"What do you mean, you know what I'll turn into?" demanded Milo. "I don't want to be another animal. I want to be me again!"

"I don't think that will happen-yet," said Mia mysteriously.

"What are you talking about?"

"I think I know what's causing all this, and how it works," said Mia. "But I'm not sure. I don't want to get your hopes up. I'll know by tomorrow morning if I'm right. If I am, I promise to tell you then."

"What am I supposed to do until then?" grumbled Milo.

"Have some dinner," said Mia, giving him some chopped apple.

After dinner, Milo felt like sleeping through the night, but he was worried. "What if I turn into something else while I'm still in this tank?" he asked Mia. "I might turn into a mouse, and the other iguana would eat me."

"I'm not expecting you to be a mouse," said Mia. "And while you're still an iguana you have to stay warm. But I'd really like to see this happen. I'll stay up with you, and when you change, I'll let you out right away."

So Uncle Fred went up to bed, and Mia settled herself in a chair near the cage. She read books and dozed off and on all night while Milo slept. Early in the morning, Mia realized she really had to visit the ladies' room.

"Milo, I have to go," she whispered. "I'll be right back." She glanced out the window. "I'm sure the sun won't be up for a few more minutes yet."

But she was wrong. While she was still out of the room, the first rays of sunlight poked up over the horizon. From the bathroom, Mia heard a sudden loud squawking noise out in the pet shop. All the animals got very excited and joined in, barking and mewing and hissing. Something was happening! Mia ran into the shop and found a parakeet in the iguana cage. The female iguana had it backed into a corner, where it clung to a dead branch, shrieking and flapping its wings.

"Whew!" said Milo. "That was close. Why did you leave like that?"

"Sorry," said Mia. "Nature called, and I didn't think the sun was ready to come up yet. Anyway, I've never hear of an iguana eating a bird."

"What kind of bird am I, anyway?" asked Milo.

"A parakeet," answered Mia. "You're very pretty, Milo. You're yellow and green, and you have black bars on your back."

"Great," said Milo sarcastically. "I always wanted to be beautiful."

But Milo, didn't you hear me? I was right! I knew you were going to be a bird next! I know what's making you change into all these animals, and what you'll be every time! I've solved part of the mystery!"

"So I'm a bird. I don't see why that's important," said Milo, perching on her shoulder. "But tell me anyway, I'm listening."

But Mia insisted on waking up Uncle Fred first, and getting everyone some breakfast. When they were in the kitchen with cereal and coffee (and birdseed for Milo), she told her story.

"I was thinking about how Milo had been a hamster and then a lizard, and wondering what he'd be next. And then suddenly it hit me-that old man gave Milo the animal crackers, and Milo got greedy and ate them all at once, right in front of me, while I was watching him."

"I said I was sorry," said Milo.

"No, that's not the point," she said. "The point is I watched you eat them, Milo. And I saw what animal shapes the crackers were. The first cracker was a hamster-shaped cracker, Milo. And the second one was a lizard, and the third one was a bird!"

"Great gobbling graham crackers!" squawked Milo.

"Magic graham crackers," said Uncle Fred. "I don't believe it."

"It's true," said Mia, looking smug. "And I saw all the other cracker shapes too, so I bet I can predict everything he'll turn into."

"A lot of good that does me," said Milo. "So I can know ahead of time what I'll be. I'll probably just worry even more."

"But Milo, don't you get it?" said Mia. "There weren't that many crackers in the box. I think there were only seven-the hamster, the lizard, the bird, and four more."

"She's right," said Uncle Fred. "So maybe you only have to become four more animals. After that, maybe the spell wears off!"

"And maybe it doesn't," said Milo gloomily. "Maybe I'll just be stuck being the last animal forever." He climbed back up on Mia's shoulder and began pulling on her hair with his beak.

"Ouch! Stop that," said Mia. "That hurts."

"Sorry," apologized Milo. "Just another nervous habit, I guess."

"What was he doing?" asked Fred.

"Birds like to 'groom' their owners," said Mia. "I guess they think our hair is feathers. But I don't like my hair in anyone's mouth-or beak!"

"Oh, give me a break!" squawked Milo. "You try being an animal for a while, and see if it doesn't upset you. I can't even be the same animal for very long. Every time I start to get used to being one animal, I change. It's enough to make anyone nervous."

