Over the Hedge Beginnings: Hammy

by starwars4life

This story tells the origins of everyone's favorite squirrel! It will reveal Hammy's family, how he gained his super speed, how he became so crazy, how he met Verne, and many other surprises! Plot exposition: Hammy and his family live a normal life, until something happens that does not make their lives normal anymore, both for better and for worse.

4. A Blessing and A Curse

Chapter 4: A Blessing and A Curse

Scurry here. Scurry there. Pick up nuts, bring them to the forage pile, go out to get some more. Repeat.

Those were the simple steps Hammy recited in his mind as he zoomed from one place to another to gather foodstuffs. A task made all the simpler with his incredible speed. It was hard to describe in words—indeed Hammy was no longer capable of providing a proper explanation anymore—but he sure could feel it. His mind and body were always excited ever since he woke up from his electrocution.

Note: Because the movie established that none of the animals except RJ had ever so much as encountered humans or any human-made things prior to waking up in the spring RJ came to them (as evidenced by Verne when he called humans "pink primates" and had no idea what a hedge was), and I want to make sense of this in a way readers will understand using human-made things such as music, the following is my explanation, not Hammy's or the story's narrative. But it'll be obvious when the story's narration resumes.

It was like whenever you heard music or saw or did something that was so fantastic, and so captivating, that it knocks something loose inside you and you just have to jump and yell in jubilation for no reason except that you are in a hypnotic and euphoric state of pure bliss. Such moments usually last for—well, moments. But for Hammy, it was like that all the time now.

Even when he had to be still, he was moving in some form or another; shaking in place, moving his paws and arms, switching his attention (always accompanied with a turn of the head) from one thing to another. And whenever he woke up in the morning he was so excited that he simply wanted to run for the hills or take on the world, the latter in a manner of speaking. Since the former was more suitable for foraging, Hammy makes sure to make his family proud with his new ability. Hammy goes about his day foraging, not knowing that he is being watched closely by mischievous eyes.

Having brought back another load of nuts to his family's pile, Hammy is about to go out again, but his mom stops him.

Halle: "Wait, Hammy. You've done enough for the day."

Hammy: "I'm not tired, mom. I wanna keep foraging."

Halle: "I know you do, but you don't need to do all of the work. Me, your dad, Tammie, and Sammy have to help out too."

Hammy: "Can I help all of you out?"

Sammy: "Yeah, Hammy!"

Barry: "No, Sammy. You need to do your share of hard work."

Sammy: "But why, daddy? You let him help us all those other times when he finished his part of the foraging."

Barry: "That was before we were the Alphas. We need to make a few changes in how we operate our foraging now. How I see it, a true Alpha leads by example. And because none of the other families have anyone with a talent like Hammy's, it wouldn't be fair for them if the four of us relaxed and did nothing while Hammy did most of the work.

As Barry continues to talk, Hammy smiles at his dad's use of the word "talent." It makes him feel like his speed wasn't something abnormal, but something natural.

Barry (to Sammy and Tammie): "How would you feel if your mom and I had you two forage everything today without our help?"

Tammie: "That's not fair."

Sammy: "We wouldn't be able to get enough on our own."

Halle: "You see, that's what the other families would feel like if each of us didn't work hard as them."

Sammy: I get it now, mommy."

Tammie: "Me too."

Barry: "And you, Hammy?"

Hammy: "Huh?"

Barry: "Were you listening just now?"

Hammy: "Listening to what?"

Barry sighs at his son's new short attention span. He's about to respond but Hammy beats him to it.

Hammy: Oh! Did you say I can help you, mom, Tammie, and other me?"

Sammy: "My name is Sammy, Hammy."

Hammy: "Ohhh, Sammy-Hammy. Gotcha."

Sammy (a little annoyed): "No, it's just Sammy."

Hammy: "Why did you change your name, Just-Sammy? What's wrong with Sammy-Hammy?"

Sammy (very annoyed): "No, it's Sammy. SAMMY."

Halle: "Now, now. You don't have to yell. You are twins after all, so he's gonna get confused. But he'll get it right eventually, you just need to be patient. And you know your brother isn't doing it to annoy you."

Sammy (sighs in realization of his harshness): "I know…" (To Hammy) "I'm sorry, Hammy."

Sammy quickly realizes that Hammy is too busy rolling around in the grass shouting, "Wheeee! I'm orbiting the earth!"

