Is the Circus Coming?

“Hey Jake!” called Midge as she sauntered up the sidewalk to the front porch. “What are you doing?”

“Hi Midge,” greeted Jake as he sat up on the swing. “Where is Booker-T?”

“He will be here in little while,” said Midge. “He was waiting for his owner to leave for work. She was going late today.”

“Is Gabby coming to the park with us today?” asked Jake.

“I don't know,” replied Midge as she sat down on the porch.

“I sure miss Snappy sometimes when we go swim in the pond,” said Jake. “He sure liked swimming with us.”

“He is happy in his new tank home,” smiled Midge. “He don't have to worry about the cold weather and it won't be long now and it will be getting cold again.”

“I'm glad he has a nice new home where the weather is always nice,” said Jake.

“Hey!” said Midge. “Is the circus coming?”

“I don't think so,” said Jake. “I haven't seen anything about the circus coming yet.”

“Isn't that the circus parade music?” asked Midge listening to the music that sounded like it was getting closer and closer to the house. “Don't you hear the music?”

“Oh, that,” said Jake. “That is the ice cream truck.”

“The ice cream truck!” said Midge. “They have a truck that brings ice cream?”

“Haven't you ever seen the ice cream truck on your street?” asked Jake.

“No,” said Midge. “Maybe it comes when I am here at your house.”

“It comes by here every day about this time and again in the afternoon,” said Jake. “See up there on the street.”

“Oh,” said Midge turning to look up the street. “It is a little truck. I though you were talking about a big truck that takes stuff to the food store.”

“This is a small truck,” said Jake. “It comes through the neighborhood streets and stops when it sees kids.”

“Why?” asked Midge.

“When the truck comes by,” said Jake. “The kids run out and get ice cream from the man who is driving the truck.”

“The man gives them ice cream?” asked Midge.

“Yes,” replied Jake.

“Come on Jake,” said Midge walking to the gate. “Lets go get some ice cream.”

“He won't give you ice cream,” said Jake shaking his head. “Come back here.”

“Why won't he give us some ice cream,” said Midge turning around at the gate. “You said he gives ice cream to the kids.”

“The man gives the kids ice cream and the kids give the man money for it,” said Jake. “We don't have any money.”

“Maybe we can dance for the man and he will give us some ice cream,” suggested Midge. “We got food for our dancing before, remember?”

“I remember,” said Jake.

“Don't you want some ice cream?” asked Midge. “I like ice cream.”

“I like ice cream too,” said Jake as he followed Midge out the gate and up to where the ice cream truck was sitting while the kids surrounded it to buy ice cream.

Midge and Jake ran up to the truck and sat staring at the man giving the ice cream to the kids. Midge walked up to the man and nudged his leg, hoping he would notice her.

“Shooo,” said the man. “Go home.”

The man continued serving the kids and when the last one walked away, he leaned down and patted Midge on the head. “You don't listen too good,” said the man. “I told you to go home.”

Midge stood up on her hind legs and started dancing around hoping that the man would reward her with some ice cream for her nice dancing. She sat down and looked at the man, tilting her head from side to side.

“I don't think you have any money,” said the man patting the two on the head. “I usually sell my ice cream.”

Midge looked at him with her big brown eyes and raised her front paw as if to shake hands with the man. He smiled and went to the back of the truck. “Let me see what I have in here,” said the man as he opened the door to the truck.

He started digging through his ice cream supply and found two little cups of vanilla ice cream and pulled off the top. He patted Jake and Midge on the head and set the ups on the ground and stood by as they lapped up the ice cream. When they finished, he picked up the empty cups and tossed into a bag inside the cab of the truck. As he was about to get into the truck, Booker-T walked up and joined Jake and Midge.

“What are you doing?” asked Booker-T

“The man just gave us some ice cream,” smiled Midge. “I wish you were here.”

Booker-T looked up at the man as he turned to see the cat who joined the two dogs. He went back inside the truck and pulled out another cup of ice cream and set it on the ground for Booker-T. Booker-T meowed at the man and ate the ice cream placed in front of him. “Okay guys,” smiled the man as he patted each one on the head. “I have to go finish my route before I can go home.”

“He was nice,” smiled Midge as she stood and watched the ice cream truck drive away down the road.

“That was nice of him to give us some ice cream,” said Booker-T.

“Midge did a little dance to get the ice cream,” said Jake. “She's getting pretty good at this.”

“I know,” said Booker-T. “I think we need to take a lesson from her.”

“But she's cuter,” laughed Jake. “Most cats don't dance. You would get a lot of attention if you did the dance.”

“Maybe I better have Midge teach me,” said Booker-T.

“You can learn Booker-T,” said Midge. “I can teach you.”

“We would be great together,” said Jake. “The three dancing animals.”

“Kind of like the three Musketeers,” said Midge.

“Hey,” said Booker-T. “We can call ourselves the three dancing musketeers.”

“Hmmm,” said Midge. “That would be cool.”

“Okay, Midge,” said Jake. “Lets go to the park and swim a little before it gets too late.”

Midge and Booker-T agreed and the three walked to the park for a swim.