Tiger in the Intercom

Freddie didn't talk very often, especially with Mary around. Mary knew so much that he was afraid to let her know how little he knew.

But one day, Freddie said, "I think there's a tiger in the Project."

"Don't be silly, " said Mary. "Tigers only live in jungles and zoos and circuses."

"But I heard a tiger," insisted Freddie.

"Where did you hear him?" asked the New Boy.

"I think he's in the intercom," said Freddie.

Freddie led everybody up to his family's apartment and showed them the intercom. "Voices come out to there," said Freddie. "People's voices. And sometimes a tiger's voice."

Mary said, "Oh, silly, that's just an intercom like any other intercom. It's like a telephone. You use it to talk to people downstairs by the door."

"But I heard a tiger in there," said Freddie.

"Don't be silly, " said Mary. And she pushed the button, and the intercom roared, and everybody shrieked and jumped back, except Mary and the New Boy.

"That's just static, " said Mary. "It's broken so it makes noises like that."

"Can you do that again, please?" asked the New Boy.

Mary pushed the button again, and again the intercom roared, and again everybody shrieked and jumped back, except Mary and the New Boy.

"Gosh, you're lucky, Freddie," said the New Boy.

"Lucky?" asked Mary.

"Sure. He's got a Bengal," said the New Boy.

"A Bengal?" asked everybody.

"Yes. That's a very special tiger. That's a tiger from India. Most intercoms have just ordinary tigers. But Freddie's intercom has a real Bengal tiger. You can tell by the sound of his voice."

Mary pushed the button again, and again the intercom roared. But this time everybody got really close so they could hear better.

"That's just static," insisted Mary.

But Freddie asked the New Boy, "Is he dangerous?"

"No," said the New Boy. "He's there in the intercom to protect you. He scares away ghosts and goblins and monsters."

Freddie pushed the button and listened close. "Golly," he said. "That is a Bengal."

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