Several squirrels look at Hammy and laugh at how ridiculous he's being. This makes Barry feel a little embarrassed knowing that, as the Alpha, he should make his children behave responsibly. But such thoughts leave his mind as fast as they entered when he remembers how the community stood up for him when Taylor was trying to frame Hammy for intentionally stealing last week. They surely wouldn't be as scrutinizing as Taylor.

Barry: "Ok, Hammy enough horsing around."

Hammy: "Ok!" (Immediately stops spinning) "Oh! Did you say I can help forage?"

Barry: "You cannot Hammy. I know you want to, but we have to do our share of work too in order to set a good example for the community. Understand?"

Hammy: "I…Ummmmm…"

Halle: "Here's what you can do: Take all the nuts you gathered to our food storage area. And when you're finished you can 'orbit the earth' all you want in our house."

Hammy (talking fast without pausing between words): "Ok. Thanks mom. Bye!" (Zooms off)

Barry: "If he does that 'orbiting' too fast in the house he'll mess up the beds."

Note: Beds for squirrels are leaf piles.

Halle: "True. But with his speed he'll be able to make the beds back to normal in no time."

Barry nods in agreement at how wherever there were downsides with Hammy's new speed, there were always benefits.

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Note: The following segment is based on the Over the Hedge comic strip dated February 4-8, 2014

As Hammy zooms back home, something on the ground catches his attention and causes him to stop. It's a dark figure in the shape of a squirrel in front of him. Oddly, the dark squirrel is as flat as the ground Hammy is on.

Hammy: "Hello! I'm Hammy. Who're you?"

The dark shape doesn't respond, and when the clouds in the sky move (unbeknownst to Hammy who is too fixated on the shape) the dark squirrel disappears.

Hammy: "No…Don't go! Was it something I said?"

The dark squirrel on the ground reappears a few seconds later when the clouds move out of the sun's path; again unnoticed by Hammy.

Hammy: "There you are. What's your name?"

The dark squirrel again remains silent and then Hammy notices something odd.

Hammy: "Hey, I can't see your face. Why so shy? Do you need a hug? C'mon, give me a hug!" When he reaches out to hug the dark squirrel, the latter moves. Hammy changes directions immediately, but so does the dark squirrel.

Hammy: "Hey wait! It's just a hug, come back! Come baaaaack!"

Once Hammy gets tired of chasing the dark squirrel, he thinks of a new plan. It didn't matter if the dark squirrel wanted a hug or not, in Hammy's opinion there is nothing that can't be solved by a hug. All he needs is something to grab the dark squirrel. He zooms throughout the community's outskirts and comes across something that should do the trick.

On his return trip, he passes by his family who wonders what he's doing out here and not at the house. Barry and Halle get Jack's family to look after Tammie and Sammy while he and his mate go to see if there's something amiss with Hammy.

The same figure who had been watching Hammy earlier also follows the two, but keeps a good distance behind.

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When Halle and Barry catch up to Hammy they—along with other squirrels who are curious—find him sneaking while holding a net behind his back as if to keep it hidden. Barry thinks the net must have come from a human who dropped it or tossed it away, but quickly figures out that how Hammy got the net is of little concern compared to what he intends to do with it.

Barry: "Hammy, what are you doing?"

Hammy (whispering): "Shhh. It's the squirrel in black…He's shy and needs a hug. I'm sneaking up on him."

Before either of his parents can tell Hammy what the squirrel in black really is, he swings the net.

Hammy: "Got him!"

But nothing is in the net when he checks. Worse, he looks at the dark squirrels and sees it with a net.

Hammy (while running in fear) "Look out! He's got his own net! He's trying to catch ME!"

One of the squirrel onlookers remarks, "I was going to recount our nut harvest, but this is way more fun!" Others seem to agree and stop foraging to watch the show.

Hammy's parents give chase while calling out to their son to stop, but he doesn't slow down for a second. After a few minutes of running throughout the community screaming his head off, Hammy finally notices his parents and zooms toward them. Halle opens her mouth to tell Hammy to slow down, but Barry touches her arm and the two look at each other in the eyes. The conversation was unspoken but clear. They brace themselves.

Hammy slams into them moments later and makes them fall on the ground despite their preparation.

Halle: Hammy it's ok. It's all over."

Hammy (panicking): "No it's not. It's still chasing me! Help me, mom and dad!"

Barry: "Of course it's chasing you, Hammy, it's your shadow."

