(Strip Number 578, Original Publication Date, 22 March 1984)
Panel 1: A very angry John asks Elly what he's doing crawling on his hands and knees at midnight looking for a [EXPLETIVE DELETED] hamster.
Panel 2: As he looks under the couch, Elly tells him it could be worse.
Panel 3: Her saying that the grade 9's have a tarantula as a class pet has the expected effect of horrifying him.
Summary: While she is trying to reassure him that things aren't as bad as he thinks, the way in which she did so will probably have the effect of having him march down to the school and ask to not have class pets in his house again.