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Birds
 There's a Hummer in the Bathroom!

There's a Hummer in the Bathroom!
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   3.62

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    ducked, lichen, streak, tempt, frantic, hallway, especially, hearing, whoa, flight, wallpaper, outside, forehead, trumpet, speed, been

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There's a Hummer in the Bathroom!
By Mary Lynn Bushong 		  
1     Ben had been outside helping his mother in the garden. She wanted to attract hummingbirds to their garden. Ben liked them, too. He especially liked the ruby-throated hummingbird.
 
2     The kitchen window looked out over a wide flower bed. It was planted with bee balm, cardinal flowers, and columbine. Climbing up the side of the house was a well-established trumpet honeysuckle plant. The flower bed extended down past that side of the house under the bathroom and dining room windows.
 
3     Ben and his mother had been busy. Empty places in the flower bed had been filled with plants that might tempt the jewel-looking birds. He wanted to wipe the sweat from his forehead, but he knew he'd leave a muddy streak in its place.
 
4     He carefully came in the house to wash up and kicked off his dirty shoes just inside the door. His stocking feet made little noise as he hurried to the bathroom to wash up.
 
5     He flipped on the light with his elbow and shut the door. He started to turn on the water when he noticed the frantic flight of the tiny bird.
 
6     Ben was afraid it would crash into the mirror and injure itself. He flipped off the light and ducked down low by the lavatory. He could hear his mother coming down the hallway toward the bathroom. He shifted position so he could open the door a bit.
 
7     "Mom," he called softly. "There's a hummer in the bathroom!"
 
8     "Let me see," she said, pushing gently on the door.
 
9     Mom eased the door open just enough to stick her head in the room. She smiled at the little bird.

Paragraphs 10 to 18:
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