Hammy's fear immediately vanishes, replaced by confusion.

Hammy: My what?"

Barry: "Shadow…Where light from the sun can't reach to the ground because it's blocked by your body."

Hammy: "I'm blocking the sun? But it's way up in the sky."

Halle: "Think of the sunlight as giving the ground a hug Hammy."

Hammy: "Ohhhhh." (To the sun) "I'm sorry, sun! I didn't mean to get in your way, especially if you were trying to hug the ground. I'll move."

But as Hammy tries to make way for the sun, his shadow is still on the ground, blocking the light from a hug.

Hammy: "Oh, sorry again. I'll move some more."

Hammy moves again and the same result occurred.

Hammy: "Don't worry I'll try harder. I won't ruin your chance to hug the ground."

But with all the clouds in the sky gone, Hammy doesn't realize the task he set himself to do will be impossible.

Knowing this, Halle groans and then says "What have I done?"

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Hammy ends up taking the whole day running from place to place in an effort to get his shadow to move out of the sun's path, all in vain.

Hammy: "Darn shadow! First you wouldn't let me hug you, then you tried to trap me in a net, and now you're preventing the sun from hugging the ground. You're a big meanie! You're not welcome here anymore. Go! Shoo! Leave! Away! Be gone with you!"

Hammy's shadow refuses to obey, making Hammy show a side of himself that no one—his family or the community of squirrels—would ever think they would see in a lifetime: Rage.

Hammy (yelling): "If you don't move away I'll…I'll—!"

Suddenly a realization dawns on him.

Hammy (to his parents): "Wait. If my shadow comes out only when the sun is in the sky, what happens at night?"

As if Mother Nature herself could hear Hammy's question, the sun goes down and night falls, leaving everything black.

Hammy (screaming in fear): "Ahhhhhh! Reinforcements!"

Hammy zooms up into his house in the blink of an eye. Halle and Barry sigh, while the rest of the community—mostly teens and young kids, but a few adults as well—collectively cracks up in laughter. There was never a moment in their lives than this when Barry's family wishes they could turn invisible.

The mysterious onlooker starts to wonder if he even needs to fulfill his mission when it could probably be done for him by Hammy's behavior. Still, he made a promise and intends to keep it.

Mikey Taylor cannot let his parents down.

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The next morning no one in Barry's household wanted to go outside after Hammy's "shadow fiasco" because they would be the laughing stock of the community.

Barry: "But we have to. We're the new Alphas, and it wouldn't be right if we weren't out there collecting food with everyone else. Besides, as the Alpha if I say that everyone has to forget about yesterday then they have to obey."

Internally, however, Barry does not relish the idea of forcing the community to do something against their will. He had told his family on the night after they became the Alphas that they would avoid all the mistakes Taylor and his family made during their tyrannical rein.

Sammy: "My friends and bullies won't let something like yesterday slide. They'll be on me, Tammie, and Hammy like green on grass."

Halle: "If they are, remember what we've taught you three: Try to play along with them if they pick on you. Laugh with them and be in such a good mood no matter what they say that they'll lose interest in making fun of you."

Barry: "And if they still get to you, remember to tell them that your dad's the new Alpha now."

Sammy: It'll be just like when Hammy would say he'd tell on me whenever I picked on him."

Hammy: "I was a tattletale?"

Sammy: "Sure were, but that was before you got super speed, little brother. But I think you're better now than you were then."

Tammie: "I kinda miss your smarts, Hammy. But I like how you're more playful and fun now."

Though he has little memory of what he was like before, the comments of his siblings gives Hammy the confidence that his impact on his family after his electrocution makes them like him more.

Barry: "So let's go have a productive day with nothing but smiles. Cause what are we?"

Sammy, Hammy, and Tammie: "Foragers! Bum ba-dum ba-ba-ba bum!"

With the mood lightened, the family heads out.

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As Barry and his family go to their usual foraging spot, they of course encounter other squirrels who chuckle as they pass, but it's only the kids this time, and the parents' requests to refocus on harvesting is enough to diffuse the situations. Moreover, the community can't help but be amazed at how fast Barry's family collects nuts now. Some families even become distracted with watching the amount of forage and the speed it takes to accumulate it.

