Halloween Time

“Hey Midge!” called Jake as he step onto the porch. “What are you doing?”

“Hi Jake,” greeted Midge. “I'm waiting for Booker-T. His owner came home last night and he's at his home now. My owner is over there talking to his owner.”

“Okay,” said Jake. “I know he is happy to have her home. He loves his owner.”

“She is really nice,” said Midge.

“Is he going to the park with us?” asked Jake.

“He is,” said Midge. “He should be coming soon.”

“Look over there at your neighbor's house?” smiled Jake. “Don't you like that?”

“The kids that live over there put them out on the porch last night,” said Midge. “Aren't they cute?”

“I like them when they light up,” said Jake. “They sure made some nice jack-o-lanterns.”

“My owner's sister makes pumpkin pies with the stuff they take out of the inside of those jack-o-lanterns,” said Midge.

“I like the taste of pumpkin,” said Jake. “I didn't know it came from inside a jack-o-lantern.”

“Yes, they call them pumpkins and then when they make those funny faces on them, they become jack-o-lanterns.” said Midge.

“Why?” asked Jake.

“I don't know,” said Midge.

“Do you like Halloween?” asked Jake.

“It's fun to see all the kids dressed in costumes,” laughed Midge. “Some of them are pretty funny.”

“I've seem some that are pretty scary too,” said Jake. “Some of them carry these little pails that look like the jack-o-lantern. They are cute.”

“All that candy,” said Midge. “Lot of candy for the kids to eat.”

“My owner always gives out these little chocolate candies,” said Jake. “She won't give me one though.”

“I think I heard my owner tell someone that chocolate wasn't good for animals,” said Midge. “I never ate one. My owner only gives me doggie treats. She said they were safer for us.”

“I have some treats that taste like peanut butter,” said Jake.

“I love peanut butter but it sticks to the top of my mouth,” said Midge.

“Mine too,” said Jake. “Here comes Booker-T.”

“Hi guys,” greeted Booker-T as he came up on the porch.

“Hi Booker-T,” said Jake. “Midge said your owner came home last night.”

“Yes,” smiled Booker-T. “She let me sleep in the bed next to her last night. I am happy she is home now.”

“Do you know why she was gone?” asked Midge.

“Her sister came with her,” said Booker-T. “I think she had some surgery and is going to stay with us for a week or two so my owner can help her.”

“I hope she is okay,” said Midge.

“She is good,” said Booker-T. “She was helping my owner cut out a couple pumpkins last night. They were making a couple of those pumpkins like that across the street.”

“Oh, okay,” said Jake. “They were making jack-o-lanterns.”

“No,” said Booker-T. “They were cutting pumpkins.”

“Yes,” said Jake. “Once they cut them and put those funny faces on them, they are now called jack-o-lanterns.”

“Why?” asked Booker-T.

“We don't know,” said Midge. “But when they put the funny faces on them, they change the name of them.”

“Humans are strange sometimes,” laughed Booker-T.

“I know,” said Jake. “My owner is funny sometimes. I just look at her funny and blink.”

“Mine does too,” agreed Midge. “Sometimes she dances around like a clown. She is so funny when she does. I heard her talking to someone about a costume party next week.”

“A costume party?” asked Booker-T.

“Yes,” said Midge. “They go to a party dressed up in funny or scary clothes like the kids that go through the neighborhood getting candy.”

“What is your owner going to wear?” asked Jake.

“She bought this really funny clown outfit home last night,” said Midge. “I went into the bedroom and she was standing in front of the mirror trying it on. She was really funny looking.”

“Halloween is a strange time of year I think,” said Jake. “I don't understand what it means. Why do they go around the neighborhood trying to get candy?”

“I don't know,” said Midge. “I never heard anyone say what it all means. I think it is a strange holiday.”

“But I don't think it is the same kind of holiday like Easter or Christmas,” said Booker-T. “This is a lot different.”

“Maybe Gabby knows,” said Midge. “You know Gabby, he knows everything.”

“Next time we see him, we need to ask him,” said Jake.

“You can ask him now, here he comes,” said Booker-T. “He has his little friend with him.”

“Hi Gabby,” said Midge. “Is that your friend?”

“Yes,” smiled Gabby. “This is Scarlet,”

“Hi Scarlet,” smiled Midge. “That's a pretty name.”

“Thank you,” said Scarlet. “Wow, Gabby has some different friends. He said he was friends with a couple dogs and a cat.”

“We are all friends,” said Jake. “We all learned that even through Midge and I are dogs, Booker-T is a cat, Snappy is a turtle, and Gabby is a bird, that we all think the same way sometimes. We found even though we are different, we can all be friends.”

“I think that is great,” smiled Scarlet. “I am happy to meet you all. I hope I can be your friend too.”

“We'd like that,” said Midge. “And you can come see us anytime.”

“Thank you,” said Scarlet.

“What are you doing?” asked Gabby.

“We were talking about Halloween and the jack-o-lanterns across the street,” said Jake.

“They are good ones,” said Gabby looking across the street. “There is a house near the school that has about 10 of them in the yard.”

“We should go check them out Jake,” said Midge.

“We can do that when we go to the park,” said Jake.

“Do you want to go to the park with us?” asked Booker-T.

“Sure,” said Gabby. “Lets go.”

The three started walking along the sidewalk to the park with Gabby and Scarlet flying high above them. If they saw a jack-o-lantern along the way, they stopped to check it out.