"Here comes Jeff!" cried Joy.
The mail truck came up the driveway.
Joy and Magoo leaped off the front porch.
"Special delivery!" Jeff called and held a cardboard box out of the window.
"Are they in there?"
asked Joy, jumping up and down with excitement.
"Steady now," said Jeff.
He laid the box carefully in Joy's hands.
"I hear them," she whispered. "They're moving around inside."
She turned and started back toward the house.
Magoo sniffed at the bottom of the box as Jeff drove off.
Grandpa, Mom, and even Katie, waited at the front door.
"Follow me, everybody," called Joy.
She and the chicks went upstairs to the spare room.
"I turned on the heat lamp," said Mom.
She checked the thermometer in the box.
"Perfect! Nice and warm."
The chicks were chirping in their box.
"Do you hear them?" asked Joy.
"Yes, Joy. They want to come out and meet you," replied Grandpa.
"Here are the scissors."
Joy cut the bands around the box and lifted the lid.
"Ooh!" squealed Joy when she saw the little balls of fluff inside.
"Aren't they sweet?" said Mom. "Look, Katie."
Katie had been standing back in the doorway.
But now she stepped forward and peeked in the box.
"One, two, three, four, five, six," counted Katie. "All there."
"Let's put them in the box before they get cold," suggested Grandpa.
One by one, Joy placed the chicks in the box.
Mom had her chicken book open.
"Now, it's important that they eat and drink," she stated.
"Have they found the water, Joy?"
Joy picked up a chick and put it next to the water feeder.
"Look!" she exclaimed and clapped her hands. "It's drinking!"
Just then Dad stepped into the spare room.
As usual his work clothes were dirty.
Katie gave him a big hug anyway.
"Everyone's looking at the chicks, Dad," she said.
"But I have work to do in my room."
"Well, look at these babies!"
exclaimed Dad with a grin as he looked into the box.
The chicks had been drinking water and pecking at their food.
But now they were getting quiet.
One little chick tipped over on its side and lay completely still.
"What's wrong?" asked Joy, worried.
She poked the chick lightly with her finger.
Its eyes popped open.
"The little one just fell asleep," whispered Grandpa. "She's tired."
They watched the chicks fall asleep, one by one.
Joy put her finger to her lips. "Shh," she said.
Everyone tiptoed out of the spare room.
Joy pointed to a sign she had made for the door: "NO CATS ALLOWED!"
Down the hall Katie was hard at work.
She was taping a piece of red plastic over a flashlight.
Luke had told her how to do it.
Jellybean was sprawled on Katie's bed watching every move Katie made.
"Jellybean," said Katie, "did you know that earthworms in Australia can grow to be three and a half meters long?"
Jellybean blinked while Katie tore off another piece of tape.
"And did you know that some earthworms live to be eight years old?"
Jellybean blinked again.
"HA! That's how old I am," exclaimed Katie as she smoothed the tape into place. "There!"
She closed the curtains and turned off the light switch.
Then Katie turned on the flashlight.
A spooky red beam flashed around the room.
"Great!" she said. "I'm ready for worm hunting!"