But one family is not distracted and keeps their attention on foraging as fast as they can in hopes that somehow they could collect enough nuts to be the Alphas again. But the Taylors would have a better chance dodging rain out in the open ground during the middle of a typhoon, because Hammy's speed coupled with his family's high morale were unstoppable. The Taylor's last hope rested with their son whose observation of the Barry family was like that of a vulture: patient and ruthless. Though Taylor and Alexandria would have preferred for their son to have taken action sooner, the plan he had told them about was ingenious. All that was needed was for lunchtime to arrive.

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After Barry told the community that it was time for a lunch break, Sammy and Hammy go see their friends Nim, Wu, David, and Skylar who they haven't spoken to since Hammy's electrocution. Sammy wants to speak first, but isn't too surprised when his brother addresses them before he can.

Hammy (talking fast without pausing between words): "Hi guys! How have you been? I've been doing great since my electrocution. In fact, I think I'm better than ever after it, even though I can't remember what I was like before. But that doesn't matter because my speed will make playing with you guys even more fun! How about we play tag. No, hide and seek. No, leapfrog. No—"

Nim, Wu, David, Skylar, and Sammy in unison: "Hammy, talk slower!"

Hammy: "Oh, sorry."

Skylar (grinning): "Hey Hammy, you're shadow is behind you."

Hammy (gasps and speaks in fear): "Really?! Then that means—"

Sammy: "What Hammy's trying to say is that he and his shadow made up yesterday. They're friends now."

As the others say "Oh" in realization, Hammy whispers to Sammy, "I am?"

Sammy uses his elbow to nudge Hammy in the arm, causing Hammy to quickly reply, "I sure am. He's a good shadow once you get to know him. How about I introduce you to him?" (Turns to look at his shadow) "Eh-hem:Shadow-Hammy, meet my friends Nim, Wu, David and Skylar."

The latter four start chuckling (which causes Sammy to roll his eyes at how his efforts to end the issue only made it worse), until they see something eerie. They could swear on their entire families' nut supplies that Hammy's shadow waves "Hello" to them—all while Hammy's arms are at rest by his sides.

Hammy notices the look of bewildered horror on their faces, but speaks in a tone that indicates he has no knowledge of what the others had seen.

Hammy: "What's wrong guys? Don't worry, I know he looks kinda creepy and he doesn't like to be hugged, but that doesn't mean he's a bad squirrel." (Talking fast without pausing between words): "Aha, I know a game we can play! We can make shadow puppets! But instead of using our paws we'll use our whole shadows! It'll be fun! Like charades, but with our shadows! Maybe we can combine our shadows in funny ways! How about we make an alligator with our shadows? Wha'd'you guys say, huh? Huh?!"

Hammy's and Sammy's friends are still too fazed by the autonomous shadow to care about comprehending what Hammy's motor mouth just said. They speak like it too.

David: "Uhhhh. Sure thing, Hammy."

Wu: "S-sounds fun."

Skylar: "Who wants to go first?"

Nim: "I guess I will."

The boys proceed to start the shadow-charades game, hoping that what they saw was all their imaginations.

Note: Hammy's self-aware shadow was just a cartoony gag. But I gotcha, didn't I? (LOL)

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Elsewhere in the community, Tammie is socializing with her friends as well.

Samantha (a five year old ground squirrel): "Your brother is so fast now, Tammie."

Tammie: "I know. He makes foraging look like it's easy."

Patricia (a five year old American red squirrel): "I wonder if I could get super speed the same way he did."

Amanda (a six year old chipmunk): "Don't be silly. He almost died and he's 10. You're half his age and three times smaller."

Tammie: "I think the smart-Hammy did die, but the new-Hammy is more fun."

Isabel (a six year old flying squirrel): "He's also funny. Remember what he did yesterday with his shadow?"

All of the girls except Tammie giggle. Eager to change the subject Tammie says, "How about we play red-rover?"

Amanda: "No let's play duck-duck goose."

Samantha: "Yeah!"

Tammie: "That'll be more fun!"

Amanda: "I'll be the first goose."

Glad that the topic was changed, the girls have a fun time playing their game. After 10 minutes, Tammie is tagged but then her stomach starts growling.

Tammie: "Hey guys, I'm getting hungry. I think I'll go eat now."

Patricia (giving a sly and sneering look): "You just don't wanna be goose, do ya?"

Tammie: "I will be goose. I'm just gonna eat one big walnut and be right back."

Isabel: "Don't take too long."

Tammie: "I won't."

