Welcome to Rhyme Land

Midge and Booker-T strolled along the sidewalk on their way to Jake's house. They entered the gate looking for Jake. “Hey Jake!” called Midge. “What are you doing?”

“I'm right here taking a nap,” said Jake sitting up in the swing. “What are you two doing?”

“We came to see you, don't you know,” said Midge.

“Ha ha,” laughed Jake. “Now I know because I see you standing there.”

“We came so Midge can tell us some more stories from the land of the Rhyme where dishes and spoons walk and cats play fiddles,” said Booker-T.

“Don't forget that cow that jumped over the moon,” said Jake. “She is one amazing cow.”

“What else do you know about that land?” asked Booker-T as he sat down on the porch railing ready to listen to Midge.

“Well, let me think a minute,” said Midge. “My owner talked about so many neat things in Rhyme land.”

“Some more amazing things?” asked Booker-T.

“Did you know in Rhyme land, they have this big egg and his name is Humpty Dumpty,” aid Midge.

“Why does an egg have a name?” asked Jake. “I don't think my owner's eggs have names.”

“This egg talked too,” said Midge. “But he fell off the wall and broke.”

“What was it doing on top of the wall?” asked Booker-T. “Did it roll off the wall?”

“I don't know if it rolled or just fell off,” said Midge. “They were all trying to find someone to put the egg back together.”

“Why?” asked Jake. “Can you put an egg back together?”

“I don't know,” said Midge.

“Did they put the egg back together?” asked Booker-T.

“No,” said Midge. “She said they asked the kings and even their horses and no one could put the big egg back together.”

“How sad,” said Booker-T. “What was the egg's name again?”

“She said his name was Humpty Dumpty,” said Midge.

“Funny name,” said Jake. “What else did she talk about?”

“There was someone in Rhyme land who was mean to an old man,” said Midge. “And the person bragged about it.”

“I don't think I would like to go to Rhyme land if there are mean people there,” said Booker-T. “What did the person do?”

“He was talking about some goose,” said Midge. “I think he was some kind of servant.”

“Maybe he was wanting to cook the goose for dinner and the old man wouldn't let him,” suggested Jake.

“I don't know why he was talking about a goose,” said Midge. “He was mad at the old man because he wouldn't say his prayers.”

“What did he do to him?” asked Booker-T.

“He pulled his leg hard and knocked him down the stairs,” said Midge. “I don't know what happened to him after the person knocked him down the stairs.”

“That was mean,” said Jake. “Did the person get punished for being mean?”

“I don't know,” said Midge. “I think the mean guy was talking to a goose. I think in Rhyme land, the animals and humans understand each other.”

“I wish the humans understood what we said,” said Jake. “Then we could tell them what foods we don't like.”

“That would be nice,” agreed Midge.

“Do you know any other things about Rhyme land?” asked Booker-T.

“They loose a lot of things in Rhyme land,” said Midge. “There was this woman who lost her shoe and the guy's master lost his fiddling stick.”

“They couldn't find them?” asked Booker-T. “Maybe the fiddling cat got his fiddle stick.”

“Maybe,” agreed Midge. “They didn't know what to do so they sang to a rooster.”

“What were they singing?” asked Jake.

“They kept saying Cock a Doodle do,” said Midge. “I don't know why they sang it.”

“Do we know any roosters?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't remember meeting any roosters,” said Midge.

“I think they have one at the farm where we saw the horses and the cows,” said Jake. “I wonder if the horses and the cows sing this cock a doodle do song.”

“They had a problem on this farm in Rhyme land,” said Midge. “They kept losing things too.”

“What did they loose?” asked Booker-T.

“Well, let me see,” said Midge. “A horse lost his shoe and his rider and then the horse rider was fighting some kind of battle and he lost.”

“He lost his fight?” asked Jake.

“Yes,” said Midge. “The kingdom the horse rider was from, got lost.”

“They lost the whole kingdom?” asked Jake.

“Yes,” said Midge. “And they blamed everything on the lost horse shoe.”

“I think horse shoes mean good luck,” said Jake. “So when it got lost, they had bad luck.”

“How did the horse lose his shoe?” asked Booker-T.

“I think the nails fell out,” said Midge.

“Wow,” said Jake. “All because of some nails everything went bad,”

“I think so,” said Midge. “I think they were afraid that the sheep lost some wool too.”

“Why?” asked Booker-T.

“They kept asking this black sheep if he had any wool,” said Midge.

“Did he have any?” asked Jake.

“Yes,” said Midge. “He had three bags of wool, so he didn't lose it.”

“I think Rhyme land is a strange place to live,” said Jake.

“It would be nice if our humans understood us,” said Midge, “But I think our little town is better than Rhyme land.”

“Where is Rhyme land?” asked Booker-T. “I want to see it.”

“I don't know,” said Midge. “My owner didn't say where it was.”

“I guess it is too far away for us to walk to,” said Jake. “It sounds like it has strange animals and people living there.”

“It does have strange things,” said Midge. “A cat who knows how to play the fiddle, a cow that can jump over the moon, a horse that lost his shoe, a mean person who don't like an old man and knocks him down the stairs, an egg that is sitting on a wall and falls off and some other strange people and animals.”

“Is your owner going to tell some more stories?” asked Jake. “I like them.”

“Me too,” said Booker-T.

“I think her little niece is going to be at our house for another two days,” said Midge. “So maybe she will tell her some more little stories.”