Visiting The Leopard

 

Jake, Midge and Booker-T stood there watching the big cat as it paced back and forth in the cage.

"Hey!" said the big cat as it stopped pacing and stood staring at the three outside the cage. "What are you three doing? Why don't you let me out of here?"

"Hi big guy," smiled Booker-T.

"We can't open the gate," said Jake.

"We just came to visit you," said Midge.

"Who are you?" asked the big cat.

"I'm Booker-T and this is Jake and Midge," replied Booker-T. "Do you have a name?"

"Of course I have a name," snapped the big cat. "I'm Leonard."

"Hi Leonard," said Midge.

"Now you can open the door and let me out," said Leonard.

"We can't," said Jake. "We don't have a key to the gate."

"Why are you out there?" asked Leonard.

"Because we don't live at any zoo," said Jake.

"What is a zoo?" asked Leonard. "I don't live in whatever it is either."

"How did you get here?" asked Midge.

"There was a big human that carried me here in a big cage," said Leonard.

"How did you get in the big cage?" asked Booker-T.

"I saw this food in the cage and the door was open," said Leonard. "So I walked in to eat it. When I walked in there, the door shut."

"Where did you see the big cage?" asked Midge.

"I was in the woods," said Leonard. "Do you know why they brought me here?"

"I think they are taking you to the zoo," said Jake.

"What is a zoo?" asked Leonard.

"It is a big place where lot of animals live," said Midge. "You will be safe there."

"I want to go back to the woods," said Leonard.

"Maybe you were too close to humans," said Jake. "You will make friends at the zoo."

"Do you live at the zoo?" asked Leonard.

"No," said Midge. "We live in a house with a human."

"I will go home with you," said Leonard. "I might like a house with a human."

"But you are a wild cat," said Jake. "They won't let you go live with a human."

"Why not?' said Leonard. "If you can live with one, I can live with one too."

"But we aren't wild animals," said Jake.

"I'm a little wild," laughed Booker-T.

"Ha ha," laughed Midge. "You are not wild."

"I could be wild," said Booker-T. "I look like a tiger."

"I think a baby tiger is bigger than you are," laughed Jake.

"Are you a tiger?" asked Leonard.

"Not really," sighed Booker-T. "I just look like one, don't you think so?"

"I've never seen a tiger," said Leonard.

"Are you a tiger with spots?" asked Midge.

"I am a leopard," said Leonard.

"Just checking," laughed Midge. "That sign there says you are a leopard."

"What are you?" asked Leonard.

"I'm a dog," said Midge. "Jake is a dog and Booker-T is a cat."

"Why do you live with humans?" asked Leonard.

"They call us pets," said Jake. "I think humans like pets."

"Do you all live together?" asked Leonard.

"No," said Midge. "We each live in a different house with different humans."

"You are a cat," said Leonard. "And I'm a cat. I can come live with you Booker-T."

"I can't take you home with me," said Booker-T.

"Why?" asked Leonard. "Don't you like me?"

"Sure, I like you," said Booker-T. "But you are a wild animal so you will go live at the zoo with other animals."

"I'm scared to go to this thing you call a zoo," said Leonard.

"But you are a big brave cat," said Jake. "Why are you scared to go to the zoo?"

"I don't know what a zoo is," said Leonard. "I have never been to a zoo before."

"We visited one," said Jake. "It is really big and lot of animals there."

"Will you come to visit me at the zoo?" asked Leonard.

"It is too far away for us to walk to," said Jake. "The humans don't like us to ride the train."

"Am I going to ride this train thing to the zoo?" asked Leonard.

"I think they will take you in a big truck like the one that you were in," said Jake.

"I want to go home," said Leonard. "I will miss my friends."

"You can make some new friends," said Booker-T. "I make new friends sometimes."

"You are big cat," said Midge. "When you get to the zoo, talk to some of the other animals."

"What will I do there?" Leonard.

"You will have fun and they will feed you and humans will come there to see you," said Jake.

"Humans will come?" asked Leonard. "Won't they be afraid of me?"

"No," said Midge. "You will be in a safe place so they can see you and you can see them, but they can't touch you."

"We need to go now," said Jake. "Have fun in your new home."

"Okay," sighed Leonard. "Thanks for talking to me and telling me about the zoo."

"Bye," said Booker-T as he followed Jake and Midge out the front door of the zoo transfer building.

"Lets go home," said Jake. "I'm hungry."

"You are always hungry," laughed Midge. "Lets go."