What Kind of Bird is That

 

Midge and Booker-T strolled along the sidewalk on their way to Jake's house. At the corner when they started to turn the corner, they saw a strange looking bird standing in the back yard of the corner house.

“Look over there, Midge,” said Booker-T as he stopped to stare at the bird. “What kind of bird is that?”

“Where?” asked Midge looking around the sky.

“Over there in that yard,” said Booker-T. “I never saw a bird like that.”

“Is he wearing a hat?” asked Midge as she started to walk across the street toward the bird.

“You might scare it,” said Booker-T.

“Hello bird,” smiled Midge.

“Are you talking to me?” asked the funny looking bird.

“Yes,” said Midge. “I never saw you around here before. Where do you live?”

“In the trees,” said the bird. “Are you going to try and catch me?”

“No,” said Midge. “We don't try to catch any birds. We are friends with a bluejay named Gabby.”

“Do you know Gabby?” asked Booker-T.

“No,” said the bird. “Who is Gabby?”

“He's our friend,” said Midge. “He's a bluejay. What kind of bird are you?”

“They call me a Secretary Bird,” said the bird.

“Why are you wearing a hat?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't have a hat on my head,” laughed the bird.

“Why do you have spikes in your head?” asked Midge.

“They are feathers,” said the bird.

“Do you have a name?” asked Midge.

“My name is Buzzy,” said the bird.

“I like that name,” said Booker-T. “Buzzy. My name is Booker-T and this is Midge.”

“What are you doing?” asked Buzzy.

“We are going to our friend's house?” aid Midge. “What are you doing?”

“I was looking for something to eat,” said Buzzy.

“What do you eat?” asked Midge. “We have some dog food or cat food at our houses. Do you want to come to my house and I'll give you some dog food if you are hungry.”

“Do I look like a dog?” asked Buzzy.

“No,” smiled Midge. “I thought if you are hungry, you might eat some. What do you eat?”

“I eat snakes and mice,” said Buzzy.

“You eat snakes!” said Booker-T as he looked at Midge. “Wow. I don't like snakes.”

“I don't like them either,” said Buzzy. “But they are tasty.”

“Ewww,” said Midge. “Icky.”

“Where did you come from?” asked Booker-T.

“I was in a moving cage and when the big blue truck stopped and the two humans tried to put me into another cage, I ran away,” said Buzzy.

“You ran away?” asked Booker-T. “Why didn't you fly away. You have wings.”

“I run fast,” said Buzzy.

“Don't you like to fly?” asked Mdige. “I chase my food on the ground.”

“How did you get away from the humans?” asked Booker-T.

“I ran around a corner and hid under something,” said Buzzy. “They walked around looking for me and drove away when they couldn't find me.”

“Do you live in a zoo?” asked Midge.

“What's a zoo?” asked Buzzy. “I never heard of a zoo.”

“It's a place where wild animals live,” said Booker-T. “Are you a wild animal?”

“I am a bird,” said Buzzy as his spikes of feathers on his head opened up. “And I don't think I'm wild.”

“You don't look wild,” said Midge. “But what are you going to do?”

“I don't know,” said Buzzy. “Can I come live with you?”

“I live with a human,” said Midge.

“Why?” asked Buzzy. “Don't the humans scare you?”

“Oh no,” said Booker-T. “They give us a home and feed us good food.”

“Where did you come from?” asked Midge.

“I was in a cage with other birds that looked like me,” said Buzzy.

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

“I ran here chasing a snake,” said Buzzy.

“Midge,” said Booker-T. “Maybe he came from the zoo building.”

“What is a zoo building?” asked Buzzy.

“I think the humans are taking you to another zoo,” said Midge.

“I think the humans are looking for you,” said Booker-T. “Do you want Midge and I to take you to the zoo building?”

“Is it a good place?” asked Buzzy.

“The animals we talk to like it,” said Midge. “Come on with Booker-T and I and we will take you to the building. I think if you got out, they are looking for you.”

“What if I don't want to go there?” asked Buzzy.

“What will you do?” asked Midge.

“I don't know,” said Buzzy. “Can I stay with you?”

“I don't think my owner would like that,” said Midge.

“I can live in your back yard,” suggested Buzzy. “I can eat all the snakes.”

“We don't have any snakes,” said Midge. “I never saw one.”

“Someone might be scared of a funny looking bird with long legs,” said Booker-T.

“Are you scared of me?” asked Buzzy.

“No,” said Midge. “If you go to the zoo, lot of little humans will walk around and see you.”

“Humans will come see me?” asked Buzzy.

“Yes,” said Booker-T. “Every day they will come to see you.”

“And the zookeeper will feed you all the snakes you want,” said Midge.

“Okay,” said Buzzy. “Can we go to this place called a zoo building?”

“Sure,” smiled Midge. “Lets go.”

Booker-T and Midge walked with Buzzy and took him to the zoo building. Sitting in the parking lot was the truck that lost the bird. Buzzy walked into the building and said good-bye to Midge and Booker-T. On their way to Jake's house, they saw Jake walking toward them.

“What are you two doing?” asked Jake. “Did you go to the zoo building without me?”

“No,” said Midge. “We found a runaway funny bird and took him back to the building.”

“A runaway bird?” said Jake.

“He was a funny looking bird with spikes in his head and very long legs,” said Booker-T.

“Are you two dreaming?” asked Jake.

'No,” said Booker-T shaking his head. “It really was a funny looking bird named Buzzy.”

“Okay,” said Jake. “What do you want to do today?”

“Do you want to go see the funny bird?” asked Midge.

“Okay,” said Jake.

The three turned around and walked to the zoo building.