Zoo Talk

         “You’ve got to be kidding me, Sam Ostrich said.

         “No, I’m not kidding. Every day when those humans come out, you can count on something happening.” Bilton Giraffe said, with his head hanging over the fence.”

“Come on, you have a long neck too Sam Ostrich. I don’t see why you didn’t see it today. Look, we don’t have these long necks for nothing; we are supposed to know what’s going on at all times.”

         “Well, you know me; I always wait for that nosy Adam Rhinoceros to give me the news of the day.”

         “Look I don’t count on anyone else to keep me informed about what’s going on around here. I stick my head up and see for  myself. It works, whether I stick it up high into the air, or hang it down low. I see and hear everything going on around here. Before I learned better, I use to count on Eddy Hyena to keep me up to date on what was happening, but he became such a pain, all that laughing. He couldn’t tell you anything, without laughing.”

         “I here you Bilton , you‘re absolutely right about Hy. I heard he laughs at everything, and I mean everything! You can’t even make sense of what he’s trying to tell you; he cracks himself up.”

         “Well in his defense, there really was one time he was justified. Something funny really did validate his laughing. Do you remember when the zoo brought those rabbits in for the children’s Petting Zoo? Well, unfortunately one escaped and hoped across into Hy’s habitat.

         “Call him Eddie. We don’t want to start any rumors, although he does act high, all that laughing.”

         “Okay, now we both recognize, anybody should know just because you can hop high, don’t mean you should hop over whatever is in you path, especially if you don’t know where you’ll land. Rab did just that, and that was the last time he hopped.”

         “Let’s not be too hard on old Rab. Bless his heart. I heard when an animal tries to escape, he loses his senses. He can only think about getting away, and is subject to fall privy to anything.”

         “Bilton, I tell you, it was no excuse for him, if it had been me, there is no way I would have ever attempted to jump over a trench that wide. Now, most animals in their right mind would have known it meant some kind of danger was on the other side.”

         “It’s really not funny Sam, but I can’t help but laugh every time I remember that day. Rab took that leap and landed right under the lips of Eddie. Eddie must have laughed his head off that day, and into the night. I could barely sleep with him laughing like that. Like I said, I laughed too that day. Silly rabbit!”

         “You better not let those animal rights people hear you talk like that, you laughing over something tragic happening to an animal.”

         “Come on Sam, it was a laugh, because Rab was pathetic. He was silly and deserved to be eaten because he had a chance to escape.  Eddy started laughing as soon as he saw him. It would have taken only a little ingenuity for Rab to escape that day. But, nooo, he had to stand there frozen, looking just as silly as Eddie was looking, while laughing his head off.”

         “Bilton , give him a break, bless his heart. You know that was probable the most frightening thing that had ever happened to him. I’d like to see how much ingenuity you’ll have if you end up over there. I heard he’ll attack anybody, and laugh while he’s doing it.”

         “No need to worry about me. I won't be going near him. I’ve seen what Eddy can do to legs, and trust me it looks mighty scary from up here. ”

         “You know, I just believe Rab didn’t have any idea about what would happen after he took that leap.”

         “Sam, what I know is, if you have to jump that high maybe you should re-think it.”

         “Let me tell you where the responsibility lies, Bilton. I heard some silly zoo person ordered all males for the petting zoo. Can you imagine having all that pent up energy and no female? That idea along is enough to cause you to lose your head.”

         “Absolutely, Sam, and unfortunately, that’s just what happened.”

         “Don’t start me laughing again. It makes me feel so bad about Rab, bless his heart.”

         “Now, back to our original topic, those humans; another silly incident happened with them again today”

         “No kidding.”

         “I told you, no, I’m not kidding. I can’t believe you didn’t see it. Earlier today , around noon, two human parents let their toddler get away from them. It was sheer chaotic. Biggy Lion was pacing about restless and growling. He sounded hoarse.  All the commotion had interfered with his feeding time. I don’t know who was more annoying, as Eddie marched about rubbing his belly and laughing like he was crazy.”

         “Those humans are so careless with their young. They actually think a cage or a trench protects them.”