Midge, Jake and
Booker-T strolled along the sidewalk on their way to the little zoo
building where the zoo animals are on their way to different zoos.
Midge stopped and was staring at something she saw in the back yard
of a house nearby.
“What are
you looking at?” asked Jake as he tried to see too.
“What is
that over there?” asked Midge.
“I don't
know what you are looking at,” said Jake.
“What do
you see Midge?” asked Booker-T.
“That
thing over there with the long ropes at the top between the two big
poles,” said Midge. “I never seen anything like that before.”
“That is
a clothes line,” said Jake. “My owner used to have one before
the storm blew it down.”
“Why is
it called a clothes line?” asked Booker-T. “I don't see any
clothes on it, do you Midge.”
“No,”
said Midge.
“When
humans wash clothes, they hang them on these lines in the sunshine to
dry,” said Jake.
“Why?”
asked Midge.
“I don't
know,” said Jake. “She sometimes used the dryer but she liked
certain things in the sun.”
“My owner
just throws her clothes into some kind of machine and turns it on and
later she takes them out and they are all nice and dry.” smiled
Midge. “I think that is easier maybe.”
“I think
they call the machine a dryer,” said Jake.
“Remember
when we used to go to the circus?' asked Booker-T.
“Yes,”
said Midge. “But what does that have to do with a clothes line?'
“Nothing,”
said Booker-T. "I remember there was someone who was walking on a
rope up above the ground.”
“Don't
think they use a clothes line to walk on,” laughed Jake. “I
think maybe they use a special kind of rope for walking on. Maybe it
has some kind of sticky stuff that sticks their feet to the rope when
they walk on it.”
“Maybe I
can walk on the clothes line,” said Midge. “I'm not heavy and I
think it can hold me.”
“You
can't walk on the rope,” said Jake. “You can get hurt if you
fall off.”
“I bet
I can Jake,” said Midge.
“Don't
try it,” said Booker-T. “Jake is right, you can get hurt.”
“What in
the world is she doing now?” asked Gabby as he flew down and landed
on top of the clothes line.
“I'm going
to walk on the rope,” said Midge.
“What
rope?” asked Gabby. “You can't walk on a rope unless it is
laying flat on the ground.”
“Ha ha,”
laughed Midge.
“That is
what we are trying to tell her ,” said Jake.
“But you
know Midge,” said Booker-T. “You can't tell her that she can't
do it. She thinks she can do anything and will give it a try at least
once.”
“I know
it,,” said Gabby. “It's no use telling her she can't do it.
Why do you want to walk on the rope? Are you dreaming again?”
“Oh no,”
said Midge. “Remember at the circus when that woman was walking on
a rope?”
“She was
trained to walk on the rope,” said Gabby. "You are not trained for
that. I also think they have special ropes. They don't walk on
clothes lines.”
“I can use
that rope,” said Midge. “I bet I can do it and will be good and
everyone will come to see the rope walking dog.”
“Oh Midge,”
said Jake. “You are dreaming again.”
“I don't
think a good tight rope walker can walk on this clothes line,” said
Gabby.
“You just
don't want me to walk on it,” said Midge.
“We don't
want you to get hurt,” sighed Jake.
“It isn't
safe Midge,” said Booker-T. “Lets just go to the zoo and see
the animals.”
“Come on,”
said Midge. “I'm going to try to walk on the rope.”
“Oh my,”
said Jake as he followed behind her.
Midge stood
at the bottom of the pole staring up at the ropes.
“How are
you going to get up there?” asked Booker-T.
“Well,
there must be a way up there,” said Midge looking around the yard.
“Why
don't you just fly up here,” laughed Gabby.
“Oh very
funny,” said Midge. “I tried that once but was too heavy for the
feathers.”
“You just
aren't made to fly,” said Jake. “Just like you are not made to
walk on a rope.”
“Let me
stand on your back, Jake,” said Midge.
“The rope
is too high, Midge,” said Booker-T.
“Come on
Jake,” said Midge. “Let me try.”
Jake knew
that arguing with her would get him no where. He walked under the
end of the rope near the tall pole. “Give her a push in the back
end,” said Jake.
Booker-T
walked behind Midge and helped push her onto Jake's back.
“Can you
reach the rope?” asked Jake.
“I can
touch the rope with my nose,” said Midge. “Maybe if you jumped
up I could grab the rope.”
“When I
jump up,” said Jake. “You try and grab the rope with your
teeth.”
“Okay
Jake,” agreed Midge. Jake counted to three and quickly leaped into
the air and Midge grabbed the rope with her teeth. Jake came down to
the ground and Midge was hanging on the rope with her teeth.
“Jake!”
called Midge in a muffled voice. “Push me!”
Midge was
hanging there and her little feet were waving back and forth while
she held tight to the rope.
“Let go,”
said Booker-T.
“Wait
Midge,” said Gabby. “Jake will get under you and you can drop
down on him.”
Jake got
under Midge. “Okay Midge,” said Jake. “Let go and come down.”
“No,”
said Midge. “Push me up.”
“No
Midge,” said Booker-T. “Come down.”
Midge let
go and both she and Jake fell over onto the ground.
“Are you
okay Jake?” asked Midge.
“I'm
fine,” said Jake. “Can we please go to see the animals. I think
that is a safer thing to do.”
“And
forget about walking on the rope,” said Booker-T. “You are not
trained to do it.”
Midge
reluctantly agreed and they all hurried along the sidewalk to the zoo
building.
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