Exercising

Booker-T hurried over to Midge's house so they could walk to Jake's house together.. He got to the gate and stopped and stared.. Midge was in the front yard acing strange. He just stood there watching her.

“Hey Booker-T,” called Midge as she turned and saw him standing at the gate. “What are you doing?”

“I was watching you,” smiled Booker-T. “What are you doing? You looked strange.”

“I was exercising,” said Midge.

“Exercising?” asked Booker-T. “I thought we exercised by running around the yard. What kind of exercising was that?”

“My owner was doing these last night,” said Midge.

“You look funny,” laughed Booker-T. “Those are human exercises aren't they?”

“Yes,” said Midge. “They feel funny doing them too. I was watching her doing them last night and when I was looking at her funny, she said they were good for her.”

“My owner runs for exercise,” said Booker-T. “But I don't run with her. I think Jake sometimes runs with his owner.”

“My owner don't run,” said Midge. “She does these funny exercises three times a week when she watches TV.”

“How does she know what to do?” asked Booker-T.

“There is some woman on the TV telling her what to do,” said Midge. “She comes on three nights a week, I think.”

“Does it help her?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't know,” said Midge. “How do you know if exercising is helping you?”

“I don't know,” said Booker-T. “I don't even like to run.”

“I think dogs like to run more than cats do,” said Jake as he joined Midge and Booker-T and heard them talking. “What are you talking about?”

“Midge was trying to do human exercises when I walked over here,” said Booker-T.

“Why?” asked Jake.

“I saw my owner doing them last night,” said Midge. “She looked funny so I was trying them out.”

“What were you doing?” asked Jake.

Midge got up and started to do some of them for Jake. “One, two, three,” said Midge as she lifted her legs up over her head and back down. “One, two, three.”

“What good is that?” asked Jake. “I think running is better. Is that all she does?”

“No,” said Midge. “She does this weird move and the woman on TV called it the tree.”

“Isn't it hard to stand on one leg?” smiled Jake.

“Yes it is,” said Midge as she fell over onto the ground.

“Are you okay?” asked Booker-T.

“I'm good,” said Midge. “I guess it is harder for dogs to stand on one leg than it is for humans. She was standing on one leg for long time with her hands over her head.”

“It don't look like it is very much fun,” said Jake.

“I don't think I like it either,” said Midge.

“Hi guys,” said Gabby as he flew down from the trees. “What don't you like?”

“Exercising like the humans do,” said Midge. “They are not fun.”

“Why are you exercising like a human?” asked Gabby. “You are a dog.”

“I watched her doing them last night and wanted to try them,” said Midge. “But I don't like them. I think it is more fun to run and chase a ball.”

“Me too,” smiled Jake. “I like chasing a ball when my owner throws it for me. Sometimes in the evenings we go to the park and play.”

“You get a lot of exercising when you are flying around,” said Midge.

“I get tired too,” sighed Gabby. “Flapping my wings all the time is hard.”

“Why don't you walk?” asked Booker-T.

“I have little legs,” said Gabby. “It would take me a really long time to walk where I need to go.”

“You walk around the yard pretty fast for a little guy,” laughed Midge.

“But I can fly faster,” said Gabby. “And up in the air, it is safer for me.”

“I wish I could fly,” said Midge.

“Never mind Midge,” said Jake. “Remember, you tried that once.”

“You fell flat on your face when you tried,” laughed Booker-T.

“I know,” said Midge. “I just wish I could fly too. I won't try again.”

“Good,” laughed Jake. “Dogs don't fly.”

“Safer for you to keep your feet on the ground,” said Gabby.

“Flying would be nice,” said Midge. “Cars couldn't hit us in the air.”

“I guess that's true,” said Booker-T. “But we can't fly. We just have to watch where we walk.”

“I hear my owner tell her nephew all the time,” said Midge. “Look both ways when you cross the street.”

“We do that all the time,” said Jake.

“I thought we were talking about exercising,” said Booker-T. “How did we get on the subject of flying?”

“I think because Gabby said he exercises when he flaps his wings,” said Jake. “And you know Midge. She still wants to fly.”

“How about we exercise now and run for the park,” aid Midge. “Do you want to go and play in the park today?”

“Can we walk?” asked Booker-T. “I don't want to run. I want to go ask Melody to go with us.”

“She's not home,” said Jake. “She was leaving in the car with her owner when I started walking over here.”

“Okay, lets go to the park,” said Midge.

“I forgot to tell you something,” said Gabby. “That is why I came over here.”

“What?” asked Jake.

“Guess what they are building near the park,” said Gabby.

“What?” asked Midge.

“A dog track park,” said Gabby.

“But we already have a new one,” said Booker-T. “We have been there.”

“This is a dog race track,” said Gabby. “You went to a dog park where they go to play.”

“Dogs race?” asked Jake.

“Only certain kinds of dogs race,” said Gabby. “They are called Greyhounds.”

“I never saw a greyhound before,” said Midge. “Come on, lets go see.”

The three ran down the sidewalk toward the park.