The Birthday Party

 

Midge and Booker-T walked along the sidewalk on their way to Jake's house. As they past his neighbor's house, they stopped to look at the decorations in the back yard.

“Lets go see,” suggested Midge.

They crossed the street and looked into the back yard.

“Wow,” said Booker-T. “Maybe its a birthday party for a little human.”

“Have you ever had a birthday party?” asked Midge.

“No,” said Booker-T. “Have you ever had one?”

“No,” said Midge. “I don't know when I was born. Do you?”

“No,” said Booker-T. “I think I was born in an alley behind the stores where I lived until you helped me get a nice home.”

“I don't know where I was born,” said Midge. “I don't know how I got my home with my owner.”

“I guess they only do birthday parties for humans,” said Booker-T. “They have a lot of balloons back there.”

“I like playing with a balloon,” smiled Midge.

“Me too, but when I pounce on them, they pop,” sighed Booker-T.

“I think you stick them with your claws and they break the balloon,” laughed Midge.

“Come on, lets go see Jake,” said Booker-T.

They crossed the street and entered Jake's yard through the gate. Jake was laying on the swing on his porch.

“Hey guys,” said Jake. “What are you doing? I saw you standing in the yard across the street. What were you looking at?”

“It looks like your neighbor is going to have a birthday party,” said Midge. “Humans always have so much fun.”

“I think they are having a birthday party for their to little dogs,” said Jake.

“Oh wow,” said Booker-T. “A dog party.”

“Yes,” said Jake. “The two little dogs are a year old now.”

“Do you ever play with them?” asked Midge.

“No,” said Jake. “They are toy poodles.”

“They are giving a party for toys?” asked Booker-T. “Humans are strange.”

“They are real dogs, but they are toy poodle dogs,” said Jake.

“How can they be real dogs if they are toys?” laughed Midge. “That sounds funny.”

“A toy poodle means it is a very small dog,” said Jake. “They are real dogs, not toys.”

“That is very confusing,” said Booker-T. “I didn't know there are toy dogs that are real.”

“I didn't know either,” said Midge. “Have you see the little toy dogs?”

“I see them sometimes when the owner takes them for a walk,” said Jake. “She dresses them in little clothes and puts a leash on them and takes them for a walk up and down the sidewalk. There is a dog pen in the back yard they play in.”

“So that human is giving the little toys a party,” said Booker-T.

“What are you guys talking about?” asked Lucy as she walked up to the porch.

“Hi Lucy,” said Midge. “We were talking about some toy dogs having a party.”

“Someone is giving a party for toys,” said Lucy. “Is the little human going to give her toys a party?”

“No,” said Jake. “They are real dogs but they are very tiny dogs.”

“The toys are real?” said Lucy raising her eyebrows.

“Yes,” said Jake. “The dogs are real dogs, but they are tiny ones.”

“But how can they be real if they are toys?” asked Lucy. “I'm confused.”

“I think humans call them toys because they are very little dogs, “ said Jake. “My neighbor carries her dog around.”

“Her dog don't walk?” asked Booker-T.

“It walks, but it likes to be carried,” said Jake.

“Wow,” said Lucy. “My owner don't carry me around.”

“Because you are a big dog,” said Jake. “We are too heavy to be carried around.”

“I like walking,” said Midge.

“Look over there,” said Jake as he pointed up the sidewalk to a big human walking toward them. “See the little dog she is carrying?”

“Oh,” said Booker-T. “That is a very tiny dog. It must get really tired when it walks.”

The little dog leaped from the humans arms and ran across the street and through the gate at Jake's house.

“Chi Chi!” called the human as she crossed the street and stood at the open gate at Jake's house.

“Hello there,” said Jake. “You must be Chi Chi.”

“I am,” said Chi Chi. “Do you want to come to my birthday party?”

“The party is for you?” asked Midge.

“Yes,” smiled Chi Chi. “I'm going to be one year old today.”

“Wow,” said Booker-T. “I'm 4 years old. Will you get bigger when you reach 4 years?”

“I don't know,” said Chi Chi.

“Chi Chi!” called the human again as she clapped her hands together. “Come here Chi Chi”

“Come to my house,” said Chi Chi as he turned and ran to his human owner and she picked him up in her arms and crossed back to the house across the street and went inside.

“Do you want to go?” asked Midge.

“It might be fun and we can get something to eat,” smiled Booker-T.

“I like to eat,” said Lucy. “Lets go check it out.”

“Okay,” agreed Jake. “We will go.”