Once she arrives at her food pile she picks a large walnut and gets ready to eat it. Suddenly someone calls out to her.

Feminine voice: "Hey Tammie, I heard your brother is too dumb to know what his own shadow is."

Tammie puts the walnut down and turns to see that the 14 year old flying squirrel is none other than a bully of hers named Margaret. The teen had a knack for teasing girl squirrels who couldn't fly like she could, but now she has decided that a new prey is ripe for the picking. But like a good little sister, Tammie doesn't let the insult slide and defends her brother's name.

Tammie: "He isn't dumb. He just has to re-learn everything."

Margaret: "I bet he" (mimicking Tammi'es voice before switching back to her natural voice) " 're-learned' about his shadow from you. That would explain why he was chasing it like an idiot."

Tammie: "I'm just trying to eat lunch. Go bug someone else, Margaret." (In pride) "If you don't I'll tell my dad, and he's the new Alpha. He'll punish you."

Margaret: "Fine."

Tammie can't help but feel that it's odd how the older squirrel left so easily. Tammie picks up the walnut again and is about to eat it when Margret calls out, "You know I'm right about your brother. He was smart before the accident, but now he's not."

Tammie shakes her head in distraught and eats the walnut as thoughts swirl in her mind. She can't deny that Margaret was correct that Hammy was a lot smarter before the electrocution, but she's wrong about him being dumb after it. Besides, like Amanda had said before, Hammy almost died. Tammie then smiles as she continues to eat the walnut that has a rather strange taste.

Tammie thinking: "I bet Margaret couldn't survive what my big brother went through. And he not only survive the power line, but became better. He's great at foraging and he's not as shy. He does what daddy tells all of us to do: Let our actions speak louder than our words."

By now Tammie has finished her walnut and runs back to her friends.

Samantha: "What took you so long?"

Tammie: "Margaret teased me, but I told her to go and she did."

Amanda: "She actually listened to you?"

Tammie: "I know...It's kind of weird. But let's keep playing duck-duck goose now!"

The other girls let out an excited "Yeah!" and get in a circle. Tammie doesn't waste time to start running around and tapping her friends lightly on the head while saying "Duck." After making one full circle she starts to feel a little woozy, but shakes it off and continues to be the goose. Soon, her stomach starts to hurt, so she tags the nearest girl—Patricia—intending to outrun her to the spot she was sitting in and sit down. But Patricia tags Tammie again who is feeling so nauseous that she falls on the ground instead of coming to a stop.

Patricia: "You're too slow, Tammie! You're goose again."

When Tammie doesn't get up Patricia thinks she is playing around and states "C'mon, I didn't tag ya that hard."

Tammie weakly rolls onto her back, coughing while doing so and then rasps "I have a really bad tummy ache. Get my mommy or daddy!"

The other girls realize she isn't kidding once they see the five year old shaking in convulsions and her face loses its normally bright color as it becomes pale. They then run to their parents and tell them what's going on, their parents tell other parents to help spread the word through the community faster, and soon the word is out like wildfire.

From a tree branch overlooking the spot where the girls had been playing, Margaret looks on with a smile.

Margaret: "Am I good at distracting others or what?"

Mikey (climbs down from higher up): "You sure are, babe. You gave me just the right amount of time to switch out walnuts before Tammie ate it. Time for phase two."

Mikey nods and Margaret glides to the ground, her tail swishing the on top of the head of another one of Mikey's friends who springs into action.

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Having finished their shadow games, Hammy and Sammy are on their way back to forage some more when Samantha comes running to them.

Sammy: "Hey, Samantha. I thought you'd be playing with our little sister."

Samantha: "You need to *pant* head home. You're *pant* sister got sick."

Hammy: "Tammie's sick?!"

Sammy: "Let's go, Hammy!"

Hammy: "Right!"

Hammy zooms off, leaving Sammy in the dust…literally. But as Hammy is nearing his home someone shouts, "Hey! Watch out!"

Hammy sees a teenage squirrel trying to carry nuts appear in his path. Hammy veers to left—only to be running toward a tree. He turns left even more and is unable to stop himself from falling into a pile of dirt which covers his normally red coat of fur dusty-brown. The impact also drove his wind out, and when he can breathe again he inhales some of the dirt too. He quickly coughs it out, gets to his feet, grimaces briefly, and says "I hate dirt. It tastes like dirt," and then heads home.

Mikey Taylor gives a thumbs-up to his friend who deliberately got in Hammy's path.

