The New Zoo Facility

 “Midge!” called Jake as he came through the gate at her house. “Where are you?”

“Hey Jake,” said Midge as she ran around the corner of the house from the back yard. “You sound excited about something.”

“Guess what?” he asked.

“What happened?” asked Midge.

“Remember the little meerkat we found laying on the bench in the park?” asked Jake.

“I remember,” agreed Midge. “Did you see him again?”

“No, but I heard something on the news last night when my owner was watching TV,” said Jake. “They are opening a little zoo near the school now. Maybe that little meerkat is in that new little zoo.”

“Maybe we can try to get in to see the animals,” said Midge. “Gabby likes that zoo on the other side of town.”

“This one is going to be a small zoo,” said Jake. “The man on the news said it will be a holding place for new animals being sent to the big zoo and being sent from the big zoo to other zoos in other cities.”

“Oh wow,” smiled Midge. “I want to go sneak in and see the animals.”

“It may be easy to get in because the news says it has free admission since it is just a holding place for the animals,” said Jake. “No one has to pay so may be we can just walk in through the gate to see them.”

“I want to go see,” said Midge.

“Hi you guys,” said Booker-T as he walked up and joined Jake and Midge in the front yard. “What are you wanting to go see?”

“Jake just told me there is a small zoo going to open near the school,” said Midge.

“How will we sneak in through the gates,” said Booker-T. “ They will be at the gate collecting money.”

“Jake said free admission because this is just a small zoo where they hold animals who will be transferred to the big zoo or to other zoos from our big zoo,” said Midge. “Do you want to go see the animals?”

“Yes,” smiled Booker-T. “Maybe they have a tiger I can see. I like tigers.”

“I hope that is where the little meerkat is going that we met in the park,” said Midge. “It will be good to see him again.”

“How long do they hold the animals there?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't know,” said Jake. “The news last night didn't say.”

“When does it open?” asked Midge.

“The news said it opens this weekend,” said Jake. “Do you want to go see the building? Maybe they will be taking some animals in there.”

“Lets go!” said Midge. “I want to see.”

“Me too,” said Booker-T.

The three friends hurried out the gate and up the sidewalk toward the school. They found the building was where the circus had their tent last year.

“Look Jake,” said Midge. “They have benches and tables outside too for picnics. It looks like a small place.”

“I think because it is just a holding place,” said Jake.

“Lets go peak through those gates,” said Midge as she started across the parking lot.

Jake and Booker-T followed her to the front gate. They peaked in through the bars and looked around inside.

“Look Jake,” smiled Midge. “There is the little meerkat and he has friends.”

“What animal is that one?” asked Booker-T.

“I think that is a hippo,” said Jake. “Here comes a big truck.”

The three ran to the side of the building as the truck backed up to the gate. They stood and watched as two big men opened the back of the truck and walked an elephant off the truck and into the zoo building.

“Wow, Jake!” said Midge. “An elephant. I remember that big elephant at the circus. He was so big.”

“Here comes another truck and look at that tall animal poking his head out of the top of it,” said Booker-T.

“That's a giraffe,” said Jake.

“He sure is tall,” said Midge. “Wow! How does he eat?”

“I don't know,” said Booker-T. “Maybe we can watch him when we come to see.”

“There is another empty cage in there,” said Midge. “I wonder what they are going to put in that cage.”

“Maybe we will know in a minute,” said Jake. “Here comes another truck.”

“Oh wow, Jake,” said Midge. “There are some monkeys. I can't wait to go inside and see the animals. When will it open?”

“This weekend,” said Jake. “We only have to wait one more day.”

After the men closed the gate to the zoo building, the three poked their little noses through the gates to get a closer look at the animals that were inside.

“Hey Midge!” called one of the little meerkats. “Hey Midge! It's me Duke. Do you remember me?”

“Hi Duke,” said Midge. “I remember you. Are you okay in there?”

“This is nice,” said Duke.

“You have friends with you,” said Midge.

“These are my family,” said Duke. “I told them about you.”

“Hi Midge,” said the other three meerkats. “Duke said you were very nice to him.”

“Come in so we can talk,” said Duke.

“I can't come in til they open the gates,” said Midge.

“They will open the gates so people can come in this weekend,” said Jake.

“When is the weekend?” asked Duke.

“Tomorrow is the first day of the weekend,” said Midge. “Today is Friday I think.”

“We will come back tomorrow when they open the gates so we can come inside,” said Midge.

“Did you see the birds flying around outside?” asked Duke. “They are scary.”

“You don't like birds?” asked Midge.

“Eagles are our enemies,” said Duke. “They will kill us.”

“I haven't seen any eagles around here,” said Midge. “I think you are safe here.”

“Good,” said Duke. “I saw a pretty blue bird yesterday. He came sat on the fence.”

“Did he talk to you?” asked Midge.

“No,” said Duke. “He just sat there for a while and then flew away.”

“We know a bluejay,” said Midge. “He is our friend. His name is Gabby.”

“We are going to the park now to swim in the pond,” said Jake. “We will be back to see you tomorrow.”

“Okay,” said Duke. “Good-bye. I think we will still be here tomorrow.”

The three ran to the park for a swim in the pond before going home excited about the zoo building opening tomorrow.