Visiting the Zoo Center

 

Midge walked to Booker-T's house and ran around to the back door. She poked her head inside through the doggie door.

"Hey Booker-T!" called Midge. "Where are you?"

Booker-T ran into the kitchen. "Hi Midge," greeted Booker-T. "Come on inside. It's cold out there."

Midge squeezed through the door into the kitchen. "What are you doing this morning?"

"I just finished eating breakfast," replied Booker-T. "What are you doing?"

"Are we going to Jake's house this morning?" asked Midge.

"Maybe," said Booker-T.

"You don't want to go?" asked Midge.

"I thought he was coming to your house," said Booker-T.

"Oh," said Midge. "I forgot. I better run back home."

"I'm coming with you," smiled Booker-T.

The two of them ran over to Midge's house and ran through the gate behind Jake.

"Hi you two," said Jake. "Where were you?"

"I forgot you were coming," said Midge. "I was at Booker-T's house getting ready to come to your house."

"I just got here," said Jake. "What do you want to do today?"

"I don't know," said Midge. "I was going to ask you what you wanted to do."

"Why don't you guys go to the dance contest at the gym," said Gabby as he flew down and joined the three trying to decide what to do."

"What dance contest at the gym?" asked Midge.

"Are they doing that again this year?" asked Jake.

"Yes," said Gabby. "I saw the big sign on the outside of the building when I flew here."

"I want to dance," smiled Midge.

"You tried that the last time and they ran you out of the building," said Jake.

"I know," sighed Midge. "But I can try again."

"Why?" asked Booker-T.

"Don't you want to go to the zoo and see what animals are there we can visit?" asked Jake.

"We can do that too," said Midge. "Then I can dance at the gym."

"Jake," said Booker-T. "You know Midge isn't going to give it up until someone at the gym makes her get out of the building."

"I know you are right," said Jake. "Okay, lets go to the little zoo building and see what animals are there first."

"Okay," said Midge as she started toward the gate. "Come with us, Gabby."

"Let's go," said Gabby. "I'll be right above you."

The four friends started out the gate walking to the little zoo holding building where they hold animals for the night on their way to a zoo. They stood and watched the zoo train come into the station with only a few people on it.

"Do you want to ride the train?" asked Jake.

"No," said Midge. "Lets go see what animals are inside."
They crossed the road and walked to the front door of the building. Inside, they looked around at the cages inside. The area held 6 cages.. four across the back and two near the front .

"I think they made a new cage in the back," said Jake. "It was only three and now there are four."

"Wow," said Midge. "All the cages are full. Look, that one looks like a deer."

They walked over the cage and Jake read the sign. "It is called a Lechwe," said Jake. "It's an animal."

"Ha ha," laughed Midge. "I know it is an animal. It's not a deer?"

"No," said Jake.

The animal made a funny croaking sound and Booker-T looked at it. "He sounds like a toad," said Booker-T.

"I'm not a toad," said the Lechwe. "My name is Roxie."

"Hi Roxie," said Midge. "What are you doing?"

"I am stuck in a cage," sighed Roxie. "I'm not doing anything. Why am I in here and you are out there?"

"You are a zoo animal and we are house pets," said Jake.

"I don't have anywhere to run in here," said Roxie.

"You will have a lot of room to run when you get to the big zoo," said Midge.

"Do you see that big funny bird next to me in the other cage?" asked Roxie.

"Wow!" said Booker-T. "The bird is bigger than I am."

"What kind of bird is that?' asked Midge.

"I don't know," said Roxie.

Jake walked to the cage door and read the sign. "It says the bird is called an Emu," said Jake. "I never heard of an Emu."

"I'm a brave bird," said the emu. "I'm Milton."

"Hi Milton," said Midge. "You are a really big bird. I wish I could fly like you birds do."

"I can't fly," said Milton.

"You have wings," said Booker-T.

"But I can't fly," said Milton. "I walk around on the ground like you are doing."

"Why can't you fly?" asked Booker-T.

"I don't know," said Milton. "I flapped the wings and nothing happens. I just make a lot of cool air blowing."

"That would be good in the summer," laughed Jake.

"That bird over there is smaller than me," said Milton. "Maybe it flies."

"Look, Jake," said Midge. "He has a funny bump on his head."

"What kind of bird is he?" asked Booker-T.

"The sign says it is something called a Helmeted Curassow," read Jake.

"His helmet don't cover his head," said Booker-T. "It is just stuck on the head."

"Maybe it is falling off," said Midge. "Hello mr. bird. Who are you?"

"Hello," said the Curassow bird.

"Can you fly?" asked Jake.

"I can fly," said the bird. "But most of the time, I run around on the ground."

"Why?" asked Midge. "I want to fly and I can't. I don't have any wings like you do."

"I fly if I want to get in the trees," said the bird.

"What is your name?" asked Booker-T.

"I'm Charlie," said the bird. "I have a friend named Pete, but I don't know where he is."

"This is Jake and Booker-T," said Midge. "And I'm Midge. Maybe your friend is at the zoo now waiting for you."

"I don't know," sighed Charlie. "I saw him running when the man put me in the truck."

"Hey, Jake," said Booker-T. "Look at the big camel. Hey Camel! What are you doing?"

"Hi," said the camel. "I'm just standing here."

"Me too," said Booker-T. "You are really big. Did you know you have two big bumps on your back?"

"I know," said the camel. "Where is your bumps?"

"I don't have bumps," said Booker-T.

"Why do you have bumps?" asked Booker-T. "Are you sick?"

"No," said the camel. "These bumps are good."

"Oh," said Midge. "How is the bump good?"

"They help me when I don't have anything to eat or drink," said the camel.

"Are they your lunch box?" asked Midge.

"No," said the camel. "What is a lunch box?"

"The humans use a lunch box to put food in," said Jake.

"No," said the camel. "My bumps have lot of fat in them."

"You eat fat?" asked Booker-T.

"No," said the camel. "When I don't have anything to eat or drink, I use the fat for energy."

"Wow," said Midge. "That's cool."

"Do you have a name?' asked Booker-T.

"My name is Harvey," said the camel.

"Hi Harvey," smiled Midge.

"Nice to meet you Harvey," said Midge.

Jake walked over to see who the other two animals were. "There is a Eastern Bongo over there and the other cage is a big tortoise."

"Wow," said Booker-T. "That turtle is bigger than I am."

"Is a turtle and a tortoise the same?" asked Midge.

"I don't know," said Jake. "It looks like a big turtle."

"Come on guys," said Midge. "I want to go to the gym for the dance."

"Okay," said Jake. "Come on Booker-T. Lets go to the gym."

The three left the zoo and walked to the gym.