Gypsy and the Monkey

"Lets go into the building, said Midge after they finished walking around in the petting zoo outside. "I want to see what animals are inside now."

the four friends said good-bye to Pinky and ran around to the front of the building. Inside they stood and looked around the room. In the corner they saw a big hippo soaking in the water pond and next to it were three monkeys swinging on the bars that were installed in the cage for them. In the other corner was a small deer. Near the front in one of the cages were some little meercats and across from them was a porcupine.

"What are those animals swinging on the bars in that cage?" asked Gypsy. "They look like they are having fun."

"Those are monkey's said Midge. "Come on, lets go see them."

They walked to the cage and stood there staring at the monkeys having fun. They swung over to the front bars and poked their arms out through the bars at Midge and the others.

"What are you doing out there?" asked one of the monkeys.

"We are standing here looking at you," said Gypsy.

"Why?" asked another monkey.

"I never saw a monkey before," said Gypsy.

"I'm not a monkey," said the first monkey.

"Yes, you are," said Midge. "All of you are monkeys."

"How do you know?" asked another of the monkeys. "Maybe we are something else."

"I've seen monkeys before," said Midge. "If you aren't monkeys, what are you?"

"I'm a dog," said the first monkey.

"I'm a dog and you don't look like me," said Midge. "Jake is a dog too."

"I'm a different kind of dog," said one of the monkeys.

"But dogs don't swing on bars," laughed Jake.

"What kind of dog are you?" asked Booker-T.

"I'm a monkey dog," laughed the monkey.

"There isn't any monkey dogs," said Midge as she turned toward Jake. "Is there, Jake?"

"No," said Jake. "They are joking with you."

"What does joking mean?" asked Gypsy.

"The monkeys are playing around and pretending they are something they aren't," said Jake. "Like Midge does sometimes."

"We might be monkey dogs," said the third monkey. "Can we come out there and play with you."

"No," said Jake. "The zoo man has the gates all locked up. You have to stay in there."

"Why don't you come in here and swing on the bars with us," suggested the first monkey.

"We can't," said Booker-T. "We aren't monkeys."

"What are you?" asked the second monkey.

"I'm a cat," said Booker-T. "And Gypsy is a cat. Midge and Jake are dogs. What are your names?"

"I'm Micky," said the first monkey.

"I'm Gerald," said the second monkey.

"And I'm Beaver," said the third monkey.

"You aren't a beaver," said Jake. "You are a monkey.

"I know," said the monkey. "But my name is Beaver."

"Wow," said Booker-T. "Your name is a kind of animal. That's cool."

"Why are you out there and we are in here?" asked Beaver. "Are you special?"

"Because you are wild animals and we are called pets," said Jake.

"We aren't wild," said Micky. "We just like to have fun. "What are pets?"

"Wild is a kind of animal category," said Midge. "My friends and I live with humans and they call us pets."

"Why don't humans have wild animals too?" asked Gerald. "Can I be a pet too? I don't want to be a wild animal."

"I don't know," said Midge. "Humans make the rules."

"Do you like living with humans?" asked Beaver. "We see humans always acting like monkeys when they come to see us at the zoo. So are humans called wild too?'

"I guess humans can be wild too," laughed Jake.

"Do they live in cages too?" asked Micky.

"Bad humans who broke laws do live in cages," said Booker-T. "Our humans are good."

"It's nice to meet you," said Gerald. "Will you come back to see us?"

"I think you are going to a big zoo in the next day or two," said Midge. "You will like the big zoo."

"We are going to see the porcupine now," said Booker-T. "Bye."

"Bye," said the three monkeys all together.