The Zoo Monster

 Midge, Jake and Booker-T strolled to the zoo and as they arrived, they saw a truck pull up to the gate. “Hurry,” said Midge as she hurried toward the truck. “Lets go see what they have in the truck.”

Two big men climbed out of the truck and walked to the back. They opened the door to the back of the truck and carefully pulled a huge cage from the back.

“Can you see it Jake?” asked Midge trying to get closer.

“No,” said Jake. “The truck is in the way.”

They walked closer to the building and peeked in between the truck and the gate of the building. In the cage, they saw a big lizard.

“Wow!” said Booker-T. “That is a really big lizard.”

“What kind of lizard is it?” asked Midge.

“I don't know,” said Jake. “When they put it into the cage, we can see what the sign says on the bars.”

“He looks scary,” said Booker-T.

“He looks a little like the monster I saw on TV one night when my owner was watching a movie,” said Jake. “But he is smaller.”

“Do you think it is a monster?” asked Midge.

“Can he break out of the cage?” asked Booker-T.

“I think he is too small,” said Jake.

“But maybe he is in disguise,” suggested Midge.

“If he was a big monster,” said Jake. “How did he disguise himself as a small lizard?”

“Oh,” said Midge. “I guess that would be hard to do.”

“Right,” said Jake. “We will go check him out when they get him into the cage.”

“Okay,” said Booker-T.

They sat down inside the building near the door and watched the men working to get the lizard into the cage. The cage had lot of rocks in it now and a small pond in the corner.

“Does he swim?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't know,” said Jake.

“Maybe he does,” said Midge.

When the men drove away in the truck, the three slowing walked across the room to the cage that they put the lizard into. They stood staring into the cage but didn't see the big lizard.

“Where is it?” asked Midge.

“I don't know,” said Jake. “Maybe he is behind one of those rocks.”

“Why is he hiding?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't know,” said Midge. “Maybe he is scared.”

“Scared of what?” asked Booker-T.

“Maybe he was scared of those men,” said Jake.

“They were big men,” said Midge. “I would be scared of them too.”

“Do you think he is sleeping?” asked Booker-T.

“Maybe,” said Jake. “Maybe he had long ride here and is tired.”

Suddenly the lizard poked his head out from behind a large rock and was looking around. Midge jumped backward and fell back onto her rear end.

“Midge!” said Jake. “Are you okay?”

“He scared me,” said Midge. “He came out so fast.”

“It's okay,” said Booker-T. “He is behind the bars.”

The large lizard slowing walked to the cage bars. “Who are you?” asked the lizard.

“I'm Midge,” said Midge. “This is Jake and the other one is Booker-T. Do you have a name?”

“Why do you want to know?” asked the lizard.

“You know our name,” said Jake. “Will you tell us what your name is?”

“Maybe,” said the lizard. “Maybe I don't want you to know.”

“Why don't you want us to know?” asked Midge. “We aren't going to hurt you.”

“Can you get me out of this cage?” asked the lizard coming closer to the side of the bars.

“We don't have any way to get you out of there,” said Jake. “Why do you want to get out?”

“I want to go home to my family,” said the lizard.

“Where is your home?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't know,” he said.

“How can you go home if you don't know where it is?” asked Midge.

“They will take good care of you here,” said Jake.

“How do you know?” asked the lizard. “You are on the outside of these bars. Who is that over there in the corner?”

Midge looked over to the corner of the big room in the little zoo. “He looks like a Panda,” said Midge. “Do you like Panda bears?” asked Midge.

“No,” said the lizard.

“Do you like anyone?” asked Jake.

“I like little birds,” said the lizard. “They taste so good.”

“What!” said Midge in a shocked voice. “How horrible.”

“You don't like birds?” asked the lizard.

“I don't eat them,” said Midge. “We have a nice friend who is a bird. I wouldn't eat him.”

“Why do you eat the little birds?” asked Jake.

“My mother taught me to eat them,” said the lizard. “I eat other things too.”

“What else do you eat?” asked Midge.

“I like frogs, little lizards and insects,” said the lizard.

“Oh!” said Booker-T. “We have a new friend who is a frog. I don't want you to eat my friend.”

“You eat lizards too?” asked Midge.

“Sure,” said the lizard. “They are good.”

“Why do you eat them?” asked Midge.

“That's what my family eats,” said the lizard. “Will they feed me lizards and birds here?”

“I don't know,” said Jake.

“You never told us your name,” said Booker-T.

“My name is Gilly,” he replied.

“Gilly is a nice name,” said Midge.

“I like it,” said Gilly. “What kind of animals are you?”

“I'm a dog,” said Midge. “Jake is a different kind of dog and Booker-T is a cat.”

“You look like you would be good to eat,” said Gilly.

“That's not nice,” said Midge. “I wouldn't eat you for dinner.”

“Why?” asked Gilly.

“Because I don't want to eat a lizard,” said Midge. “Jake and I eat dog food and Booker-T eats cat food.”

“Is dog food good?” asked Gilly.

“We like it,” said Midge.

“And the cat food is good too?” asked Gilly.

“Booker-T likes it,” said Jake. “Midge and I tasted it and we like it too.”

“Why aren't you in a cage?” asked Gilly.

“We are house pets,” said Booker-T. “You are a wild animal so you are in the cage.”

“They are going to take you to a bigger zoo and people will come to see you every day,” said Midge.

“Do you have enemies in the wild?” asked Midge.

“Mountain lions will hurt us lizards,” said Gilly. “Are there lions in the big zoo?”

“Yes,” said Midge. “But you don't have to worry about them. They are in cages and can't get you.”

“I will be safe there?” asked Gilly.

“Very safe,” said Jake. “I think you will be happy and safe.”

“You guys are nice,” smiled Gilly. “Lot of others are mean to me.”

“Will you be our friend?” asked Midge.

“I'd like that,” said Gilly. “I've never had a friend before.”

“We will be your friend,” said Jake.

Gilly smiled. “I'm going now to take a nap.”

“Okay,” said Midge.

The three said good-bye to their new friend and left the zoo and started walking home.