Hello, I'm Lily, a teddy bear hamster. See how well I can hide? Or "notsee" would be more descriptive. Okay, here I am, so we can talk.
It was my hiding ability that got me where I am. Actually I'm lost as far as my humans are concerned. Being the adventurous type, I escaped from my carry cage while the young human who was in charge of me wasn't looking. It was on a long trip, and the car stopped at a farmer's market somewhere along the way. Somehow the latch to my carry cage got unfastened and I discovered I was able to nose the lid open. I crawled up to the top and oops, I flipped onto the car floor.
The car door was still open while the humans were busy talking among themselves and looking all around—anywhere but at me. I crept to the edge of the floor to get a better look at things myself and oops, I flipped onto the ground. Instinctively I scurried for cover under the car.
The smells were wonderful—so many and different fresh things to eat! How to get at them? Dropped bits of lettuce, kernels of corn, and other detached vegetable goodies were everywhere. It was a real feast! I just followed my nose and enjoyed each treat along the way, taking great care not to get stepped on by humans or big animals like the dogs roaming around there.
Some young humans (not my human) started to chase me, as young humans seem to like to do. I found myself in the middle of a bunch of them, and was in total flee mode. I scurried up some furry hill that then raised up even higher from the ground.
I discovered I was on top of the head of the largest animal I'd ever seen. I held on tight, clutching the fur between its ears, hoping that it would not try to shake me off. All the humans there pointed at me and talked to each other.
After a long while, the humans began to go away, and I was ready to get down. But there was no place to go—I was too high up to jump to the ground. I was trapped on top of this large animal!
Where do you think I'm trying to go? What kind of a stupid question is that, you big but stupid animal? Wait a minute; that stupid big animal is right. Where do I want to go? I have no idea how to find my humans' car. And besides, it really is nice and soft and pleasant up here on top of you, oh large animal.
You're a what? I've never heard of an alpaca before. You're not that large? Oh, I beg to differ! Horses and cows? What are they? They're even bigger, and I'm going to see? You sound so sure of yourself. Because I'm your hamster now! How so? Well, I suppose I am … since I can't find my humans. Your name is Ariel? Hello, I'm Lily. Pleased to meet you too… I think.
I kind of just held on to his thick fur—by thick, I mean the individual hairs of his fur were like ropes compared to mine. Oh, well, the day got late and most of the people were gone. All the remaining humans were doing the "getting ready to go" activities I'd noticed mine doing before they disappeared for long times.
Ariel's human untied him and led him into what looked like a car made just for him. The human had to have noticed that I was there, but seemed to speak only to Ariel, as she closed the door behind us. The human thinks I'm cute? You have no way of knowing that. Oh, yes you do, and so will I, eh? I think your cockiness, oh Airel, has overstepped its bounds this time—I'm only a little hamster and humans have never made any sense to me, except when they give me tasty treats.
As the Ariel's car began to move, he lurched and shifted to stay on his feet. Fortunately for me, his gnarled fur gave me something to hold onto. What a ride—I thought it would never end.
When we got to where Ariel lived, the human opened the gate and once again untied Ariel's tether. Once Ariel was out and away from his car, it moved away and disappeared.
Ariel went into one of the buildings around there and bent his head into a long box of some sort. Jump off now? Crawl down your head and nose? I thought that was a dubious proposition. You really won't eat me? I can have some of your food? I was really scared, just plain scared, but I also was very hungry again and Ariel's food sure smelled yummy.
I lost my grip on Ariel's fur and rolled into his foodbox—fortunately, it was a soft landing in the pile of food. Ariel nudged me to the side with his nose. Eat from that pile there and I'll be safe. Safe? From what? I don't want to know. Ariel's food was different that what I was used to but very tasty; I actually gorged myself more than I should have. Ah, now for a nice nap.
What? No nap? This is outrageous! We're going out in the field this evening? Whatever for? Just get back on your back, and we'll get going? No way! I scurried over to the corner of Ariel's food box, and burrowed into the pile of grain there. You can't get me now.
Ariel seemed to mock me as he thrust his nose in the grain underneath me and flung me onto his back. Okay, time for another ride. You may be large but certainly not stupid, because I'm back to not being able to get off your back. I've been out smarted—for now.
I wonder where are we going, anyway. To a nowhere in the middle of the pasture? To meet a woman who is not human? This is more than my hamster brain can fathom. Not after I visit this woman? And, oh by the way, she likes rodents? We're part of a group of some sort that is more or less led by a rodent? And I'm the only other rodent to be let in the group? This sounds very off beat to me. Oh, it is, you assure me. I'm so pleased to be different—I think.
This is not the middle of a pasture. Look at the big funny shaped barn over there. That's exactly where we're going, and yes indeed, it is in the middle of the pasture because that barn, as I call it, is really the woman's car, of sorts? I'm losing my mind; I wish I were just running in my hamster wheel.
The barn, or rather, car started to come apart before my very eyes. Why are we going toward a car that is coming apart? Because it's only opening its door—yeh, sure; looks like it's coming apart to me.
I cringed as Ariel walked right inside the car that was coming apart. Then it looked like the inside of a human house of some sort. Ariel went straight to a room where this woman was sitting. She seemed to be waiting for us.
The woman reached over and picked me up off of Ariel's back. She put some type of collar on me. For some reason, I did not dislike the collar. Your name is Kaggla! How did I know that? My new collar was like a super big brain that made my hamster brain smarter? Wow, I actually can understand you! I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this new open world. It's sort of like humans when they get new eye glasses for the first time? Okay, I actually understand that!
Ariel turned to go. You're leaving me here! Why? Because there are cats in your barnyard? I understand that! Cats would want to eat me for snack. But not the cats in our group? Because they can tell the difference between animals in our group, Kaggla's animals, and others—I see. And dogs too? We have dogs too? Wow! I raised up on my hindquarters and sniffed the air as Ariel disappeared through the door.
Kaggla stroked me and put me in a room made just for me. It was the best hamster room I'd ever had. I would go out sometimes when it was safe for me. I curled up on my new soft bed, and soon was into a delightful sleep. What an exhausting day—but I was Kaggla's hamster now.
