Iggy, The Little Monster

The three friends left the area where the old cars sat and walked to the zoo. They stopped at the train station to watch the little zoo train arrive and lot of parents with their kids got off the train.

“I want to ride the train again,” sighed Midge. “Don't you want to ride it, Jake?”

“No,” said Jake.

“I don't want to ride it either,” said Booker-T. “That was scary being on the other side of the city and maybe having to walk all the way back over here.”

“But we didn't have to,” said Midge.

“We were lucky,” said Jake. “Lucky that they didn't find us and throw us off the train. I like just staying here and seeing the animals who come to this little zoo.”

“We can go in to this zoo and they don't chase us away,” said Booker-T.

“I guess you are right,” said Midge. “Lets go see who is in there today.”

They crossed the street and stood at the entrance to the little zoo and looked around the building.

“Wow,” said Midge. “Look at all the new animals.”

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

“He looks like a little Godzilla monster,” said Jake.

“What is a Godzilla monster?” asked Midge.

“My owner likes scary movies and last week she watched something called Godzilla,” said Jake. “He was a big monster that stepped on buildings and smashed them.”

“Oh!” said Booker-T. “I am glad he is little. Will he grow bigger?”

“I don't think so,” said Jake. “I don't think Godzilla was real.”

“Are you sure?” asked Midge.

“Have you seen him in town?” laughed Booker-T.

“No,” said Midge. “I hope he never comes here. Lets go see it.”

The three crossed the room to the cage with the green animal. They stood staring at the little monster. Suddenly his neck blew up big as he bobbed his head up and down fast.

Midge jumped back. “Oh no!” said Midge. “He's getting big. He will stomp everything in the town.”

“No no, Midge,” said Jake. “It is okay. It says here on the sign, that he does that if he thinks he is being attacked.”

“But we aren't attacking him,” said Booker-T. “We are just standing here looking at him.”

“Maybe he don't like to be looked at,” said Midge. “Hello Mr. Monster. We aren't going to hurt you. We are nice.”

The green monster just kept rolling his eyes all around saying nothing.

“What kind of animal is it, Jake?” asked Midge.

“The sign says he is a green iguana,” said Jake. “Says it is a type of lizard.”

“Wow,” said Booker-T. “He is a big lizard.”

The iguana moved slowly further up the tree branch as he moved his tail back and forth. He turned his head toward the three friends standing outside the cage. “Who are you?” asked the iguana.

“Hi,” said Jake. “We are friendly. We aren't here to hurt you. We are only here to see the animals here in the little zoo building.”

“What is your name?” asked Midge. “I'm Midge.”

“I'm Jake, and this is Booker-T,” said Jake.

“I'm Iggy,” said the iguana. “Why do you stand there staring at me?”

“We never saw a big lizard before,” said Midge.

“You look like a little like a monster from an old movie,” said Jake. “But you are smaller.”

“You think I'm a monster?” asked Iggy.

“Oh no,” said Midge. “You just look like one.”

“How do you do that thing with your neck?” asked Booker-T. “That looks so cool. I can't do that.”

“I thought you were going to attack me,” said Iggy. “I do that so you think I'm bigger than I really am. Did it scare you?”

“Yes,” said Midge. “I thought you were going to get really big like the movie monster.”

“It works,” said Iggy.

“If you do it to scare animals or humans,” said Jake. “It works. You really scared Midge.”

“Why are you out there and not in a cage?” asked Iggy.

“We don't live in cages,” said Booker-T.

“We live somewhere else,” said Midge. “We come to see what animals are here on their way to the big zoo.”

“I'm not staying here?” asked Iggy.

“No,” said Jake. “The sign says you are going to our big zoo on the other side of town.”

“Is it nice there?” asked Iggy.

“We went to the big zoo one time,” said Midge. “It is nice big place. Maybe you will have friends there who look like you.”

“I hope so,” said Iggy. “I am lonely here.”

“They have lot of animals over there,” said Booker-T.

“Did you make friends with these other animals here with you?” asked Midge.

“No,” said Iggy. “I don't know them. Maybe they are my enemies and I'm scared.”

“Hi everyone,” said Midge as she turned. “This is Iggy. Who are you?”

“Hi Iggy,” said the big turtle in the cage next to him. “I'm Boxer.”

“And I'm Pinky,” said the pink flamingo in the cage on the other side of Iggy. “You look funny when you make your neck bigger and move your head up and down.”

“Did I scare you?” asked Iggy.

“A little,” said Pinky. “I heard you say you were lonely. Me too.”

“You will all have many friends at the new home,” said Jake. “We saw lot of flamingos like you at the big zoo.”

“I'm Blotches,” said the animal that looked like a dog.

“Why do they call you Blotches?” asked Midge. “And why are you in a cage. You look like a dog. Don't you have a house to live in?”

“I'm a wild dog,” said Blotches. “They call me a painted dog. See all my colors. I'm different than you are.”

“Why are you wild?” asked Booker-T. “Wouldn't you like to live in a house with a human to take care of you?'

“I don't know what a house is,” said Blotches. “I see lot of humans when I'm in the cage and they feed me and other ones come to see me every day.”

“I'm Sneaky,” said the Opossum. “I heard people say “Oh look, it is a sneaky opossum”. I just laugh at them.”

“I saw an opossum in my back yard one night,” said Jake. “He was playing dead.”

“You didn't tell me about that,” said Midge.

“We play dead if we think someone is going to hurt us,” said Sneaky.

“We are glad to meet all of you,” said Midge.

“It was nice of you to come see us,” said Iggy.

“We are going now,” said Jake. “Enjoy your new home.”

“Bye,” said all the animals.”