A Shark Named Rover
by Gina Lewis

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Most people pick dogs or cats or parakeets for pets, but the best pet I ever had was a shark. Of course, the first time he swam up to our boat, I was pretty scared. He had more teeth in his mouth than a tree has leaves. But next he wiggled his fin and I couldn't resist. Mom said I could keep him as long as he didn't get the carpet wet.

I named him Rover, and we had lots of fun together. However, the neighbors started to get a little nervous once they heard I had a pet shark. They didn't want their kids playing with a shark. Then I got a great idea. Rover and I went door to door to share his services as a knife sharpener and can opener. His teeth were so sharp he could open a can by just smiling at it. He could sharpen a knife by licking it.

That's when everyone agreed that Rover was a fine neighbor. They did ask me to tie a red bandanna around his neck so that no one would confuse him with another, less friendly shark. If only Rover hadn't loved boats so much. He was always chasing them, until finally he went after a brand-new speedboat. No one's seen him since. So if you spot a shark in a red bandanna, please tell him to come home. We miss him.

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