I Can Win

“Hey Booker-T!” called Midge as she entered the yard at his house. “Where are you?”

“Here I am,” said Booker-T as he came around the corner from the back yard. “What are you doing?”

“Lets go to Jake's house,” said Midge. “Come on Hurry.”

“What's the hurry?” asked Booker-T.

“Did you hear?” asked Midge.

“Hear what?” asked Booker-T.

“My owner had the news on last night and guess what?” said Midge.

“I don't want to guess,” sighed Booker-T. “You can just tell me, okay.”

“Remember the go-cart races they had on the steep hill on the other side of the park one time?” asked Midge.

“I remember,” said Booker-T. “Your owner's nephew was in those races.”

“Yes,” said Midge. “The races are going to he here Saturday.”

“Oh,” said Booker-T. “Is he going to race in it again?”

“I'm going to race in it,” said Midge.

Booker-T stopped and fell on the ground laughing. “You are going to be in the race? How are you going to race. It is for the humans. You don't even have a go-cart.”

“I'm going to ride my owners little red wagon,” said Midge. “It has wheels and will go flying down the hill fast.”

“You can't do that,” said Booker-T.

“Sure I can, said Midge. “And I will win. I know I will. Just watch and see.”

“They won't let you race in the races,” said Booker-T. “How will you sign up to be in it?”

“They won't know til I come with my wagon,” said Midge.

“You are too funny,” laughed Booker-T. “It won't work. Someone will stop you.”

Booker-T and Midge entered Jake's yard and found him sleeping on the porch swing.

“Jake!” called Midge as she tapped him on the head.

“Wake up Jake, said Booker-T. “Midge has something to tell you.”

“What's going on?” asked Jake.

“I think you need a good laugh, Jake,” said Booker-T.

“What did you do this time, Midge?” asked Jake.

“I didn't do anything yet,” said Midge.

“It's what she wants to do that is funny,” said Booker-T.

“I can do it,” said Midge. “I know I can and I will win doing it.”

“You can do what?” asked Jake. “Start talking.”

“Remember the go-cart races they had that my owner's nephew raced in and won?” asked Midge.

“Oh yeah,” said Jake. “Those were cool.”

“They are going to have them again this Saturday,” said Midge.

“Is your owner's nephew going to race in them again?” asked Jake.

“I don't know,” said Midge. “But I am going to race in it this time.”

Jake sat back down and started laughing. “You can't race in it.”

“Sure I can,” assured Midge.

“You don't have a go-car,” said Jake.

“I have my owner's red wagon,” said Midge. “I will ride in it. It will go really fast down the hill.”

“You can't race a wagon in it?' said Jake. “That won't work. How will you steer it?”

“Sure I can,” said Midge. “I will hold the handle and steer it down the hill and I will win.”

“They won't let you race in it, Midge,” said Jake. “You have to sign up to be in the race. How will you sign up for it?”

“I'm just going to come with the little wagon and as they are saying 'get ready'” said Midge. “I will walk to the starting line with the wagon so when they say GO, I will jump in and let it go down the hill.”

“Oh Midge,” said Jake. “It won't work. They will stop you when you walk out there with the wagon.”

“I will win Jake,” said Midge. “Just watch me do it.”

Saturday arrived and people gathered at the park near the big hill where the race would go down. The streets in the area were blocked so no cars could enter the street. At end of the street at the bottom of the hill, they placed some bails of hay to help stop the go-carts after reaching the bottom.

Jake stood with Booker-T under a tree where they could see the hill and all the racers. Midge came up behind them dragging the wagon behind her.

“Midge,” said Jake. “You can't race the wagon in there.”

“Sure I can,” said Midge. “And I will win. Don't worry, Jake.”

“You can get hurt Midge,” said Booker-T.

“I will be fine,” said Midge.

“You weren't fine when you went head first into the snow bank riding the sled down a hill,” said Jake.

“I was fine,” said Midge. “You got me out of the snow okay.”

“Welcome to the city's annual go-car races,”  said the announcer. “We are happy to see so many of you out here on this wonderful warm afternoon. We have ten entries in the races. All those entered, please make your way to the starting line now. You will go down the hill two at a time. Winner of the 1^st race will race the winner of the 2^nd race and so on until we have one winner left. Have fun and good luck to you all.”

Midge stood at the tree and waited.

“When are you going?' asked Jake.

“I will race in the second one,” said Midge.

As the second racers lined up at the starting line and the man started counting, Midge ran out with her wagon and stood beside one of the racers. A young man ran toward her to grab the wagon, but was too late to reach her. When the announcer said go, she jumped into the wagon as it started down the hill. She held onto the wagon handle tight in her teeth as the wagon sped down the hill. People were laughing and clapping at the sight of this dog rolling down the hill in a little red wagon. When she reached the bottom of the hill, the wagon hit the hay and Midge flew out of the wagon and laded on top of the hay. Jake and Booker-T ran to check on her.

“Are you okay?” asked Jake.

“I'm fine,” smiled Midge. “And I won the second race.”

“Yes you did Midge,” said Jake. “Now lets go home. They aren't going to let you race again.”

“Hurry! Here they come!” said Booker-T as they ran away with Midge pulling the wagon.