The Stuffed Dog

Jake met Booker-T at his fence gate on the way to Midge's house.

“Hi Booker-T,” greeted Jake. “What are you doing?”

“I was waiting for you,” said Booker-T.

“Lets go,” said Jake as he started walking along the sidewalk, the short distance to Midge's house.

They entered the yard and found Midge sitting on the porch next to a stuffed dog.

“Where did you get the stuffed dog?” asked Booker-T.

“My owner's niece left it here last night when she came for dinner with her mom,” said Midge.

“What are you doing with it?” asked Booker-T.

“I want to be one of those ventoquists,” said Midge.

“A what?” asked Jake.

“A ventoquists” said Midge.

“What is a ventoquist?” asked Booker-T.

“They all have dummies,” said Midge. “And they make the dummies talk.”

“Oh!” said Jake. That is a ventriloquist.”

“I was close,” said Midge.

“You don't know how to do that,” said Jake. "How are you going to make it talk?"

“I can learn,” said Midge. “Watch.”

Midge picked up the stuffed dog and set it on the ground next to her.

“Hello Jake,” said Midge trying to disguise her voice.

“Your mouth moved Midge,” said Booker-T. “ Don't ventriloquists talk without without moving their mouths?”

“Yes” said Jake. “You need a lot of practice, Midge,” 

  "I can practice," said Midge.

“Why do you want to be a ventriloquist?” asked Jake. “You can't do it for the humans to see because they don't understand anything when we say.”

“I can do it for our animal friends,” said Midge. “They will think I'm really smart and funny when I make the stuffed dog talk.”

“But you can't move your mouth Midge,” said Jake. “And you have to sound different.”

“I will practice every day,” said Midge. “With the stuffed dog.”

“Won't your owner's niece want her stuffed dog back?' asked Booker-T.

“Maybe,” sighed Midge. “Maybe if I carry it around all the time and sleep with it, my owner will buy me one.”

“You could try that,” agreed Jake. “Without the stuffed dog, you can't be a ventriloquist.”

“Can we go to the little zoo place or go the park now?” asked Booker-T.

“You can practice later,” said Jake.

“Who's that?” asked Booker-T when he saw a blue car pull up in front of the house.

“That's my owner's sister,” sighed Midge. “Maybe she came to get the stuffed dog.”

The woman saw the stuffed dog sitting on the porch next to Midge and walked to the house to get the dog.

“Hi Midge,” said the woman as she picked up the stuffed dog and patted Midge on the head.

“Well, Midge,” said Booker-T. “There gores your stuffed dummy dog.”

“Will you be my dummy Booker-T?” asked Midge.

“I don't want to be a dummy,” said Booker-T shaking his head.

“You can pretend,” suggested Midge. “I want to be a ventriloquist.”

“I think maybe your have to find something else to do,” said Jake.

“Why don't you just be a dog,” said Booker-T. “Don't you like being a dog?”

“But I want to be a famous dog,” said Midge.

“You are famous to Booker-T and me,” said Jake. “You do a lot of things and you are really good at begging for food for us.”

“Midge, the famous begging dog,” laughed Booker-T.

“Very funny!” sighed Midge. “Lets go to the zoo building”