The Strange New Pet

Midge sat on the porch staring at something in front of her. Booker-T entered the yard and sat down next to her.

“What are you doing?” asked Booker-T.

“I'm watching Jeremy,” said Midge.

“Who is Jeremy?” asked Booker-T. “I don't see anyone here but you and I.”

“He's right there,” said Midge. “You don't see him?”

“No,” said Booker-T. “Is he talking to you?”

“No,” said Midge. “You don't see him?”

“Are you okay?” asked Booker-T. “I don't see anyone here.”

Midge reached out and touched the gray object laying on the porch with her foot. “Booker-T, this is Jeremy.”

“Jeremy?” asked Booker-T with a strange look on his face. “Is he dead?”

“I don't think so,” said Midge. “My owner set him on the table in the house and called him Jeremy.”

“Is your owner okay?” asked Booker-T.

“I think so,” said Midge. “She wasn't sad when she set him on the table.”

“Did he walk out here?” asked Booker-T walking around the object. “I don't see any legs.”

“I asked Jeremy if he wanted to come outside with me,” said Midge.

“Did he want to come outside?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't know,” said Midge. “He didn't tell me.”

“How did he get out here?” asked Booker-T.

“I picked him up and carried him out here,” said Midge. “He didn't say anything to me.”

“What are you two doing?” asked Jake as he joined them at the porch.

“We were talking about Jeremy,” said Booker-T.

“Who is Jeremy?” asked Jake.

“This is Jeremy,” smiled Midge. “Jeremy, meet Jake.”

Jeremy didn't say a word. He just lay quietly on the porch.

“Can he talk?” asked Jake.

“I don't think so,” said Booker-T. “I haven't heard him talk.

“Has he talked to you, Midge?” asked Jake.

“No,” replied Midge. “I can't get him to say anything.”

“Do you think he don't understand what we are saying?” asked Jake.

“Maybe that is the problem,” said Midge. “He don't know our language.”

“Who don't know our language?” asked Gabby as he swooped down from the trees and landed on the porch railing.

“I don't think Midge's new friend understands our language,” said Jake. “He don't talk.'

“Maybe he doesn't have anything to say,” suggested Gabby. “Did your friend go home?”

“He's still here,” said Midge.

Gabby looked around the yard and didn't see Jeremy. “Are you guys playing hide and seek?”

“No,” said Booker-T, shaking his head.

“Did your friend go home?” asked Gabby looking around the yard again.

“No,” said Midge, shaking her head. “He is here with us.”

“Is your new friend a ghost?” asked Gabby. “I don't see him. I only see the three of you.”

“He is here with us and we all can see him,” smiled Jake. “Don't you see him?”

Gabby stood there and stared at the sky as he rolled his eyes. “No, said Gabby. I think you all are fooling me. Your new friend is a ghost.”

“No,” said Jake shaking his head again. “He is really here with us right now.”

“Okay,” said Gabby. “Are you all joking with me or trying to scare me?”

“This is Jeremy,” pointed Booker-T.

“A rock!” laughed Gabby. “Your new friend is a rock?”

“Are you sure this is a rock?” asked Jake. “Is this a joke Midge?”

“No,” sighed Midge. “My owner set him on the table.”

“What did she say when she set the rock on the table?” asked Booker-T.

“She said 'This is Jeremy'” said Midge.

“She didn't tell you he was a rock?” asked Jake.

“I am trying to remember exactly what she said,” said Midge.

“Think,” said Gabby. “Because that is a rock. It will never talk to you.”

“Why did she name a rock, Jeremy?” asked Jake.

“I don't know,” said Midge. “She just said his name was Jeremy and then she went out the door to go to work.”

“Maybe she is playing a joke on you,” said Booker-T.

Melody walked up and joined the others at Midge's house. “Oh wow,” said Melody. “You have a pet rock.”

“A what?” asked Midge.

“It's a pet rock,” said Melody. “My owner has one just like it.”

“Does it do anything?” asked Jake.

“No,” said Melody. “It just sits there. It don't eat, it don't play, it can't walk, and it don't talk.”

“Why does a human want a pet rock?” asked Midge. “That is strange. I know humans do strange things sometimes, but this is maybe worse than strange.”

“Kids like those thing,” said Melody.

“But we don't have any kids here,” said Midge. “Why would kids want a pet that don't do anything?”

“Well,” said Jake. “I guess they like them because they don't have to feed them. They don't have to walk them.”

“They don't have to walk us,” said Midge. “We walk ourselves all the time.”

“But they have to feed us,” said Booker-T.

“I don't see any legs or a nose,” said Jake looking all around the rock.”

“He don't have any,” said Midge. “There are no eyes either. “I thought maybe he was like Snappy, a turtle and Jeremy was inside.”

“I don't see any holes in it,” said Booker-T pushing his paw against the rock.

“There isn't any,” said Midge. “I already looked.”

“It's just a rock,” said Melody.

“People are strange,” laughed Gabby.

“I have a back yard full of pet rocks,” teased Jake. “My owner has all kind of rocks around her flowers.”

“I think I better carry Jeremy back in the house before my owner comes home,” said Midge shaking her head. “A pet that doesn't do anything. That's too funny.”

“You have a funny owner,” laughed Melody.

“I think so,” said Midge as she picked up Jeremy in her mouth and carried him into the house.

In a few minutes, she came back outside to join the others. “Lets go to the little zoo and see who is there now.”

“Okay,” agreed Jake and the others.

They strolled along the sidewalk going to the zoo.