The Tin Cans

Jake hurried along the sidewalk on his way to Midge's house. In the road he saw a couple of cans laying near the curb with a rope attached. He leaned over and nudged them with his nose. He stood staring at them a few minutes, then picked up the rope and started walking as he drug the two cans behind him. Clang, clang, bang went the cans as they bounced along behind him. They were heavier than they looked. Clang clang clang went the cans as he entered the yard at Midge's house. On the front porch sat Midge and Booker-T.

“Hey Jake!” called Midge. “You are making a lot of noise this morning.”

“What are you doing?' asked Booker-T. “Why are you dragging those cans with you?”

“I found the on the side of the road,” said Jake. “I picked up the rope and brought them with me.”

“What are they?” asked Midge. “Why are there ropes tied to the cans?'

“It looks like can stilts that I saw a neighbor kid playing with,” said Jake.

“What are stilts?” asked Midge. “They look like two cans tied to a rope.

“They are,” smiled Jake. “The rope is what they hold onto when they stand on top of the cans and walk.”

“Why do they want to stand on the cans?” asked Booker-T. “That is strange, don't you think?”

“They do it because it makes them taller,” said Jake.

“So they just stand there looking taller,” said Midge. “So I can stand on them and I'll be taller than you are Jake. But you only have two cans and I have four feet.”

“They walk around with them on their feet,” said Jake.

“How do can you walk around with cans on your feet?' asked Booker-T. “If they are standing on top of them. That seems kind of stupid.”

“The boy next door who I watched one morning,” said Jake. “Put his feet on the cans and this rope went over his feet and then when he lifted his feet, the cans came up with them. Like wearing shoes.”

“They are funny looking shoes,” laughed Booker-T. “Metal shoes.”

Midge walked around the cans with the ropes and wondered how anyone could walk with those cans stuck to their feet. “Can I try them, Jake?” asked Midge.

“You don't have feet as big as a human foot,” said Jake. “The rope won't hold you onto the cans.”

“I want to see you do it,” said Booker-T. “Go ahead and try it Midge.”

They nudged the cans to make them stand up and pushed them around to get them standing side by side. Midge stepped onto the cans with two feet on each can and looked around.

“How do you walk like that?” asked Booker-T.

“Can you stand up on your hind legs with one on each can?” asked Jake. “And hold on to this rope in your teeth.”

“I can't lift the cans,” said Midge. “I can lift the feet, but the cans won't come up with the feet.”

“Your feet don't fit under the rope that holds the cans onto your feet,” said Jake. “You won't be able to walk that way.”

Jake stood there staring at the cans and the ropes,” Your feet are not made like a human foot so this won't work for you. Their feet go under the ropes and your feet are too small and the ropes won't hold them.”

“Maybe I can stick my legs through the ropes,” suggested Midge.

“That would be stupid,” laughed Jake. “If you put your legs through the ropes, you will be sitting on the cans. How can you walk sitting down?”

Midge tried to move. “I can't walk sitting down,” said Midge. “I guess these cans are not made so animals can use them. Jake, I want to be a human.”

Suddenly, Midge feel backwards off the cans and her feet were stuck up in the air. Booker-T was laughing and Jake ran to try and pull her legs from the ropes.

“Midge, are you all right?” asked Jake. It's a good thing that wasn't around your neck.”

“I guess I can't do these can stilts because I'm just an animal,” sighed Midge.
“But there are other things that you can do,” assured Jake.

“Humans have things that they can't do too,” said Booker-T. “My owner can't roller skate. Her brother is always wanting her to go with him and she says she can't stand up on those wheels.”

“We have to find something else to do, Midge,” said Jake. “Something that we can do.”

“Lets go to the zoo building and see what animals are there today,” suggested Booker-T.

“Okay,” agreed Midge as they all started walking along the sidewalk, leaving the cans sitting in the front yard.