Going Fishing

 

Midge came out of the bedroom and jumped into the chair next to Snappy's tank.  She pressed her nose against the glass and looked around for Snappy.  She hopped onto the back of the chair and poked her head over the top of the tank.    

   “Hi Snappy,” said Midge.  “Where are you hiding?”

   Snappy poked his head out of the little house that sat behind his big log.

   “Good morning, Midge,” smiled Snappy.  “What are you doing?”

   “I'm going to Booker-T's house,” said Midge. 

    “That's okay,” smiled Booker-T as he entered the room.  "I'm here.”

  “I see you,” said Midge.  “I didn't hear you coming.”

   “I know,” laughed Booker-T.  “I have quiet feet and I can sneak up on a mouse.”

   “I can walk quietly too,” said Midge.  “And I can sneak up on any thing.”

  “We are good sneakers,” smiled Booker-T.  “I think Jake and Lucy are too.”

   “We are always friends with everyone” said Midge.  “So I don't think we do any sneaking around, do we?”

   “Sometimes we do,” said Booker-T .  “Remember when I was sneaking into the car last week.”

   “That's different,” said Booker-T.  “You were just trying to get into that car without the young owner seeing you.”

   “I know,” smiled Midge.  “That was scary when he came running toward me waving his hands and yelling at me.”

    “You didn't hurt his car,” said Booker-T.  “Why was he so upset?”

“And it was just an old car,” sighed Midge.

  “But it looked like New,” said Booker-T.  Maybe he just cleaned it up and didn't want anyone to mess it up.”

   “Maybe,” said Midge.

   “Why do they call the old cars this word, classic?” asked Booker-T.  “They just look like cleaned up old cars.”

   “What are we going to do today?” asked Midge.

   “I think Lucy wants to do another human thing today,” said Booker-T. 

  “Did she say what it was she wanted to try?” asked Midge.

   “Yes,” said Booker-T.  “She wants to try this thing the humans call fishing.”

    “Fishing!” said Midge.  “I don't know how to fish.”

    “Maybe Jake does,” suggested Booker-T. 

   “Fishing is a human thing,” said Midge.  “I guess we can try it.”

   “Maybe we can't do this thing,” said Booker-T. 

   “Don't give up before we start,” said Midge.  “I bet we can do it.”

   “Do what?” asked Lucy as she and Jake entered the room.

   “Hey there guys,” said Midge.  “You sneaked up on us.”

   “You just didn't hear us because you were talking,” said Jake.  “What were you talking about?”

   “Booker-T said that Lucy wanted to go fishing today,” said Midge.  “How do we go fishing without this thing called a fishing pole?”

   “We can go to the farm and fish in the pond,” said Lucy.

  “We still don't have a fishing pole,” said Midge.

   “My owner likes to fish,” said Lucy.  “He has some of those things in the barn.”

   “I like fish,” said Booker-T.  “Lets go.”

   “We can try to fish like the bears do,” suggested Jake.

   “How do the bears fish?” asked Midge.  “Do they use poles too?”

   “No,” said Jake.  “They stand in the water looking for the fish.  When they see one swimming under the water, they grab it with their foot.”

   “But their feet and claws are bigger than ours,” said Midge.

    “I have little feet,” sighed Booker-T.  "I would starve if I had to catch my food with my little feet.”

   “You can catch a mouse,” said Jake.

  “Yes, but they are little guys and they aren't under water. Fish are slippery,” said Booker-T.

   “My nails are not sharp,” said Midge.  “My owner clipped them last week.”

   “Mine too,” said Jake.

   “Lets try the poles,”  suggested Lucy.

    “Okay,” said Midge as they all hurried to the farm.

   They followed Lucy to the barn where they found a rack in the back with six poles hanging on it. They stood staring at the poles.

   “Now what?” asked Booker-T.  “Can you get a pole down Jake.  You are taller than we are.”

   Jake tried to pull down a pole from the rack.  He pulled and pulled, but it wasn't moving at the top.  Suddenly it slipped down, but the string on the pole was stuck onto the hook at the top.  The pole fell to the ground and the string unraveled.  

  “I think we made a mess out of your owner's pole,” said Midge.

   “Maybe,” said Lucy.  “I think we need to go do something else before he comes to the barn.”

   'I think so too,” said Midge.

   “Lets run,” said Booker-T.  “He won't be happy.  He won't know that we did it.”

 They ran outside and stood talking to the cows, trying to look innocent.