swore
(promised)
to keep Peepers a secret. But how?

Chapter 9
NOBODY HERE BUT US CHICKENS

    Over the next few days, the Secret Chicken Society tried to carry out its mission: Keep the rooster a secret. Daniel kept track of their attempts in the back of his egg journal.
    Attempt #1: Hide Peepers
.
    First, Daniel locked Peepers in the chicken coop. He put food and water inside. He hoped no one would notice Peepers wasn’t outside. But after breakfast, Dad came back from watering the garden. “Don’t we have five chickens?” he asked. “I only see four. Is one missing? Better find her, Daniel. We don’t want them loose in Mr. Grafalo’s garden again.”
    Luckily, Dad didn’t hear Peepers’ happy crow when Daniel let him out of the coop.
    Attempt
#
2: Keep Peepers Quiet
.
    Daniel woke up early the next morning.
Er-Er-Er!
Pale gray light shone through his curtains. He put on his glasses and peered at his alarm clock. It was only 4:30 A.M .! He groaned.
    Daniel slipped out of the house. The grass felt cool and damp under his bare feet. He opened the wire gate to the chicken run. The chickens were all asleep inside the Hen Hotel. Daniel could hear their soft clucks.
    Peepers crowed again. “Shhh!” hissed Daniel. He opened the door to the coop. He just wanted to tell