Catch a Falling Star

Midge sat on the front porch staring at the sky as the fluffy white clouds floated above.

"Hey Midge," said Booker-T when he entered the gate and joined Midge on the front porch. "What are you looking for Midge? Are you looking for those space aliens again?"

"No," said Midge. "I was trying to find some stars."

"I think they are only in the sky at night," said Booker-T. "Why are you looking for stars?"

"I heard this song in a movie my owner was watching," said Midge.

"What song?" asked Booker-T.

"Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket," said Midge. "Do the stars fall out of the sky?"

"I don't know," said Booker-T. "But you don't have a pocket to put them in."

"I know," said Midge. "I can put them in my bed when I catch one."

"I never saw a falling star," said Booker-T. "You will need to check the sky in the night time."

"What are you two doing?" asked Jake as he walked up to the porch.

"Midge is looking for a falling star," said Booker-T.

"Why do you want to find a falling star?" asked Jake.

"I don't know," said Midge. "The song says to catch it and put it in my pocket and save it for when the rain comes."

"Why?" asked Booker-T.

"I don't know," said Midge. "I think it said something about love."

"The song must be a love song," said Jake. "What movie was your owner watching."

"I don't know," said Midge.

"If you want to find a falling star," said Jake. "You have to look for it at night. I never see stars in the sky in the daytime."

"I told her to wait til night," said Booker-T.

"Gabby might know if there are falling stars," suggested Jake. "He is smart and knows a lot of things."

"Maybe," agreed Midge.

"Hey you guys," said Gabby. "I thought you were coming to the park."

"Midge has been sitting here looking for falling stars," said Booker-T.

"Why?" asked Gabby.

"That is what we asked her," said Jake.

"Why do you want to find a falling star?" asked Gabby.

"Have you ever seen a falling star, Gabby?" asked Midge.

"Some times I see one go across the sky," said Gabby.

"Did it fall on the ground?" asked Midge.

"I don't know where it went," said Gabby. "But it wasn't coming down. It was going across the sky from one side to the other."

"Why do they call that a falling star?" asked Midge. "If it don't fall on the ground."

"Maybe it is just a flying star," smiled Booker-T.

"But why are you wanting a falling star, Midge," asked Gabby.

"I heard on the song," said Midge. "If you see one, to put it in your pocket."

"But you don't have any pockets," laughed Gabby.

"Do you have pockets?" asked Midge.

"I don't think any animals have pockets," said Jake.

"There is one animal who has a pocket," said Gabby. "I saw it in the zoo one time."

"Who has a pocket?" asked Booker-T.

"A kangaroo," said Gabby. "They carry their babies in their pockets."

"That's cool," said Jake. "I hope they get a kangaroo at the little zoo one day. I want to see what that animal looks like."

"Me too," said Midge. "I wish I had a pocket."

"Why do you need a pocket?" asked Booker-T.

"I could carry my food with me wherever I go," smiled Midge. "Then when I got hungry, I could eat it. Don't you think that is a good idea?"

"You might look funny with a pocket on your body," said Jake. "You can put your food in a bag and carry the bag around with you."

"But I would have it in my mouth," said Midge. "I wouldn't be able to talk with a bag in my mouth. I think the pocket would be good to have."

"Do humans have pockets?" asked Booker-T.

"I think some of their clothes have pockets in them," said Jake. "My owner carries a bag she calls a purse."

"My owner does too," said Midge. "She has more than one. Some are black, some are brown and she has one with flowers on it."

"My owner has one she hangs on the doorknob," said Booker-T. "She takes it with her every time she leaves the house."

"I wonder what they put in them," said Midge. "Maybe we could get a purse and hang it around our neck to carry our food in."

"Not a good idea," said Jake.

"Why?" asked Booker-T.

"If you hang it around your neck," said Jake. "It would hang down in front of us and when we run, it would bang against our legs."

"Oh," said Midge. "That might hurt. Why don't the purse bang against our owners when they walk?"

"I don't know," said Booker-T. "But my owner don't take her purse with her when she goes for her morning runs."

"Humans get a lot of things, don't they," said Midge. "I want to be a human."

"But if you were a human," said Gabby. "You would have to go get a job."

"I don't want to work," said Midge.

"Me either," said Booker-T. "I like playing and just laying around."

"I don't want to be a human," said Jake. "I like being a dog and living with a human."

"Are we going to go to the park and swim in the pond?" asked Gabby.

"Yes," said Jake.

"Can we stop at the little zoo and look inside on the way?" asked Midge.

"Why?" asked Gabby.

"I want to see if they have a kangaroo," said Midge. "I want to see the animal with the pocket."

"I can fly there faster," said Gabby. "You guys walk to the park and I will fly by the zoo building and see if they have one."

"Okay," said Jake. "We will meet you at the park."

The three walked along the sidewalk with Gabby flying above them. "I will be right back," said Gabby as he flew away from them toward the zoo building.

At the park, Gabby caught up with them.

"Did you see a kangaroo?" asked Midge.

"Not today," said Gabby.

"Maybe another day," said Jake.

"Lets go swim," said Booker-T.