The Strange Ball

    Midge and Booker-T walked through the gate at Jake's house, but he wasn't on the swing where he could usually be found napping. 

   “Jake!” called Midge.  “Where are you?”  

   No answer came.

   “Jake!” called Booker-T.  “Lets go check the back yard.”

   They ran to the back yard and found Jake sitting in the back watching some kids in the next yard.

  “What are you doing?” asked Midge.  “We called but you didn't answer.”

  “I was watching the kids playing with that strange ball,” said Jake.

  Midge walked over to where Jake was and sat down beside him.

   “What kind of ball are they playing?” asked Midge.  “That is a very funny looking ball.  What is it?”

   “I don't know,” said Jake.  “Some guy takes the ball and bends over and then he tosses it backwards between his legs, but then the other guy decides he doesn't want it so he throws it to someone else.  When that guy starts to run away with it, some other guys jump on him and knocked him to the ground and they try to take the ball away from him.”

   “That's mean,” said Midge.  “Why don't they want him to have the ball?”

   “I don't know,” said Jake.

   “That's a funny game,” said Booker-T. 

   “It's a funny looking ball too,” laughed Midge.  “I don't think it will bounce when it hits the ground.”

   “You don't know the name of the game?” asked Booker-T.

    “I head the boys calling it football I think,” said Jake.  “Sometimes they are throwing the ball and sometimes they are kicking it around.  They can't make up their minds if they want to throw it or kick it. When one gets the ball, another one is always trying to take it away.  They are always knocking each other down and trying to steal the ball.”

    “I guess they don't like sharing the ball,” said Midge.

   “Hey Jake!” said Booker-T.  Look that boy is running away with the ball and they can't catch him this time.”

   When the boy got to the end of the yard, he threw the ball onto the ground threw his arms into the air and yelled 'Touchdown'!”

  “What is a touchdown?” asked Midge.

   “I don't know,” said Jake.  “Maybe that's what he called touching the ball and then throwing it down on the ground.”

   “Oh,” said Booker-T.  “Maybe it is.”

   “Watch that guy,” said Jake.

   Midge and Booker-T sat and watched the boy bending over and touching the ball and then the boy behind him started to count.  Suddenly the boy yelled “Hike!” and the boy touching the ball threw it backwards between his legs to the boy who was counting.

   “Watch,” said Jake.

   Now the boy who was counting, threw the ball to someone else but before he could catch it some boy knocked him onto the ground and he dropped the ball.

   “Why do they keep pushing that boy to the ground?” asked Midge.  “That seems really mean of them.  Maybe he should just ask them if he can have the ball.”

    “Now that guy has the funny ball on the ground again and the other one is country,” said Booker-T. “I think someone needs to tell him how to count.  I don't think he is counting right.”

   “I think it is maybe a secret code,” said Jake.

    “A secret code?' asked Midge.

   “Yes,” said Jake.  “I think so because when he says 12, then he yells 'Hike'.”

   They listened quietly and sure enough, when the boy said 12, he yelled 'Hike' and the boy with the ball threw it backwards between his legs. 

   “It must be a code to tell him when to throw the ball,” said Jake.

   “I don't know, Jake,” said Midge shaking her head.  “This is a really strange game and I don't know what they are doing.   They are all fighting over that funny looking brown ball.  I thought all balls were round.”

   “Me too,” said Booker-T. 

   “Lets go see who is at the zoo today,” suggested Midge.  “I'm tired of watching this funny game.”

    the three ran around the house and out the gate.

   “Look over there Jake,” said Midge.  “There are more boys playing with the same funny ball.”

   “Why don't the girls play with them?” asked Booker-T.  “They are just standing there watching.”

   “I don't know,” said Jake.  “”Maybe the girls don't like to be pushed to the ground.  It looks like a rough game to play.”

   “They aren't pushing each other down in this game,” said Midge. “But they keep stealing the other boy's handkerchief.  Every time the boy catches the ball, they steal his handkerchief when he isn't looking.”

   “They are using the same kind of ball,” said Booker-T.  “But they are playing different.”

    “Humans are funny,” aid Midge.  “Lets just go to the zoo.”

    They continued along the sidewalk to the zoo.  They stood at the door and looked around to see what animals were inside. They saw a couple of meercats in the front cage, a big gorilla, a zebra, two baby deer and a baby bear cub. 

   “lets go see the zebra,” said Midge.

    They hurried acorss the floor to the cage and stood staring at the zebra.

     “What are you staring at?” asked the zebra.

   “We are looking at you,” said Midge.  “We never saw a striped horse before

   “I'm not a horse,” said the zebra.  I'm a zebra and we are different than the horse.”

   “We like your stripes,” smiled Booker-T.  “I have stripes too, but mine are orange and black ones.”

    “Are you a little tiger?” asked the zebra.

   “No,” said Booker-T.  “I'm a cat.”

   “Aren't tigers cats?” asked the zebra.

   “Yes, they are,” said Midge.  But tigers are wild and Booker-T here is tame.”

    “What is your name?” asked Jake.

    “I'm Donny,” said the zebra.

    “Hello Donny,” smiled Midge. 

   “Can I come out there with you?” asked Donny.

   “I think you have to stay in there,” said Jake.

   “We can't open the cage,” said Midge.

    “But I'm lonely in here,” said Donny.

    “You can talk to these other animals who are here,” suggested Jake.  “They will be your friends.”

    “Do you think they will like me?” asked Donny.

   “Sure,” said Midge.  “In the cage next to you is Baxter the gorilla and over there are Bambam and Cindy the two baby deer and the baby bear is called Cuddles.  And the meercats over there are Millie and Bailey.”

   “Every one,” said Jake.  “Say hi to Donny.  He wants to be your friend.”

   They all said hello and Donny smiled and said hello back to them.

   “Now you can all be friends,” smiled Midge.  “We are going home to our houses now,”

   “Bye,” said Donny.  “Thanks for helping me make some friends.