Readers, get ready to meet your spunky new heroine: Fifth-grader Gertie Reece Foy.
But Gerties rival, new girl Mary Sue Spivey, wont make this plan easy.
Gertie stuck her head and shoulders in the culvert and grabbed the frog.
His fat legs dangled over her fingers.
She ran into the house and pushed the kitchen door open with her back.
Whats going on in there?
Aunt Rae yelled from the living room.
Gertie whipped out the turkey baster.
Then she squeezed the blue bulb at the other end, forcing oxygen into his lungs.
Gertie lunged sideways and cupped her hands over him.
There, there, she said.
Or maybe they quivered with rage.
It was hard to tell.
Oof, said Aunt Rae.
She blinked at the frog in Gerties hands.
What in the Sam Hill are you doing?
Gertie held the frog closer.
Resuscitated,said Gertie.
It means I brought him back to life.
Aunt Rae swayed her weight from foot to foot.
Whydyou resuscitate a ugly old bullfrog?
Thats what I dont know.
She spent a lot of time explaining things that should have been obvious to people.
I did it so he could become a miracle of science, she said.
Aunt Rae wrinkled her nose at the frog.
Looks more like a monstrosity of science to me.
Aunt Rae, thats even better!
Why would Aunt Rae began.
I dont have time to explain every little detail!
All right, all right.
Aunt Rae patted down her skirt.
But I want you to use bleach on my counter when youre done, you hear me?
The Zapper-2000, a bug zapper big enough to fry baby dragons, hung from the rafters.
Phase One of the mission was off to a good start.
Her father liked to say that she was a bulldog with its jaws locked on a car tire.
Gertie was thinking about having that printed on business cards she could hand out to people.
As she worked, the cicadas and crickets started sawing their night song.
Gertie stood and watched the sun set on the last day of summer vacation.
With these tasty mosquitoes, the bullfrog was sure to be fat and croaky tomorrow.
She curled her toes over the edge of the porch boards.
And that was just Phase One.