It was time for phase three.

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Once Sammy arrived, Halle tells her two sons the answer to their first question before they can even ask it.

Halle: "Don't worry boys, your little sister is going to be fine. She just has a bad stomach ache from eating a rotten walnut."

Hammy: "Why would she eat it if it was rotten?"

Tammie (weakly): "B-be-cause…"

Barry (stroking his daughter's head gently): "Save your strength. I'll tell them what you told me." (To his sons) "She said she swore to have picked up a fresh one, but after being distracted she didn't double check to make sure she got the same walnut."

Sammy: "I don't remember us ever picking up a rotten walnut…Or any rotten forage."

Hammy: "Yeah."

Barry: "We'll worry about that later, right now we need to take care of Tammie. Sammy: you and me will go find some feverfew and Echinacea flowers to make her better."

Halle: "I'll stay here to keep an eye on her."

Hammy: "And me?"

Halle: "You need to go take a bath to wash off that dirt. It could give Tammie allergies."

Hammy: "B-bath? But you've always bathed me since ever since my electrocution. I can't do it on my own."

Halle: "I know you can, Hammy. Just go to the pond and rub lots of water through your whole body. I think you'll find it fun once you get started."

Hammy: "I-I-I-I…I don't k-know."

Halle: "Do it for Tammie."

All it takes is one look at his sick little sister and all doubts immediately vanish from Hammy's mind. He nods his head while grinning and gets ready to—

Halle: "Walk out of here. If you run the dirt will get all over the place."

Hammy blushes in embarrassment—but doesn't lose his grin—and walks out slowly.

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Having overheard the family's conversation from a vacant bird nest in the tree above Barry's family, Mikey Taylor climbs down unnoticed after the family members go their separate ways..

Mikey thinking: "So, Hammy's gonna be all alone while his parents and siblings are not around. How does that old saying go? 'When the cat's away, the mice will play.' Well, I may not be a mouse, but it sure is time to play."

This was going to be fun. But Mikey didn't want to be the only one to enjoy some quality entertainment.

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Note: The following segment is based on an old Russian cartoon titled "The Little Raccoon."

As Hammy nears the pond, one of Mikey's bully pals named Ike (a teenage ground squirrel) appears in Hammy's path. He's just chilling out and then sees Hammy coming toward him.

Ike (In an almost musically happy tone): "What cha do-in', Hammy-Whammy?"

Hammy, being none the wiser about the tone of the other squirrel's voice, replies immediately.

Hammy: "Mom and dad said I should give myself a bath. So I'm heading to the pond."

Ike (concerned voice): "The pond? Aren't you afraid of Him?"

Hammy: "Who?"

Ike (as if he was telling the title of a ghost story): "The One Who Lives in the Pond."

Hammy: "You mean a fish? I'm not afraid of a fish."

As Hammy walks away he swears that he heard Ike mumbling "Sure…a fish…", but keeps walking. Only now more determined than ever to prove he can take care of himself.

When he gets to the pond, however, he hesitates. The way Ike had said his statement starts to sink into his head, and in places that aren't very pleasant. He approaches more cautiously and goes behind a tree. Then, Hammy notices movement in the water.

Hammy (raising his voice): "Who's there? Come out."

After nothing happens for a few seconds Hammy asks a different question to the thing he had seen.

Hammy: "Are you scared?" (Nothing happens) "I guess you are."

As Hammy approaches the bank of the pond, he sees something in the water. It has dusty-brown fur (but he can see patches of red fur in certain spots), a bushy tail, green eyes, buckteeth, and…Suddenly Hammy realizes it's another red squirrel who looks EXACTLY like him! To test it out, Hammy waves his arms slowly…and the squirrel in the water does the exact same thing. He then stands on one leg…only for the water squirrel to do the same again.

Hammy (shaking his fist at the squirrel in the water): "Stop being a copy cat!"

Hammy freezes in horror when the squirrel in the water shakes his fist up at Hammy as well, as if insulted by the act.

Hammy: "Wh-what do you want?"

When no reply happened, Hammy looks at the squirrel in the water angrily and growls in an attempt to scare him…But the one in the water gives Hammy the same angry look!

Frightened, Hammy runs away, calling out "Mom! Moooooom!" But before he can get very far, he sees Ike in his path and slows down.

Ike: "You got scared, didn't ya?"

