The Ice Skating Rink

 

Midge woke up when she heard a tapping on the window outside. She jumped into the chair next to Snappy's tank and looked out the window. Sitting on the windowsill was Gabby. She leaped out of the chair and ran through the kitchen to the doggie door and crawled outside. She ran to the front of the house and found Gabby sitting on the porch railing.

"Hi Gabby," said Midge. "What are you doing?"

"I was looking for you guys," said Gabby. "Where is Jake and Booker-T?"

"Here comes Booker-T now," said Midge. "We are suppose to walk over to Jake's house. Do you want to come with us?"

"Hi Gabby," greeted Booker-T as he walked up to the porch where he and Midge were sitting. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to Jake's house with you and Midge," said Gabby. "Midge invited me to come."

"Nice," smiled Booker-T. "Lets go."

Booker-T and Midge hurried out the gate with Gabby flying above. Lot of the snow had melted off the sidewalk in the warm sunshine the last couple of days.

"What are we going to do today?" asked Booker-T.

"I don't know," said Midge. "Maybe Jake has a good idea for the day this time."

"Do you have an idea, Gabby?" asked Booker-T.

"Maybe," said Gabby. "I will tell you when we get to Jake's house."

"Lets hurry," said Midge as she started walking faster.

"What's the hurry?" asked Booker-T.

"I want to know what Gabby's idea is," laughed Midge as they turned the corner and ran to Jake's house and entered the yard through the gate.

Jake was sitting on the porch waiting for them to come. "Hi guys," said Jake.

"Hi Jake," said Gabby. "I came with Midge and Booker-T."

"That is nice," said Jake.

"Okay, Gabby," said Booker-T. "What is your idea for fun?"

"You have an idea?" asked Jake.

"I think so," said Gabby.

"You always know when there is something new in the town," said Midge. "Is there a new place in town again?"

"Yes," smiled Gabby.

"I'm excited," said Midge. "What is it?"

"A new ice skating rink is opening next door to the roller skating place," said Gabby.

"We can't roller skate or ice skate," laughed Jake.

"We can try it," said Midge.

"We are dogs," said Jake. "We don't even have roller skates to wear and we don't have ice skates either."

"I'm not a dog," said Booker-T. "I'm a cat."

"And you can't skate either," laughed Midge.

"I know," said Booker-T. "I don't know what skates are."

"Well," said Jake. "Roller skates are like shoes with wheels on them."

"I don't like shoes without wheels," said Booker-T. "How do humans keep their feet under them with wheels on them?"

"Some humans skate good and some can't," said Jake.

"If humans can't do it," said Midge. "I can't do it."

"What are ice skates?" asked Booker-T.

"I saw a movie one time with my owner," said Jake. "I think the ice skates have something called a blade on them."

"Isn't a blade a knife?" asked Midge.

"I think so," said Jake. "It would be harder to stand up on a blade, I think."

"We can go see what they are doing," said Gabby.

"Maybe," said Midge. "Do you guys want to go see what this ice skating is?"

"Okay," said Jake.

"I'll go too," said Booker-T. "Maybe they will have those funny shoes we can wear."

"Ha ha," laughed Midge. "Lets go."

They went out the gate and started walking to the new ice skating rink with Gabby flying above them leading the way. They crossed the street near the skateboard park and around the corner was a big white building with a large skating shoe as the sign near the door.

"That is a big shoe," said Booker-T. "I think a giant can wear it."

"No one can wear that one," laughed Gabby. "It is just a wooden sign."

"Lets sneak inside when someone walks in," suggested Booker-T.

"Okay," agreed Midge. "Come on closer to the door and wait for someone to come."

They stood at the door waiting for some humans they could sneak in behind. In a few minutes, three young humans walked up to the door and the three got behind them and hurried inside.

"Wow," said Midge. "Look at the big frozen pond in the middle of the room."

"How did they make the pond frozen inside the building?" asked Booker-T.

"I don't know," said Jake. "It's not cold in here."

"Look out guys," said Gabby. "Here comes a human coming your way. You better run."

They looked up and saw a human coming and he didn't look happy.

"Hurry Midge," said Jake as he started to run.

"You are going the wrong way, Jake," said Midge as she followed behind them.

Booker-T ran after them and they entered the rink by mistake. Suddenly their feet slid out from under them and they went sliding across the ice and bumped into the wall on the other side. They tried to stand up and their feet keep sliding out from under them.

"Hurry guys," said Gabby.

"I can't stand up," said Booker-T. "My feet keep sliding."

"Mine too," said Midge. "Can you stand up Jake."

"It is hard," said Jake.

Another human walked up with a couple of ropes and helped the one to get Midge, Jake and Booker-T off the ice and walked them to the door.

"That wasn't nice," said Midge. "I don't think they want us in there."

"I don't think it is an easy floor to walk on," said Booker-T.

"I think in that place, we would spend all our time laying down on the floor," laughed Jake. "I think we better leave the ice skating to the humans."

"I think you are right," said Midge. "Lets go to your house and rest now."

The three started walking along the sidewalk with Gabby flying above.

"Was that fun?" asked Gabby.

"I don't think so," said Booker-T. "We were always falling down."

"We have to find something else to do," said Jake.