An Old Friend Comes Home

“Hey Jake!” called Midge as she and Booker-T strolled into the yard at Jake's house. “Where are you?”

“I'm back here in the back yard!” called Jake.

Midge and Jake ran around to the back yard and found Jake staring into the tree.

“What are you doing?” asked Booker-T.

“There is a little animal in the tree,” said Jake.

“What kind of animal?” asked Midge looking up into the tree trying to see what Jake was looking at.

“I'm not sure,” said Jake. “I thought it was a cat, but I can only see that he is brown.”

“Hello,” called Midge as she placed her front paws on the tree. “Who are you?”

“Why are you waking me up?” asked a voice from in the trees.

“I'm sorry,” said Midge. “We just wanted to know who you are?”

“You know me,” said the voice.

“I can't see you,” said Midge. “How do I know you?”

“It's been a long time,” said the voice as a little squirrel came running down the trunk of the tree.

“Randy!” said Jake. “It really has been a long time. Where have you been?”

“Around,” said Randy. “Who is your new friend?”

“Randy,” said Midge. “This is Booker-T.”

“Hi Booker-T,” greeted Randy.

“Hi Randy,” said Booker-T. “How long have you known Midge and Jake?”

“Think maybe four years,” said Randy.

“It has been a long time,” said Midge. “Where have you been?”

“I jumped into a truck to get some fruit I saw in the back and it drove off with me,” said Randy.

“Where did the truck take you?” asked Jake.

“I was eating fruit and then I laid down and went to sleep,” said Randy. “When I woke up and jumped out of the truck, I didn't see anything I remembered.”

“You don't know where you were?” asked Booker-T.

“No,” said Randy. “I looked everywhere and didn't see anything I knew.”

“You were gone a very long time,” said Midge. “Did you decide to stay where you were?”

“I started walking home,” said Randy. “But I didn't know which way I needed to go.”

“Were you scared?” asked Midge. “I would have been scared.”

“I was a little,” said Randy. “I sat on the ground and looked around but didn't know where I was.”

“How did you find your way back here?” asked Jake.

“I kept asking other squirrels if they knew where the city was,” said Randy

“They told you where it was?” asked Booker-T.

“No,” sighed Randy. “No one I met knew how to get here. I started to think I would never see you guys again.”

“We didn't know what happened to you,” said Jake.

“We thought maybe you went away and found a girlfriend,” said Midge.

“I did meet a nice girl squirrel,” smiled Randy.

“What is her name?” asked Jake.

“Her name is Becky,” said Randy.

“Becky is a pretty name,” said Midge. “Did she come with you?”

“Yes,” said Randy looking up into the tree. “Becky! Everything is okay. Come on down and meet my friends.”

Slowly she came down the tree and joined Randy on the ground. “This is Becky,” said Randy.

“Hello Becky,” smiled Midge. “Welcome to our home.”

“Thank you,” said Becky.

“Do you miss your home?” asked Booker-T.

“No,” said Becky. “We are only a short distance from my home.”

“I met her along the way here,” said Randy. “Her city is on the other side of the river.”

“That is really close to here,” said Jake. “We went to the circus when it was set up along the river.”

“Randy and I went to the circus when it was there,” said Becky. “It was sure fun.”

“We didn't see you there,” said Jake. “You didn't come to see us.”

“I forgot how to find your house,” said Randy. “Becky and I walked around the streets looking at the houses and I was trying to remember the houses. Last night, we found your house.”

“I'm glad you are back,” smiled Midge. “Are you going to stay?”

“We are going to stay,” said Randy. “Sometimes we will go to her city for a visit to some friends she knows there but we are going to stay here.”

“Great,” said Midge. “One day soon, you and Becky should come to my house to meet our new friend, Snappy.”

“What is Snappy?” asked Randy.

“Snappy is a little green turtle,” said Jake.

“How is Gabby?” asked Randy.

“Gabby is good,” smiled Midge. “He also has a girlfriend, named Polly.”

“Nice,” smiled Randy.

“Does Gabby live around here?” asked Randy.

“Gabby and Polly live across town near the big zoo,” said Jake.

“Do you go to the zoo?” asked Randy.

“We rode the train once to the zoo,” said Booker-T. “It is really big.”

“We have a new little zoo holding place here,” said Midge.

“What is a zoo holding place?” asked Randy.

“When they are moving animals from one zoo to another zoo,” said Jake. “Sometimes they stop at the little zoo holding place here. We like to go look a the animals when they are there.”

“Becky and I will go see the animals who are there,” said Randy.

“We are going to the park to play,” said Jake. “Do you and Becky want to come with us?”

“Come on Randy,” said Midge. “We can run and play like old times.”

“Do you want to go to the park to play with them, Becky?” asked Randy.

“Sure,” smiled Becky. “I would like that. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Any friend of Randy's is a friend of ours too,” smiled Jake. “Lets go.”

The five friends took off running to the park to play.