What Are You?

 

Midge crawled out the doggie door into the back yard. As she walked around the back corner of the house, she saw something green move a big leaf of the ivy that went up the side of the house. She walked close and stared at it. It moved a little and turned it's head to look at Midge.

“Hello,” said Midge. “Wow, I almost didn't see you up there.”

“Who are you?” asked the little green animal.

“I'm Midge,” said Midge. “I live here. Who are you?”

“I'm Junior,” said the little green animal.

“I like your color,” smiled Midge. “Why are you green? Did you fall into some paint?”

“No,” said Junior. “I turned green when I crawled onto the leaf. I'm a little Chameleons.”

“What is a chameleon?” asked Midge. “How did you turn green?”

“It is a lizard,” said Junior.

“Do you like being a lizard?” asked Midge.

“Sure,” said Junior as he walked down the side of the wall closer to Midge.

“Oh wow!” said Midge.

“What happened?” asked Junior.

“You changed color!” said Midge. “How did you do that?”

“I'm a chameleon lizard and I can change colors when I sit on something,” said Junior.

“Wow,” smiled Midge. “That is so cool. I would like to do that too.”

“You don't change colors?” asked Junior.

“No,” said Midge shaking her head. “I'm this same color all the time. I'm always white with black spots.”

“Now I'm brown like your house,” smiled Junior. “Do you like brown or green?”

“I like green,” said Midge. “Will you change to green when you go back on the leaf?”

“Yes,” said Junior as he hurried to get on top of the leaf. “Watch.”

“That is so cool,” said Midge. “I don't think I want to play hide and seek with you.”

“Why?” asked Junior. “I'm really good at playing hide and seek.”

“You would be hard to find,” said Midge.

“Are you talking to your house?” asked Jake as he walked around to the side of the house when he found Midge standing there starting at the house.

“No,” laughed Midge. “I'm talking to Junior.”

“Who is Junior?” asked Jake.

“He's that little lizard hanging onto the side of the house,” said Midge.

Jake looked close to the house and Junior moved onto the leaf. “Can you see me now?” asked Junior.

“Oh yes,” said Jake. “Hi Junior. Now I see you. You are the same color as Midge's house.”

“Now, I'm going to change to green,” said Junior. “I like the color of green.”

“Are you being funny?” laughed Jake. “No one can change colors. I am always brown and Midge is always white with black spots.”

“I can change colors,” said Junior. “Just keep looking at me.”
Jake stared at Junior as he slowly changed his color to the green of the leaf he now stood on.

“Oh my!” said Jake. “How do you do that? Can you teach us to do that?”

“I don't know how I do it,” said Junior. “I just change color when I sit on things.”

“That is really cool,” smiled Jake as he watched Junior turn from brown to green. “Can you change back to brown if you want to?”

“Yes,” said Junior.

“He is really good at playing hide and seek,” said Midge.

“Where do you live?” asked Jake.

“I live under your porch in front of the house,” said Junior. “It is warm under there.”

“I didn't know you were there,” said Midge.

“I see you and your friends all the time when they come,” said Junior. 'You never see me because I change color.”
“What do you eat?” asked Jake. “Do you like dog food?”

“I eat bugs and some spiders,” said Junior.

“Ooh, icky,” said Midge shaking her head. “I don't like bugs or spiders.”

“I don't either,” said Junior. “But they taste good.”

“I think I will just eat my dog food,” said Midge.

“Okay,” said Junior. “Is your dog food good?”

“Yes,” said Jake. “It is real good. Do you want to taste some?”

“Yes, maybe I can,” said Junior. “Do you have some?”

“Wait here and I will go get a piece of it,” said Midge as she started to walk to the back of the house.

In a few minutes, Midge came back carrying in her mouth, two small pieces of dog food and dropped it to the ground near the house. Junior hurried down the wall and stepped on the dog food that lay there.

“Hey Jake!” said Midge. “Look at Junior, he is changing to brown like my food is.”

“Taste it,” said Jake. “Do you like it?”

Junior took a small bite of the food. “It is good,” said Junior. “But I like the bugs better.”

“What are you guys doing?” asked Booker-T as he walked around to the side of the house. “Did you lose something on the ground there?”

“No,” said Midge. “We gave Junior a taste of my dog food.”

“Who is Junior?” asked Booker-T. “I don't see him. Did he go home?”

“Look there on the ground,” Pointed Jake. “Junior is a lizard and he changes colors.”

“Can he teach us to do that?” asked Booker-T.

“I thought you liked being orange and black,” said Midge.

“I do,” laughed Booker-T. “If I can change colors, I could win in hide and seek.”

“Ha ha,” laughed Jake. “We get to stay the same all the time.”

“Junior can't teach us,” sighed Midge. “I already asked him.”

“What color did you want to change to?” asked Booker-T.

“I wanted to be a golden light brown,” said Midge.

“That would be pretty,” said Jake. “I like the brown color.”

“Me too,” said Midge. “Or I would like to be white with no black spots.”

“But black is pretty,” said Booker-T. “It goes good with my orange stripes.”

“Lets go play at the park,” said Jake.

“Where's Lucy?” asked Midge.

“She had to go to the vet this morning,” said Jake. “She will come to the park after she gets home.”

“Okay,” said Midge. “Lets go. Bye Junior.”

“Bye bye,” said Junior. “See you around.”