"Oh, quit griping," muttered Mia.

Milo bit her on the ear.

The next few minutes were chaos. Mia screamed and swatted at Milo. Milo leaped off her shoulder into the air, flapping and shrieking. Mia chased him around the kitchen. Milo flew up and landed on top of the cupboards.

"Kids! Kids! Stop that!" yelled Uncle Fred, clutching his hair. "Why did I ever tell my sister I'd take this job. Mia! Stop running around and hollering like a banshee! Milo! Come down from there this minute!"

"Are you kidding?" cried Milo. He jumped off the cupboard and began soaring around the room near the ceiling. "I can fly! This is great! It's the most fun I've ever had! Whoopee!" He began diving and doing loop-the-loops. He swooped right past Mia's face, and she screamed again.

"Mia!" said Uncle Fred sternly. "Sit down and be quiet! Milo!" he snapped, "Come down her at once or I'll have your wings clipped!"

Milo came in for a landing. "You wouldn't!" he said.

"Try me," said Uncle Fred grimly. "Now you two settle down. Mia, that was brilliant guesswork. I think you're right about the crackers. But Milo is right too. We don't know what will happen after the seventh change. He might stay an animal. Something more might be needed to change him back. Now, do either of you know what happened to the box?"

The girl and the bird stared at each other blankly.

"Box?" asked Mia.

"What box?" said Milo.

"The graham cracker box," Uncle Fred said impatiently. "What did you do with it after you ate the crackers?"

"I don't know," said Milo after a moment. "Threw it away, I guess."

"No you didn't," said Mia. "You were busy fighting with me. You were going to throw a rag at me, remember? And then you turned into a hamster. And I was busy looking for you. I don't think I threw it away, either. Why do you want it, Uncle Fred?"

"Because," said Uncle Fred, "if the crackers caused the spell, there might be some instructions on the box telling us how to undo it."

"Maybe I dropped it on the floor in the shop," said Milo.

The three of them made a rush for the stairs. Mia and Uncle Fred clattered down the steps with Milo swooping over their heads. They dashed over and checked the floor under the hamster cage.

"Nothing," said Milo in disappointment. They searched all around the floors and shelves but had no luck.

"You probably dropped it in the hamster cage," said Mia spitefully. She was still mad about being bitten. "It's probably all shredded up now."

"I don't think so," her brother answered. "I would remember seeing it in there. It would have been as big as I was, remember?"

"It's more likely that Mia swept it up with the broom," said Uncle Fred. "You did some sweeping yesterday, didn't you, Mia?"

"Of course," said Mia. "We have to. I sweep up all the dust and fur and trash into the dustpan, and I put it in the trash in the storeroom."

"Uh-oh," said Uncle Fred. Mia and Milo turned to look at him.

"What do you mean, uh-oh?" asked Milo nervously.

"I emptied that trashcan this morning," said Uncle Fred. "Into the big trashcan in the alley out back."

"Awk!" squawked Milo, fluttering up off the floor. "Today is trash pickup day! They come at three o'clock! What time is it?"

The clock said two-thirty. "Hurry!" shrieked Milo, flying to the door. Uncle Fred was running right behind him. Mia started to follow, then stopped dead in her tracks.

"Use both hands!" hollered Uncle Fred. "There's no time to be picky!" He was grabbing handfuls of trash and throwing them on the ground. Mia let go of her nose and did the same. After ten minutes of frantic searching, Uncle Fred let out a yell. "I've got it!" He held up the box triumphantly and rushed back in the house.

Mia followed after him. She looked down at her clothes and let out a sigh. She had egg on her shoulder, syrup dribbling down her shirt, a blob of mashed potatoes on her jeans, and crushed mouse droppings on her shoe.

"You're a mess," said Milo. Mia gave him a dirty look. They went inside, where Uncle Fred was examining the box.

"There's no writing on it," Milo said sadly.

"Look, here's something!" Uncle Fred said. He reached inside the box and pulled out a small rolled-up piece of paper.

"It has tiny writing!" said Mia.

Uncle Fred grabbed a magnifying glass and read,

If an understanding of animals you seek,
Eat of these, and time will tell,
But only a golden talisman,
And words of kindness will break the spell.

"I don't get it," said Milo.

"Me neither," said Uncle Fred.

"It's a riddle," said Mia. "But what does it mean?"