Jasper the Moose

Midge started walking toward the doggie door in her kitchen door when Booker-T poked his head through the door.

“Hi Midge!” said Booker-T.

“Hey Booker-T,” smiled Midge. “Come on in and say hi to Snappy.”

Booker-T followed Midge to the living room and he leaped into the chair beside Snappy's tank. “Hi Snappy,” greeted Booker-T.

“Hi there,” said Snappy. “What are you doing?”

“I came to get Midge to go to Jake's house,” said Booker-T. “Midge said to come on in and say hi. What are you doing?”

“I am resting on this nice big rock,” said Snappy. “Do you like my pretty flowers in here?”

“They really look nice,” smiled Booker-T. “Do you want to come with us to Jake's house? Midge can pull you in the wagon.”

“No,” said Snappy. “It is safer for me in this nice home. I miss playing with you guys at the pond.”

“I know,” said Midge. “We miss you too when we go there to play. Jake can bring you outside in the sun and we can play in our little pond here if you want to.”

“Maybe next time you guys play in the pond in the backyard, I will come out there with you,” said Snappy. “What are you guys going to do today?”

“I think we are going to the school and see what they are doing over there,” said Midge.

“What is over there?” asked Booker-T.

“I heard on the news that they are building a new playground with swings, a slide, a teeter-totter, and a merry-go-round,” said Midge. “They also have something called monkey bars.”

“Are there going to be monkeys in the park?” asked Snappy.”

“I don't think so,” said Midge.

“Why are they going to have monkey bars if there isn't any monkeys?” asked Snappy.

“Maybe after they are built, monkeys will come to play,” said Midge. “I don't know.”

“Do we have monkeys in our city?” asked Booker-T. “I've never seen any before.”

“We have seen them at the little zoo building,” said Midge.

“But they were in the cage,” said Booker-T. “Maybe if the monkeys got out of the cages, they catch them with the monkey bars.”

“Maybe,” smiled Midge. “That's a good idea.”

“Come on Midge,” said Booker-T. “I want to slide down the slide.”

“I'm coming,” said Midge as she headed to the back door following Booker-T.

They crawled through the door and ran around to the front yard and out the gate. They strolled along the sidewalk to Jake's house.

“Hey there Jake!” called Midge as they walked through the gate at Jake's house. “What are you doing?”

“I'm sleeping,” said Jake.

“No you're not,” said Midge. “You are talking to me.”

“No,” said Jake. “I'm talking in my sleep.”

“Ha ha,” laughed Booker-T.

“What are you doing?” asked Jake.

“We want to go check out the new park near the school,” said Midge. “Come on.”

“What new park?” asked Jake.

“I heard on the TV when my owner was watching it, there is a new park near the school,” said Midge. “It has slides, merry-go-round, teeter-totter, swings and monkey bars.”

“I want to slide down the slide,” said Booker-T.

“Okay,” said Jake. “Let's go.”

They strolled along the sidewalk and got to the school and there in the school yard stood this really big animal.

“Look Jake,” said Midge. “Is that Carter?”

“How did he get out of the zoo cage?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't know,” said Jake.

“Do you think they let him out of the cage?” asked Midge.

“I don't know,” said Jake. “Do you think it is safe to go ask him?”

“He's really big Jake,” said Booker-T.

“But we talked to him at the zoo,” said Midge. “Maybe he will remember us.”

“Do you want to go talk to him?” asked Jake.

“I think we can try,” said Booker-T. “He's coming this way.”

“Hey Carter!” called Midge. “Hey!”

The moose kept walking toward where they were standing. “Carter,” said Jake. “Did you forget us?”

“Who are you talking to?” asked the Moose as he walked over to where the three were standing.

“I was talking to you,” said Midge. “Maybe you forgot us.”

“I don't remember you,” said the moose.

“We saw you at the little zoo building two weeks ago,” said Midge. “You don't remember?”

“I've never been in a zoo,” said the moose.

“We saw you there,” said Jake. “Did you forget?”

“No,” said the moose.

“What is your name?” asked Midge.

“I'm Jasper,” said the moose.

“Oh,” said Booker-T. “Do you know Carter?”

“Who is Carter?” asked Jasper.

“He is a big moose at the zoo,” said Jake. “We talked to him at the zoo.”

“What is a zoo?” asked Jasper.

“It is a big home for animals that are wild,” said Midge. “Are you a wild animal?”

“I don't think I'm wild,” said Jasper. “I am just a slow moving moose.”

“Do you have family?” asked Booker-T.

“Yes,” said Jasper. “But I lost them.”

“How did you loose your family?” asked Midge.

“I was with them and then I went to sleep and when I woke up, they were gone,” said Jasper.

“Oh,” said Jake. “You don't know where they are?'

“No,” said Jasper. “I've been walking all over the place looking for them.”

“Where did you see them last time?” asked Midge.

“In the woods,” said Jasper. “Do you know where the woods are?”

“How did you get here?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't know,” said Jasper. “I think I walked in my sleep. When I woke up, I wasn't in the woods anymore.”

“You walk around in your sleep?” asked Jake.

“Yes,” said Jasper.

“I don't think your family is lost,” said Midge. “I think you are lost.”

“Do you know where the woods are?” asked Jasper.

“Follow us and we will show you,” said Midge.

Jasper the moose, followed the three friends to the other side of the big farm where they said good-bye to him and wished him good luck finding his family. “Bye Jasper,” said Midge.

“Bye you guys,” said Jasper as he walked into the woods.