Search for a Swamp

“Hey Booker-T!” called Midge as she came through the gate at his house. “Where are you?”

“Hi Midge,” greeted Booker-T as he came out of the house through the little doggie door in the back door. “I was going to come to your house to see Snappy.”

“We can go back to visit Snappy before we go to Jake's house if you want,” said Midge.

“Okay,” agreed Booker-T. “Lets go.”

The two ran to Midge's place and into the house. They hurried across the kitchen to the living room where Snappy was sitting on the little bridge in his tank talking to Sammy and Jimmy.

Booker-T leaped into the chair beside the tank and then up on the top of the tank. “Hi Snappy,” said Booker-T.

“Hi Booker-T,” smiled Snappy. “What are you doing this morning?”

“Midge and I are going to Jake's house this morning,” said Booker-T. “But I wanted to come see you first.”

“Thank you for coming to see me,” said Snappy. “I always happy to see you and Jake.”

“What are you doing today?” asked Booker-T.

“Jimmy and Sammy are showing me the little house they built for them,” said Snappy.

“Oh nice,” smiled Midge. “Won't they have to do it again when our owner cleans out your tank again?”

“Yes,” smiled Snappy. “That is some sad that they have to keep remaking their little home.”

“Can they make their home in your little log?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't know,” said Snappy. “I will ask them.”

“Hey you guys,” called Jake as he came into the room. “I got tired of waiting for you. What happened?”

“Booker-T wanted to come say hi to Snappy before we come,” said Midge. “What are you doing?”

“Are we going to the park today?” asked Jake. “Or do you want to go see what the swamp is?”

“What swamp?” asked Midge.

“I heard my owner talking about some swamp that was near the school,” said Jake.

“I never heard about any swamp,” said Booker-T. “We've been to the school. Do you remember seeing a swamp?”

“I don't remember seeing one,” said Midge. “What is a swamp, Jake?”

“Hmmm,” said Jake thinking. “I think it has water in it.”

“It's like a pond?” asked Midge.

“I think so,” said Jake. “Do you want to go see?”

“Lets go Midge,” said Booker-T. “Maybe we will find another pond we can play in.”

“Okay,” agreed Midge. “We will go check it out.”

The three said good-bye to Snappy and headed out the back doggie door. They ran along the sidewalk to the school. When they arrived at the school, they wandered around the school yard trying to find the swamp. They found no water anywhere near the school.

“Lets walk up the street some near those hills over there,” said Jake.

“Okay,” agreed Midge as she followed Jake across the school yard to the hills.

They ran up the hill on one side and down the other side. Still they found no swamp of water anywhere near the school.

“Lets go to the other block and see if the swamp is over there,” said Midge.

“Where?” asked Jake.

“Remember where the circus was?” asked Midge. “Maybe it is over there.”

“I don't know,” said Booker-T. “The river went past the circus grounds.”

“Oh yes,” said Jake. “I remember seeing the river. I don't think the swamp is there.”

“Are you sure you heard her say that the swamp was at the school?” asked Midge.

“She was talking about the swamp and she said something about the school when she was talking,” said Jake.

“If it is water,” said Midge. “Maybe the water dried up now.”

“But we didn't see anything that looked like it had water in it,” said Booker-T.

“Lets go int the woods behind the school,” said Midge. “Maybe it is in there.”

“Are you sure you want to go into the woods?” asked Booker-T. “We've never been in there before.”

“Are you scared of the woods?” asked Jake.

“Yes,” said Booker-T.

“Why?” asked Midge. “It is only a lot of trees.”

“I think there are ghosts in there,” said Booker-T. “I don't want to meet a ghost.”

“Why do you think there are ghosts in the woods?” asked Jake.

“I heard the kids talking about ghosts one day,” said Booker-T.

“They were probably telling stories,” laughed Midge. “I don't think there is any such thing as ghosts.”

“Are you sure?” asked Booker-T.

“Well, I'm not positive,” said Midge. “But I don't think there is. What do you think Jake?”

“I've never seen one,” said Jake. “Remember that old house we went into a long time ago?”

“What house?” asked Midge.

“It had boards on the windows,” said Jake.

“I remember it,” said Booker-T. “We sure heard strange noises in it and there was strange smells in it too.”

“Oh, I remember,” said Midge. We never saw what was making the noise. We ran so fast from the house and never went back.”

“We were so scared that day,” said Jake.

“Maybe there are ghosts in the woods,” said Midge. “How will we know if the swamp is in there if we don't go in and look around.”

“Do we really want to see the swamp?” asked Booker-T.

“I do,” said Midge.

“You can go in and we will wait for you out here,” said Booker-T.

“You won't go in there with me?” asked Midge.

“I will go Midge,” said Jake. “Booker-T can stay out here and keep guard.”

“You are going to leave me here all by myself?” asked Booker-T.

“If I stay out here with you,” said Jake. “Midge will have to go in there alone.”

“I didn't think of that,” said Booker-T.

“Hey you guys!” called Gabby as he swooped down and landed on the ground in front of them. “What are you doing?”

“We are going into the woods to see if there is a swamp in there,” said Jake. “But Booker-T don't want to go because he thinks there are ghosts in there and he don't want to stay out here alone.”

“You are scared?” asked Gabby.

“Yes, I'm scared,” said Booker-T.

“Wait here and I will fly through the trees and see if there is a swamp in there,” said Gabby. “What is a swamp and how do I know if I find it?”

“It is water with lot of woody plants in it and maybe some weeds,” said Jake.

“There is no water in the woods Jake,” said Gabby.

“Are you sure?” asked Midge.

“I am positive,” said Gabby. “There is no water in the woods.”

“Why would your owner say there was a swamp over here near the school if there really isn't one?” asked Booker-T.

“What did she say?” asked Midge. “Do you remember exactly what she said?”

“Hmmmm,” said Jake. “Let me think a minute.”

“Okay,” said Midge.

“She asked the person on the phone if they were swamped over there,” said Jake.

“What else did she say?” asked Midge.

“She said the swamp would get better,” said Jake.

“Oh my,” laughed Gabby. “She wasn't saying there was a swamp over here by the school.”

“Then why was she talking about a swamp?” asked Booker-T.

“I bet her friend at the school had a lot of work to do,” said Gabby.

“What does that have to do with a swamp?” asked Jake.

“Because, she didn't mean that there was a swamp over here,” said Gabby.

“What did she mean?” asked Midge.

“She was using the word swamp to mean her friend was having too much work to do,” said Gabby.

“What does that have to do with water?” asked Jake.

“It don't have anything to do with water,” laughed Gabby. “She used swamped to mean being buried in work.”

“Oh,” said Jake. “I still think that Is strange.”

“Humans use some strange words sometimes,” said Gabby.

“I agree,” said Jake. “Do you want to go back home?”

“Lets go,” said Midge. “I'm thirsty.”

The three started walking back to Midge's place with Gabby flying above them.