Hammy (shaking): "Anyone would get scared there. I've never seen a squirrel as mean as the one in that pond…What am I gonna do?"

Ike: "Hold on a second."

Ike climbs a tree and snaps off a large stick from a branch. When he gets back on the ground he says, "Take this and hit The One Who Lives in the Pond like so." (Hits the ground hard using the stick). "Got it?"

Hammy (smiles while getting the stick from Ike): "I sure do!"

As Hammy walks back he has an aggressive yet confident look on his face. He'd show The One Who Lives in the Pond not to mess with him. When he gets back to the pond and looks at the squirrel in the water, Hammy addresses him in the most threatening way he is capable of.

Hammy: "Hey you! Get out of here now, or I'm gonna bop you so hard that—!"

Once Hammy's head processes what he's seeing, he immediately drops the stick in the pond and runs away screaming in terror. He sees Ike in the same spot who asks "How'd it go?"

Hammy doesn't even stop, he zooms right past Ike.

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When Hammy is no longer in eye distance, Ike bursts out laughing as his friends come out of their hiding places in the bushes or from the path toward the pond.

Josh (a chipmunk): "You should'a seen his face when he saw—Heh-heh—'The One Who Lives in the Pond! Ha ha haaaa!"

Roy (a gray squirrel): "He's so gullible!"

Mikey: "Can't even tell it was his own reflection. He's such a moron!"

Gary (a flying squirrel): "You think he'll come back?"

Kevin (an American red squirrel): "Even if he doesn't, we've had our share of laughs for the week! First his shadow and now his own reflection!"

The troublemakers continue to laugh at the mischief they've caused, wishing there was some kind of device they could record things and replay them to watch or show others later.

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As soon as Hammy walks into his home Halle asks, "So you're all clean now?"

Hammy: "I'm never going back to the pond again! The One Who Lives in the Pond! He looks just like me, and has a stick just as big as mine, and made the meanest looking faces I've ever seen!"

Halle quickly figures out Hammy's dilemma.

Halle: "Oh, Hammy. Go back to the pond—"

Hammy: "Uh-uh!—"

Halle: "—But don't bring a stick, and don't make mean faces at him…Just smile at him."

Hammy (nervously): "Well…ok."

When Hammy zooms back, Ike and his friends hear him coming and go back to their hiding places. Hammy approaches the pond nervously but remembers to smile, and when he looks down, the squirrel in the water is smiling at him too! He also doesn't have the stick anymore. Hammy waves at him like a friend and the one below repeats the gesture.

Hammy: "Hey, you're not so bad, The One Who Lives in the Pond. I'm gonna take a bath with you!"

As Hammy gets in the water and scrubs his fur, the older squirrel onlookers observe in dismay…Hammy wasn't afraid anymore! The bullies find no fun in seeing the target overcoming his fear and depriving them of entertainment. But then a lightning bug flashes above Mikey's head and he whispers to the guys beside him.

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As Hammy returns on the way home—all squeaky clean—he sees Ike in the same place again.

Hammy: "Hi, Ike!"

Ike: "You went back to the pond?"

Hammy: "Uh-huh! The One Who Lives in the Pond is actually friendly! You just have to smile at him and he won't bother you."

Ike: "I'm glad you told me that, Hammy! I learned something from you today! But make sure to get home quickly or else He Who Lurks in the Mud will get ya!"

Hammy: "Maybe He Who Lurks in the Mud just needs a hug!"

Ike: "Wanna ask him yourself?"

Hammy: "Huh?"

As soon as the word left Hammy's mouth, a twig snapped behind him. Then another, followed by a rising moan. When Hammy turns around, he sees a mud monster coming toward him. He certainly didn't look like he wanted a hug, so the terrified Hammy runs away.

After another round of laughter, Ike congratulates Kevin who lost the rock-paper-scissors contest that forced him to be the one covered in mud.

Kevin (complaining): "It's gonna take forever to get this mud outta my fur…"

Mikey: "Ah, quit you're whining. That's the small price to pay for a good laugh…Not to mention the bonus is to scar that Simpleton-Hamilton for life!"

Mikey can't wait to tell his parents of his first day of triumph.

And the fun of playing pranks on Hammy has only begun.

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Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

And FYI, feverfew can treat upset stomachs and migraines, and Echinacea strengthens the immune system.

In the next chapter the conflict shall grow, but it won't be the type of conflict you're thinking. it will be much different.

See you then!