Giant African Man-eating Hamster

"Pass me the hat." I placed the furry head covering in the middle of the empty cage. "Straw." I bunched it up around the 'creature' and spread it over the rest of the cage. "Water bottle and food bowl. There. Now to tell the kids."

“They’ll never believe you.”

"Wanna bet?"

"Dishes for a week."

"Done."

I opened the door and shouted down the stairs. "Come see our new pet."

Three little monsters charged in. "Wow! You have to be careful. This is a giant African man-eating hamster. It will have your hand off. Dad and I will feed it. You can look but don't touch."

Three pairs of eyes stared from a distance, fascinated by the new addition. As days went by Hubby put on his rubber gloves and I piled up the dishes. It was April 1st when I told them the truth. By then Hubby owed me ten weeks of dish washing.

155 words