had a red and black tongue that it kept poking in and out of its mouth. I decided to take me a snake home too, to keep for a pet. After a couple of hours we hiked back home, and I told Butch that I'd be over with his share of the money as soon as I collected from Alice. I stopped in the garage before I went in the house and put my snake in another bottle and left it out there. Alice was in her bedroom studying. "I got you one," I said. She looked at the pickle jar I was holding out to her. She didn't smile. Finally she took the jar by two fingers, just like she was afraid the snake was going to bite her through the bottle. All she said was, "Ick." She carefully set the jar on her dresser. Through the glass I could see the snake moving around as its red and black tongue poked in and out of its mouth. I held out my hand and said, "Money." Alice smiled and went over and got her purse out of her dresser. She came back and put something in my hand. It was only fifty. cents. She sure can be sneaky when she wants to be "Where's the rest?" I said as my heart started to pound. I was getting mad. "That little snake is only worth fifty cents, and that is all I am paying," she said. "Then I'm taking it back," I yelled as I started walking over to her dresser. She put one hand on my head to hold me back as she said, "Oh no you're not." She is still bigger than me and since Mom and Dad were gone for the day, and I knew there wouldn't be anyone to stick up for me, I decided there wouldn't be much sense in fighting. I gave up and started out the door. "You don't look like Lassie, Alice," I turned and said loudly, 'You look more like Trigger." An hour later I was over at Butch's house sitting on the front lawn. Alice had gone to play tennis, but she had locked the snake in her room before she left. 8 I didn't want the stupid snake though. I wanted my other fifty cents. I'd heard her talking on the phone to some boy before she left and I knew had a date for dinner at six o'clock Butch and I just sat there because we were too tired to play ball after chasing around in the foothills all day. We were sure mad because we had planned on going to the show and now we didn't have enough money. "Here's your quarter anyway." I said as I handed it to him. Butch had on a red shirt that was pretty dirty and a pair of levis with holes in them. We have to be clean all week so on Saturday we see who can get the dirtiest. Butch took the money and we both sat there not saying anything for a while. I got madder and madder every time I thought about the nasty trick Alice pulled on us. And then I got the idea. I said to Butch, "Come on over about six and I'll have the other fifty cents. Then we can go to the show." I picked up a handful of grass and threw it in the air. Butch looked at me kind of funny and said, "How are going to get it from that stinky sister of yours?" "Just come on over about six and I'll have it. She doesn't know it yet but she's going to give the rest of that money to me," I said as I stood up. I went in the garage as soon as I got home and got the other snake. Then I went in the house. I took the bottle in the bathroom and ran some cold water in the bath tub. I took the snake out of the bottle and put it in the tub. It started swimming around and rubbing its body along the side of the tub. I walked out of the bathroom and got a stack of comic books from my bedroom. It was five thirty. I knew Alice would be coming in any minute from playing tennis. I knew that she would be hot and sweaty and would want to take a bath. The rest of the plan would take care of itself. 9