Sparky raced past the judges.
"Sparky, come back!" yelled Jenny.
Josh tried to grab Sparky.
But the hamster was so slippery from soap and water, he slipped through Josh's fingers.
Then Sparky ran toward a judge—the one who was wearing my magic thinking box!
The judge sneezed loudly. "Ah-choo!"
She sneezed so hard that the box flew off her head.
It landed right on top of Sparky!
Sparky was scared.
He didn't like being trapped in a dark box.
So he ran faster than ever.
"Ha-ha! Look at that box!"
One of the kids laughed.
"It has legs!"
The boy was right.
Sparky's legs stuck out as the box moved across the floor.
It looked like the box was running all by itself!
Soon all the kids were laughing as Sparky raced around the big room.
Even the judges laughed.
The judge who had tried out my magic thinking box laughed the hardest of all.
Sparky raced under a table and knocked it over.
Finally Josh caught up with him, and he lifted the magic thinking box off his hamster.
"Sparky!" he said. "I'm so glad I caught you!"
I ran up to Josh, and a group of kids followed me.
"I bet I know what Sparky was thinking," I said.
"What?" a bunch of kids asked.
"Sparky was probably thinking, 'Help! Get me out of this box!'"
Some kids laughed, but I sighed.
I might be right about Sparky's thoughts, but I wasn't going to win a prize.
I hadn't even had a chance to show the judges how my invention worked.
Soon it was time for the judges to choose the winners.
One judge announced third prize.
A boy who had invented a bicycle fan to keep him cool on hot days won that.
Next the judge announced second prize.
"This prize goes to Susie Johnson for inventing a new use for old CDs—wearing them as earrings!"
All the kids clapped as Susie went up to claim the red ribbon.
Everyone waited for the judge to announce first prize.
"First prize and one hundred dollars goes to Jenny Chen for her hamster bath!"
The kids shouted and whistled as Jenny accepted the money.
The judge put a big blue ribbon on Sparky's cage.
I was happy for Jenny.
She deserved to win.
But I was sad for me.
It was clear that I wasn't a very good inventor.
I hadn't even won third prize.
When we got back to our apartment building, I told my mom about the Invention Convention.
"Jenny won first prize and one hundred dollars," I said.
"That's wonderful!" Mom said.
"I know," I said.
I looked down.
"But I was hoping to win so you wouldn't have to rob a bank."
"What?" Mom looked totally shocked.
Tate came out of our room to see what was going on.
"Wait a minute, Iggy!" Mom said.
"I'm thrilled Jenny won.
But what did you say about me robbing a bank?"
"Don't listen to Iggy, Mom," said Tate.
"He's just inventing stories."
"But I heard you on the phone," I said to Mom.
"You said you would have to rob a bank!"
My mom frowned, trying to recall what I was talking about.
"Oh, I remember!" she said at last.
Then she looked at me and sighed.
"Iggy," she said. "You'd better sit down.
You too, Tate."
"Uh-oh," I thought.
We were about to find out something.
And it sounded like it was something bad.