Ride the Merry-go-round

“Hey Midge!” called Jake as he hurried through the front gate to the yard. “Midge, where are you?”

“I'm here,” sang Midge. “What are you doing?”

“Do you want to go to the zoo again?” asked Jake.

“I want to go ride the merry-go-round,” said Midge.

“We can't get into the amusement park,” said Jake.

“They have a small carnival now at that new little town,” said Midge. “I saw it when my owner took me for a ride with her last night before we went to bed.”

“They don't have it fenced in?” asked Jake.

“No,” smiled Midge. “We can walk right in.”

“But they will catch us,” said Jake. “They always do.”

“We can try,” said Midge. “I want to ride the horses on the merry-go-round.”

“Is Booker-T coming?” asked Jake.

“Yes,” said Midge. “There he is now.”

“Hi guys,” smiled Booker-T. “What are you doing?”

“Hey Booker-T,” said Midge. “Do you want to go to the carnival?”

“What carnival?” asked Booker-T.

“They have a carnival at the little town we were at yesterday,” said Midge. “I want to go ride the horses on the merry-go-round.”

“They don't have a fence around it?” asked Booker-T.

“They didn't last night,” said Midge.

“Did you go to the little town last night?” asked Booker-T.

“I went for a ride with my owner last night and I saw the carnival being put up,” said Midge. “Come on lets go.”

Jake and Booker-T agreed with Midge and they started to for the little town.

“Look,” said Midge. “See over there, the merry-go-round. I want to ride.”

“How you going to get on to ride?” asked Booker-T. “Won't they chase you off?”

“Maybe,” said Midge. “But I want to try. I like horses.”

Midge started walking toward the merry-go-round and stood staring at it going round and round and up and down. She looked around for the man making it go round and round and saw him on the other side. “I'm going to jump on,” said Midge.

“You might fall,” said Jake. “It might be dangerous.”

“Here I go,” said Midge as she leaped onto the moving merry-go-round. She hurried behind the seat so the man wouldn't see her. After she passed him she jumped on top of one of the horses and as she started to slide down the side, she grabbed the leather strap around the pole and she found herself hanging on the side of the horse hanging onto the strap with her teeth.

“Midge!” called Jake. “What are doing?”

“Hmmmm!” said Midge while holding on to the strap..

“Let go,” said Booker-T. “Put your feet on the step below the horse.”

Jake and Booker-T watched as Midge was hanging onto the strap. Then the merry-go-round came to a stop and Midge let go and dropped to the bottom of the ride. Jake and Booker-T ran to see if she was okay.

“Are you okay?” asked Jake.

“I thought you were going to ride on top of the horse,” said Booker-T. “Not hanging down the side of it.”

“Very funny Booker-T,” said Midge. “I tried to get on top but it was slippery and I slide off. I grabbed the strap as fast as I could.”

“Was it fun going up and down?” asked Jake.

“It was fun going up and down,” said Midge. “But it would be better if I was riding on top of the horse.”

“Are you going to try it again?” asked Jake.

“It is slippery up there,” said Midge. “I don't think I can stay up there with out something to hold on too.”

“ What do you want to do now?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't know,” said Midge. “What else do they have here?”

“Lets walk around and check it out,” smiled Jake.

“Hey look over there,” said Midge as she started to walk toward what she was looking at.

“Wait for us,” said Booker-T. “Where are you going?”

“Oh no,” said Jake.

“What is wrong?” asked Booker-T.

“Do you see what I see?” said Jake.

“What?” asked Booker-T. Suddenly he realized what Jake was looking at. “Oh no is right. She is going to want to ride.”

“It won't be as easy trying to ride those,” said Jake.

“Midge will try if she gets the chance,” said Booker-T as they caught up to her.

“Aren't they pretty?” asked Midge. “I want to ride one.”

“You can't ride on Midge,” said Jake. “They won't let you.”

“I can try,” said Midge. “They are real horses.”

“I see,” said Jake. “That man over there is walking them around with the kids on top. It's a pony ride.”

“With real horses,” said Midge. “How am I going to do this?”

“Well, you can't ask the man if you can ride,” said Booker-T. “Maybe if the man walks away, you can jump on top of one.”

“Will they walk around with me on top, if I do?” asked Midge.

“Maybe these ponies talk like the one at the farm,” said Jake. “Lets go talk to them.”

They walked over close to the ponies, keeping their eyes on the man. “Hello,” said Midge, looking up to the pony.

“Hi,” said the pony. “Are you talking to me?”

“Yes,” said Midge. “Mine name is Midge and these are my friends, Booker-T and Jake.”

“What are you doing?” asked the pony.

“We were walking around looking at all the stuff they have here,” said Midge. “Do you want to come along with us?”

“I have to stay here,” said the pony. “My owner wants me to give the kids rides.”

“Will you give me a ride?” asked Midge.

“You want a pony ride?” asked the pony.

“I would love to ride,” said Midge. “I like horses.”

“What is your name?” asked Booker-T.

“My owner calls me Patsy,” said the pony.

“Patsy is a nice name,” smiled Jake.

“Can I have a ride?” asked Midge.

“Can you get up on my back?” asked Patsy.

“Where is your owner?” asked Midge.

“He went to get something to eat,” Said Patsy. “See that bale of hay over there?”

“Yes,” said Midge.

“Climb up on the hay and then up on the box and onto my back,” said Patsy.

“Okay,” said Midge as she jumped on the bale of hay and then up on the box.

She jumped on top of Patsy and started to sit down when she slid off the other side of

the saddle and landed in the pile of hay on the ground. Jake and Booker-T sat and laughed.

“What happened?” asked Patsy looking back at Midge sitting on the ground.

“That saddle is slippery,” said Midge.

“And your legs are too short,” said Patsy. “Can we still be friends?”

“I'd like that,” said Midge.

“Midge,” said Jake. “Lets go home. I'm hungry now.”

The three said good-bye to their new friend, Patsy, and started up the sidewalk walking home.