The Rope

 “Hi Booker-T,” said Midge as she stopped at his gate. “Are you ready to go to Jake's house?”

“Sure,” said Booker-T. “What are you carrying?”

“I have a rope,” said Midge.

“What are you going to do with the rope?” asked Booker-T.

“Do you remember those girls last week in the park?” asked Midge.

“The three in the pond?” asked Booker-T.

“No,” said Midge. “The four girls who were near the pond with a big rope.”

“Oh, yes,” smiled Booker-T. “I remember them. They had a rope and were jumping over the rope.”

“I want to jump the rope,” said Midge.

“How are you going to jump the rope?” asked Booker-T.

“I want you and Jake to hold the rope and I will jump,” smiled Midge.

“I'm too short to turn the rope high enough,” sighed Booker-T.

“I'm not that tall,” said Midge. “It will work. Wait and see. Come on, lets go to Jake's.”

“Do you think Jake will hold the other end of your rope?” asked Booker-T.

“Oh sure,” smiled Midge. “He will hold it for me.”

“How do you know?” asked Booker-T.

“He might say he won't, but he usually gives in and helps me,” said Midge.

“I guess he does,” said Booker-T. “Jake is a good friend.”

“I'm so happy we all are good friends,” said Midge.

“Me too,” agreed Booker-T.

They strolled along the sidewalk dragging the rope behind them. They turned into the yard and suddenly Midge couldn't move. “Hey!” said Midge quickly coming to a stop. “What happened?”

“Your rope got caught on the gate,” laughed Booker-T.

“Can you pull it off?” asked Midge.

“Sure,” said Booker-T as he grabbed a hold of the rope and started to pull it. “Wait a minute.”

“What are you two doing?” asked Jake as he walked up to them.

“Trying to get this rope off the fence,” said Midge. “Will you help Booker-T pull it?”

“Okay,” said Jake. “Why do you have a rope?”

“I'm going to jump it,” said Midge.

“You,” laughed Jake. “You are going to jump the rope. Oh how funny is that.”

“Why are you laughing?” asked Midge.

“Why do you want to jump a rope?” asked Jake.

“I know I can do it,” said Midge blinking her eyes at him. “Will you help me?”

“Do you have something in your eye?” asked Jake.

“No,” said Midge. “Why do you think I have something in my eye?”

“You keep blinking them,” said Jake.

Suddenly Booker-T got the rope off the gate. “Okay Midge,” said Booker-T. “The rope is off the fence gate.”

Midge walked forward into the yard with the rope. “Will you help me, Jake?”

“Okay,” said Jake. “Take the rope over there and lay it down.”

Midge laid down the rope and stood staring at Jake. “Okay,” said Midge.

“Jump over the rope,” said Jake.

Booker-T stood behind Jake and was laughing.

Midge jumped over to the other side of the rope and turned to face Jake.

“Okay,” said Midge. “You pick up that end and Booker-T, you pick up the other end.”

“Why?” asked Jake.

“I want you to turn the rope and make it go round and round so I can jump over it,” said Midge.

“But you just jumped over the rope,” said Jake.

“Aren't you funny,” said Midge. “Please will you turn the rope so I can jump.”

“Why do you want to jump the rope?” asked Jake.

“It looked like it was fun,” said Midge. “I want to try it.”

“Grab the other end Booker-T,” said Jake.

Booker-T picked up the end of the rope and Jake had the other end. They started moving their heads to make the rope spin. “This is hard Jake,” said Booker-T.

“Keep turning,” said Jake. “Are you going to jump now, Midge?”

Midge stood staring at the rope, watching it go round and round.

“Midge,” said Jake. “Are you going to jump it?”

“The girls ran really fast into the turning rope,” said Booker-T.

“Run fast,” said Jake. “Hurry! I'm getting dizzy turning this rope round and round.”

“Okay,” said Midge. “Here I go. Here I go.”

“Okay, Midge,” said Jake. “Now!”

Midge ran for the rope and in just a few seconds, she was laying on the ground with her feet in the air. “Ouch!” screamed Midge. “What happened?”

“You didn't jump the rope,” said Booker-T.

“Are you okay?” asked Jake.

“I think so,” said Midge as she slowly rolled over and got up on her feet. “I jumped.”

“I don't think you went high enough,” said Jake. “You caught your feet in the rope.”

“Those girls didn't have any trouble jumping over the rope,” sighed Midge.

“But those girls have two feet and you have four feet,” said Booker-T. “Maybe you have too many feet.”

“Oh funny,” said Midge. “I can't take off two of my feet.”

“Maybe it is harder to jump the rope with four feet,” suggested Jake. “Do you want to try again?”

“Okay,” said Midge as she backed away from the rope.

“Remember,” said Booker-T. “You have four feet you need to get over the rope with.”

“I remember,” said Midge as she lifted one foot at a time and counted. “One, two, three and four. Four feet.”

“Ha ha ha,” laughed Jake.

“Okay, turn the rope again,” said Midge. “I'm ready.”

Midge stood there and rocked back and forth on her feet.

“What are you doing?” asked Jake.

“Getting ready to run in,” said Midge.

“So you are rocking?” asked Booker-T.

“Count to three Jake and I will run in on three,” suggested Midge.

“Okay,” said Jake as he turned the rope. “One, two three, go!”

Midge ran for the turning rope. Over she went but in seconds, the rope came back around and pulled her off her feet again.

“Midge,” said Jake. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” sighed Midge. “I think jumping this rope isn't for me with my four feet.”

“You just need a lot of practice,” said Jake.

“I think I'm giving up jumping a rope,” said Midge. “Lets go to the little zoo and see who is there now.”

Jake and Booker-T agreed and the three left the rope laying on the ground and strolled to the zoo.