MADDIE AND THE ZOO CREW
What a weekend Maddie had! Maddie and Mommy had gone to the Zoo on Sunday. It was Maddie's favorite place.
She loved all the animals. The giant turtle, the hippo and the giraffe were her favorites, and she loved the monkeys best of all. She couldn't wait for school tomorrow so she could tell her class and her teacher, Miss Fitz, all about it.
The next day, Maddie stepped impatiently off the school bus and headed toward her class. She couldn't wait to share her exciting adventure at the zoo. "Ugh", Maddie groaned as she realized she was in line behind Tommy Tucker. He walked slow, he talked slow, he stopped to tie his shoe. "Come on", she silently urged Tommy. She couldn't go around him. There was a strict rule about walking in a straight line from the bus to the classroom. Maddie thought she might die of old age before she would reach her class. Maddie made it to the classroom just as the bell rang and thanks to Tommy Tucker had no time to share her weekend and trip to the zoo. I don't like Tommy Tucker, Maddie decided. He is just too slow!
That night as Mommy was tucking Maddie in to bed, she asked her how her day went. "Did you tell your class about your trip to the zoo?" she asked. "No, Mommy",
Maddie pouted. "Tommy Tucker wasted all my
time and I didn't get to tell anyone about it! I
don't like Tommy Tucker, Mommy. He is just
too slow."
"Maddie", Mommy asked tenderly, "Do you
remember the giant turtle at the zoo?"
"Yes, Mommy, he was one of my favorites."
"But he was very slow, wasn't he?"
"Yes, Mommy", Maddie answered, "But God made him that way. That's what makes him special from all the other animals."
"Well, Maddie, God made Tommy Tucker too", Mommy explained as she kissed Maddie goodnight. She turned off the light and left Maddie to dream about Tommy Tucker and the giant turtle.
The next day, Maddie was again excited to go to school. Today was the day the class would go into the auditorium to watch the Jr. High play. Maddie was going to be an actress one day, you know. Perfect, Maddie thought as she found her place in the row of theatre seats. Third row back, dead center! She could hardly wait!
Just before the play started, Mr. Keene's class filled in the rows right in front of Maddie.
That's ok, Maddie thought, they're just little kids anyway. "Oh no," Maddie groaned. Right in front of her sat Hilary Houston. Hilary was the largest child in the entire primary school. Hilary Houston was fat. Maddie tried to look around her to the right, but could only see Hilary's shoulder. To the left, she only saw Hilary's other shoulder. Maddie thought she might as well be sitting behind Houston, Texas instead of Hilary Houston. She'd see just as much of the play. Maddie's special day was ruined because of Hilary Houston. I don't like Hilary Houston, Maddie decided. She is just too fat!
"How was the play today, honey?" Mommy asked as she tucked Maddie in that night. It was all Maddie had talked about besides her trip to the zoo.
"I didn't get to see a bit of it, Mommy!" Maddie exclaimed indignantly. "Fat ole' Hilary Houston sat right in front of me and I couldn't see a thing. When kids laughed I couldn't see what they were laughing about. I don't like Hilary Houston, Mommy. She is just too fat!"
"Maddie", Mommy reminded, "Do you remember the hippo at the zoo?"
"Yes, Mommy, he was one of my favorites."
"But wasn't he very fat?"
"Yes, Mommy, but God made him that way. That's what makes him special from all the other animals."
"Well, Maddie, God made Hilary Houston too", Mommy said as she left the room. Maddie dozed off thinking about Tommy Tucker and the giant turtle and Hilary Houston and the hippo.
Wednesday morning brought a surprise. There was a new girl in Maddie's class. "I'd like you to meet Ginny Jenkins", Miss Fitz announced. "Please make her feel welcome." At recess, Maddie saw Ginny standing by herself against a wall. She looked lonely. Maddie started walking toward her when she was stopped by Suzie and Annie.
"We don't want her to play with us", Suzie sneered.
"Yeah, she's funny looking", Annie agreed.
Maddie looked at Ginny. She was funny looking - she had long arms and long legs and freckles all over her - and Annie and Suzie were Maddie's best friends. She went off to play with them and didn't give Ginny another thought.
"How was your day today, Maddie?" Mommy asked at
bedtime.
"We had a new girl today, Mommy", Maddie answered. "But she was funny looking. She had long arms and long legs and freckles all over her and Annie and Suzie didn't want to play with her."
Mommy shook her head sadly. "Maddie, do you remember the giraffe at the zoo?"
"Yes, Mommy. He was one of my favorites."
"Wasn't he funny looking, Maddie? With that long neck, long legs and all those spots?"
"Yes, Mommy, but God made him that way. That's what makes him special from all the other animals."
"Well Maddie, God made Ginny Jenkins too."
Maddie laid awake a long time that night thinking about Tommy Tucker and the giant turtle, Hilary Houston and the Hippo and Ginny Jenkins and the giraffe.
On Thursday, Maddie went to school as usual, but it was not to be a usual day for Maddie. Miss Fitz had a special assignment for the class. She wanted everyone to be very still and quiet as she explained it. As Maddie reached for her pencil to take notes, it rolled off her desk, onto the floor and across the room. Maddie got up as quietly as she could and tip-toed across the room to get her pencil. She tip-toed back to her desk. When she tried to take notes, she noticed the lead had broken when the pencil hit the floor. Again, Maddie tip-toed across the room to the pencil sharpener. The sound of the sharpener got Miss Fitz' attention. The whole class turned and stared at Maddie. "What a little monkey you are being today, Maddie", Miss Fitz exclaimed, "running from side to side of the room like that. Now please take your pencil and go find your seat." Embarrassed, Maddie sat back down.
At recess, Maddie went to her favorite playground spot - the monkey bars. She liked to hang upside down and swing.
"Look at Monkey Maddie", hooted Scott as he and Billy walked by. Billy scratched under his arms, made monkey noises and grinned really big showing all his teeth. Maddie spent the rest of recess in the girl's bathroom, crying.
That night, Mommy didn't have to ask Maddie how her day was. She could tell that something was terribly wrong. "Maddie, honey, what's wrong? Mommie asked.
"Oh Mommy, it was awful", Maddie sobbed. She
told Mommy about Miss Fitz and the pencil and the
boys on the playground.
"Maddie", Mommy whispered as she gently brushed away the tears, "do you remember the monkeys in the zoo? Do you remember how they ran from side to side in their cages, swung from the tree and showed their teeth? They were your favorites, right?" Maddie nodded, eyes still wet with unshed tears. "God made them special from all the other animals, didn't he? Well, guess what? God made Maddie Miller, too!"
Maddie gave Mommy a hug and the two of them sat and talked about Tommy Tucker and the giant turtle, Hilary Houston and the hippo, Ginny Jenkins and the giraffe, and Maddie Miller and the monkeys. It was quite late when Maddie finally drifted off to sleep.
Sunday afternoon Maddie and Mommy went back to the zoo, but this time they brought some special friends. Maddie wanted Tommy to see the giant turtle. She wanted to show Hilary the hippo and introduce Ginny to the giraffe. She wanted them all to meet the monkeys. "God made all of these animals special from each other", Maddie explained, "and He made all of us special too."
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