Samson

The three friends walked into the zoo and went to the back corner to look at the hippo. Jake read the sign near the cage.

"What are you reading?" asked the hippo

"Hello," smiled Midge. "I'm Midge."

"Who is that reading over there?" asked the hippo.

"He is my friend, Jake," said Midge. "The sign is about you."

"What does it say about me?" asked the hippo.

"It says your name is Samson," said Jake.

"Yes," said the hippo. "That is my name. Do you like Samson?"

"Samson is a nice name," said Jake. "Don't you like the name?"

"I like it," said Samson.

"Why do they call you Samson?" asked Booker-T.

"What is your name?" asked Samson.

"They call me Booker-T," said Booker-T.

"Do you like your name?" asked Samson. "Why do they call you Booker-T. That's a different name."

"I like Booker-T," said Booker-T. "My mom named me."

"It is different," said Samson. "My mom said I looked like a Samson."

"I don't know what a Samson should look like," said Midge. "Do I look like a Midge, Jake?"

"Samson was a strong human, I think," said Samson. "I'm strong. Midge sounds dainty and you look like you are maybe dainty."

Jake laid down and was rolling on the floor laughing. He sat up and said "Midge, dainty?" laughed Jake. "Midge is tough. She likes to do human things. She has a dainty name, but she sure isn't dainty."

"Why are you three not in a cage?" asked Samson. "Can I come out there with you?"

"We are not wild animals," said Jake.

"I'm not wild," said Samson. "I'm strong but I don't run around wild."

"Can you run fast?" asked Booker-T.

"I can run," said Samson. "But I like to be in the water. Do you like the water?"

"We love to swim in the water," smiled Booker-T.

"Why aren't you in a cage?" asked Samson.

"We are pets," said Jake.

"What is a pet?" asked Samson. "Can I be a pet too? I like humans."

"Humans like pets," said Midge. "But I don't think wild animals can make a good pet."

"Why?" asked Samson. "You can teach me. Do you like living with humans?"

"Our humans take care of us and feed up every day," said Jake. "Humans take care of you

too here and at the zoo."

"You are too big to live in a house," said Midge. "I don't think you can crawl through the doggie doors."

"What is a doggie door?" asked Samson.

"It is a small door that we pets use to go in and out of the house," said Jake.

"They would have to put you in the garage like a car," laughed Booker-T. "You are really big."

"You get to see humans every day when they come to visit you at the zoo," said Midge.

"I see lot of humans every day," said Samson. "I miss them when they go home."

"Do they talk to you when they come to see you?" asked Midge.

"They never talk to me," sighed Samson. "Why don't they talk to me?"

"Humans will talk to us," said Jake. "But they don't know what we say to them. They don't understand our language."

"That's sad, isn't it," said Samson. "Why don't they understand us?"

"They don't speak dog or cat or hippo," said Booker-T. "They only speak human."

"We are smarter than humans," said Midge.

"Why are we smarter?" asked Samson.

"You understand Jake, Booker-T and I when we talk, right?" asked Midge.

"Yes," said Samson. "I understand all the animals at the zoo. Sometimes we all talk when the humans aren't there."

"Right," said Midge. "Humans can only talk and understand other humans. But we understand all the animals. I am a dog and I can understand you talking and other animals."

"Oh," said Samson. "I guess you are right. How can I be a pet too?"

"I don't think there are any humans who want a hippo for a pet," said Booker-T.

"Why not?' asked Samson.

"You are too big to sleep in their beds," laughed Midge. "And they couldn't sit with

you in their laps."

"I could try to sit in their laps," smiled Samson.

"No," said Jake. "You would squash them because you are really big."

"You just have to be happy to see the humans when they come to see you at the zoo," said Midge.

"You get to see all kinds of different humans," said Booker-T. "But as pets, we only see a few humans."

"They humans take good care of you at the zoo," said Jake. " Be happy when they come to visit you."

"I will," smiled Samson. "Will you come see me at the zoo?"

"It is too far away for us to come there," said Jake. "If our humans take us to the zoo, we will come to see you there."

"Thanks for visiting with me," said Samson.