The Animal with Big Teeth

Jake and Midge hurried inside the zoo building with Booker-T running behind them..

“Come on Booker-T,” said Midge. “What are you doing?”

“I was looking at the zoo train across the street,” said Booker-T. “It sure was fun ridding the train to the big zoo.”

“But we almost had to walk all the way home,” said Jake. “That would have been bad. Our little legs would have really been tired.”

“Lets go see what animals are inside today,” said Midge.

They stood in the middle of the room and look around at the five cages that were inside.

“Look Jake,” said Booker-T. “There is another elephant and three Meecats, a big ape, a zebra and what is that in the corner?”

“Lets go see,” said Jake.

They walked to the corner cage and suddenly a big snout came out of the water. “Oh!” exclaimed Booker-T. “Look at those teeth. He could eat me in one bite.”

“I think he could eat all of us in one bite,” said Jake as he walked to the sign that was posted on the side of the gate. “This is a crocodile,”

“He looks like the alligator we saw here one time,” said Midge.

“You look delicious,” said a gruff voice from inside the cage. “Why don't you come on in.”

“You can't eat us,” said Midge. “That would not be nice.”

“But I'm hungry and you would just about fill me up,” said the crocodile. “Won't you let me try?”

“No,” said Booker-T. “Our owners would miss us.”

“What are you?” asked the crocodile.

“I'm a dog,” said Jake. “My friend here is a dog and the other one is a cat.”

“I think you would taste good,” said the crocodile. “Why are you outside the cage and I'm in here?”

“You are a wild animal and we are house pets,” said Midge.

“What is a house pet?” asked the crocodile. “I've never eaten a house pet, I don't think.”

“And I don't think you are going to eat one today,” said Booker-T.

“What is your name?” asked Midge. “Do you have a name?”

“Sure, I have a name,” said the crocodile. “Don't you have a name?”

“I'm Midge,” she said. “This is my friend Jake and my friend Booker-T.”

“My name is Parker,” said the Crocodile.

“Barker?” asked Jake.

“No, not Barker,” said the Crocodile. “It is Parker.”

“Oh, Parker,” said Booker-T. “That's a nice name.”

“Where are you going?” asked Jake.

“I don't know,” said Parker. “I was in this nice big river with all my friends and suddenly I was put into a cage and dumped here.”

“How did they catch you?” asked Midge.

“I crawled out of the water and was looking for some food,” said Parker. “Suddenly someone put a big net over me and before I knew what happened, I was in a big cage.”

“Where were you looking for your food?” asked Jake.

“I don't know where it was,” said Parker. “But I saw all these big square things and people were screaming.”

“You must have crawled into some people's neighborhood,” said Jake.

“They must have been really scared of you,” said Midge.

“They all looked so delicious,” said Parker. “There was enough food for me for a long time and I could have fed my friends too.”

“You don't want to eat people,” said Booker-T.

“Why not,” said Parker. “They might be better than what I've been eating.”

“What were you eating?” asked Midge.

“Fish,” said Parker. “All the time fish. Fish, fish and more fish. I was really getting tired of fish. I wanted something else.”

“What else do you eat?” asked Booker-T.

“This sign here says he eats fish, little animals, frogs, birds, rats and mice,” read Jake.

“That is sad if you eat little animals,” said Midge. “You might be eating someone's friend, someone's family member.”

“That's okay,” said Parker. “What do you eat?”

“Midge and I eat dog food that people make,” said Jake. “And Booker-T here eats cat food.”

“Don't you get tired of eating that stuff?” asked Parker.

“Sometimes our owners give us a nice treat and we eat some leftover meat that they are eating,” said Midge.

“Will you bring me some?” asked Parker. “I want some meat.”

“But I don't know when we can get you any,” said Jake. “It says on this sign here, that you are going to the big zoo tomorrow morning.”

“I'm going somewhere else now,” said Parker.

“Yes,” said Jake.

“Where is the big zoo and what is a big zoo?” asked Parker.

“The zoo is a long way from here and there are many animals there,” said Midge.

“I can get a lot of good food there?” asked Parker.

“The zoo owners will feed you,” said Midge.

“I can't eat the animals there?” asked Parker.

“No,” said Jake. “the zoo is their home and will be your home now too.”
“Maybe you will find some new friends at the zoo,” said Booker-T.

“I really wanted to taste you,” said Parker. “Just one little bite.”

“You are mean,” said Booker-T.

“No, I'm not mean,” said Parker. “I'm hungry. Don't you get hungry?”

“We do, but we don't want to eat someone because we are hungry,” said Jake.

“I do,” said Parker.

“That is why you are in the cage and we are not,” said Booker-T.

“If I promise not to eat you, can I come out of this cage?” asked Parker.

“We can't let you out,” said Jake. “The owner of the zoo has the keys.”

“The zoo owner will open the cage when they send you to the big zoo,” said Booker-T.

“What if I don't want to go?” asked Parker. “Do I have to go?”

“Yes,” said Midge. “You will have friends there and many people will come to see you.”

“People will come to see me?” asked Parker. “Wow, they are always scared of me.”

“You will like it there I think,” said Midge. “We are going now to see the other animals.”

“Bye,” said Parker as he stared at them with sad eyes. He wasn't happy being behind bars.