Midge and Her New Idea

“I think I can, I think I can,” sang Midge as she and Booker-T strolled along the sidewalk to Jake's house.

The two hurried through the gate and ran up to the porch where Jake was usually sitting on the swing, but Jake was not there..

“Hey Jake!” called out Midge. “Where are you? Booker-T and I are here!”

“Hi you two,” said Jake as he came around to the front of the house. “I am here. I was in the back eating my breakfast. What are you two doing this morning?”

“Well, we are here to tell you Midge's idea,” said Booker-T.

“She always has an idea,” laughed Jake. “What is it this time?”

“We are going to the big zoo,” said Midge.

“And how are we going to get there?” asked Jake. “It is across town and too far for us to walk and get back in the same day.”

“I have it all figured out,” said Midge.

“Oh, you have it all figured out do you?” asked Jake.

“She does Jake,” said Booker-T. “I think she has a good idea.”

“Okay,” said Jake. “I'm listening.”

“We will ride the train,” said Midge.

“And how will we get on the train?” asked Jake.

“When it stops at the station, we sneak on when the conductor isn't looking,” said Midge. “I can work.”

“And how do we get back home?” asked Jake.

“Midge says we can get back on the train and ride back home,” said Booker-T.

“But the trains that go through here don't go to the zoo,” said Jake. “I think they go to other states and now here in the city.”

“Oh,” said Booker-T. “I don't want to leave the city. Maybe riding the train isn't a good idea Midge.”

“I saw on the news last night when my owner had the TV turned on,” said Midge. “That they are going to have some kind of city train that will go from this side of town to the other one and one of the stops on the train route is the big zoo.”

“But I don't think they have a train for that yet,” said Jake. “I haven't seen one.”

“I heard that the train station on this side of town will be near the small transfer zoo we visit,” said Midge. “We can go take a look Jake. Lets go.”

“Maybe it is already there,” suggested Booker-T. “We can visit the animals at the little zoo when we are there.”

“Ok,” agreed Jake. “Lets go take a look. I would like to see what animals are at the zoo.”

The three strolled along the sidewalk on their way to the little zoo facility they often visited to check out the new animals being transferred from one zoo to another.

“Look over there, Jake,” said Midge. “That looks like they are building something over there. Lets go see what the sign says.”

They quickly crossed the street and Jake read the sign out loud. “Dixie Train Center.”

“That must be it,” said Booker-T. “This is Dixie.”

They walked around the building and checked it out. Behind the building, they saw men working to set up the tracks. “Wow,” said Midge. “Wonder when they will finish it so we can ride it.”

“Lets go see if the sign says when it will be ready,” said Jake. “Looks like it will be a long time Midge.”

They went back to the sign to check it out. “It says it will be opened in two months,” said Midge. “I can hardly wait for it to open and we can go to the big zoo.”

“But we don't know if we can ride it to the other side of town or not Midge,” said Jake. “What happens if we get to the other side of town and can't get back here?”

“I have two months to think about it,” laughed Midge.

“Better get that thinking hat on,” said Booker-T.

“I don't have a hat,” sighed Midge. “I only have my thinking brain.”

“Okay,” said Jake. “Get your thinking brain working. For now, let's go see what animals are in the little zoo.”

They hurried back across the street and into the zoo building. They stood at the entrance and looked around at the cages. In one cage they saw another zebra and next to it was an antelope.

“Look over there Jake,” said Booker-T. “Isn't that a big ape?”

“Oh wow,” said Jake. “It is a big ape. I saw pictures of one on TV when my owner was watching some kind of program about zoos. I never saw one up close. Lets go see.”

They hurried to the back cage and stood starring at the ape sitting on the ground next to the big rock in his cage.

“What are you starring at?” asked the ape as he got up to come to the cage bars.

“We weren't starring,” said Midge. “We were only looking. What is your name?”

“I'm George,” said the ape.

“Oh,” said Midge. “Like George of the Jungle.”

“I am from the jungle,” said George. “I guess I am George of the Jungle.”

“Where are you going?” asked Jake. “Do you know?”

“I think I heard the man say something about some Zoo in Texas,” said George.

“Were you at the big zoo here in town?” asked Booker-T.

“Yes,” said George. “I think the name of the zoo is Dixie-Bedford.”

“That is the zoo we want to go see,” said Midge.

“Why are you not in cages?” asked George. “Like we are.”

“We aren't zoo animals,” said Jake.

“Why are we zoo animals and you are not?” asked George.

“I think because we are pets,” said Midge.

“Pets?” asked George, looking puzzled. “What is a pet?”

“We belong to people,” said Booker-T. “And we live in their houses.”

“Can I be a pet?” asked George. “I don't like being in a cage.”

“I don't know,” said Jake. “I don't think wild animals can be pets.”

“But I'm not wild,” said George. “Do you think I'm wild?”

“I don't know,” said Midge shaking her head.

“Is the big zoo nice?” asked Jake.

“It is pretty and it's big,” said George.

“We are going to ride the train and visit the zoo,” said Midge.

“When you get there, go see Tina,” said George. “And tell her I said hi.”

“Okay,” agreed Jake. “How do we find Tina?”

“She will be in the cage with a couple other apes,” said George.

“We will tell her you said hi,” said Booker-T.

“We have to go now,” said Jake. “You have good time in your new zoo home.”

“Bye George,” said Midge.

“Bye you guys.” smiled George.