Midge Wants to Ride in the Balloon

“Jake, when will they fly the balloons?” asked Midge.

“I don't think they will fly them tonight,” said Jake. “They will fly them I think in the morning early before the day gets too hot.”

“Can we ride in one of them?” asked Midge.

“No,” said Jake. “How would we ride in one? The man would see us get into the little basket and put us back out.”

“I really want to go up into the air in one of them, Jake,” said Midge. “How do we do it?”

“I don't think there is anyway to do it,” said Booker-T. “There are people all over the place and we can't get into one of the baskets unseen.”

“We have done things before that we didn't think we could,” said Midge. “Why can't we do this one?”

“Too many people,” said Jake. “Booker-T is right Midge. There is no way we can get into one of the baskets.”

“I will try and figure this one out,” said Midge.

“Good luck with that one,” laughed Gabby.

  “Were you listening?” asked Midge.

“Of course,” said Gabby. “You know me, I hear almost everything and you don't even notice I'm here most of the time.”

“You are sneaky sometimes,” said Midge.

“Why do you want to ride in one of those baskets?” asked Gabby.

“You fly high in the air all the time,” said Midge. “Do you like being up there?”

“Oh yes,” said Gabby. “It is nice up here and you can see a lot of things from here.”

“I want to see that too,” said Midge.

“Okay,” said Gabby. “I will help you if you really want to go up in one.”

“How?” asked Jake. “How can you get Midge into one of the baskets.”

“Aren't you coming too Jake?” asked Midge.

“I don't know if I want to go up there,” said Jake.

“Oh please Jake,” smiled Midge. “Sure you want to come along in the basket. Please Jake.”

“Okay,” sighed Jake. “If Gabby can get us into the basket, I will go with you. We are going to be in so much trouble if we do this.”

“It will be okay,” said Gabby. “What can they do to you?”

“I don't know,” said Jake. “But with humans, it can't be good.”

Gabby took off toward the balloon on the end of the line and started swooping down toward the people and got the attention of the people away from the balloon and the basket. “Okay you guys,” said Gabby. “Hurry, jump into the basket and Jake, pull that chain there to make the flames start and that will heat the air and Midge, you grab the rope and yank it to release the balloon.”

Jake and Midge ran for the basket and leaped into it. They quickly did what Gabby told them to do and the balloon started to lift off the ground. The people were screaming and running toward them and tried to grab at the ropes hanging over the side of the basket. One man held on tight and started to climb up the dangling rope as the basket slowly climbed higher into the air.

“Jake, what are we going to do?” asked Midge. “That man is climbing up the rope.”

“Nothing we can do Midge,” said Jake. “He will be in the basket with us soon.”

“I hope he won't throw us out of the basket up here,” frowned Midge. “It is a long way down there to the ground.”

“I don't think he will be that mean,” said Jake as he tried to keep from showing Midge he was scared too.

The man soon climbed to the top of the rope and threw his leg over the side of the basket and pulled himself in. He stood for a moment staring at the two dogs huddled on the bottom of the basket. He shook his finger at them and grabbed the contol on the fuel tank and kept the fuel burning to heat the air. They rose a little higher now and Midge and Jake slowly stood up and put their front paws on the top edge of the basket and peeked over the top to see what they could see.

“How do you like it Midge?” asked Gabby as he flew close to the basket.

“It is so far down there,” said Jake. “I wonder how long we will stay up here before that man brings us down?”

“He will probably bring it down soon in that big empty field over there,” said Gabby. “The balloon fliers usually bring them down in that field.”

“How do you know that Gabby?” asked Jake.

  “I've seen them fly the balloons before,” answered Gabby.

“Isn't this great Jake?” asked Midge.

“We can't see too much in the dark,” said Jake. “We should have waited til morning and tried this.”

“But the lights are so pretty up here,” said Midge. “They look neat Jake.”

“It would have been harder to get you into the basket in the daytime anyway,” said Gabby. “In the dark it was much easier to go unnoticed.”

“I guess you are right Gabby,” said Jake. “The lights are pretty to see.”

“He is starting to lower the flame now to bring down the balloon in that field,” said Gabby.

Midge and Jake turned to see what the man was doing. He was tossing some kind of bags over the side and lowered the flame some. They could feel the basket start to lower now and they could see the ground coming closer. The man lowered the flame a little more now and the basket came closer to the ground. Midge and Jake stared at the ground as it seemed to rise to meet them. Suddenly the basket hit the ground and the balloon dragged them a few feet tossing them to the bottom of the basket. When it stopped, the man turned to face them. They quickly jumped over the side of the basket and ran across the field.

“Jake!” screamed Midge. “Do you know where we are? How are we going to get home?”

“Don't worry Midge,” said Gabby from above. “I will fly low and you can follow me. I will get you back home safe.”

“Thanks Gabby,” said Jake.

“Wasn't that fun Jake?” asked Midge.

“I will agree that it was fun,” said Jake. “But we sure took a chance with that man's balloon.”

“I know,” said Midge. “Sorry I talked you into it.”

“It's okay Midge,” said Jake. “I wouldn't have let you go alone.”

The two hurried to keep up with Gabby as they made their way back to Jake's house where they leaped on the porch and rested.

“It is getting late Jake,” said Midge. “I better go home. My mistress will be wondering where I am and I will be in a lot of trouble from her.”

“See you tomorrow Midge.” said Jake. “And tomorrow can we do something not so dangerous?”

“Okay,” laughed Midge. “Bye.”

Midge hurried home and into the house through the doggie door. Her mistress stood there with her hands on her hips, staring at Midge as she crawled through the little door. She then lowered herself and gave Midge a hug as she locked the door so Midge could no longer go out til morning. Midge sighed and licked her hand.