by Dan Leonard

 

Mom says, “Today we’re going to the zoo.”

Zara puts on her hat.

She taps one eye.
Then the other.

One eye open.
One eye closed.

Tap. Tap. Check.

Zara nodded.

Ready for whoa.

Dad laughs. “You’re being silly.”

Zara shrugs.

“Maybe.”

Then softer—

“I like silly.”

At the gate, the paths twist and split.

Her open eye sees lions, penguins, monkeys.

Her closed eye whispers:

Let’s make it whoa.

Zara tilts her head.

Tap. Tap. Check.

At the feeding station, a keeper carries a bucket.

Her open eye sees
food for the animals.

Her closed eye sees—

A very serious lion
in a keeper’s hat.

“Sit!”

The keepers plop.

Tongues out.
Panting.

The lion lifts one biscuit—

Every keeper’s nose goes up—

sniff sniff sniff sniff

One drools.

One quietly lifts a hand—

paw?

“Inside voices.”

woof

The lion tosses the treat—

DOG-PILE!

Legs.
Shoes.
Bottoms up.

One keeper pops out—
wearing the biscuit like a hat.

The lion nods.

“That counts.”

Zara nods—
very serious.

Penguins waddle. Slide. Plop.

Her open eye sees
penguins on ice.

Her closed eye sees—

WADDLE.
WOBBLE.
WIGGLE.

One slips—

WHOOPS!

Then catches itself.

Then—

WHOOPS!

Straight into another penguin—

WHOOPS!

That penguin spins—

WHOOPS!

Three penguins slide neatly into a stack.

Perfect.

The whole stack tips over—

FLUMP.

A tiny flipper rises—

“…Again?”

Zara snorts.

Then giggles.

Then—

“Whoops!”

Then can’t stop.

Monkeys swing and shout,

“Tag—you’re it!”

Her open eye sees
monkey business.

Her closed eye sees—

Zara makes the face.

A monkey copies.

Zara gets silly.

It gets sillier.

BIG.
BIGGER.
BIGGEST.

Tongues—
Two.
Three.

Zara stops.

The monkeys don’t.

EARS.
SQUISH.
STRETCH.
Upside down.
Crossed eyes.
Spinning.

One monkey freezes—

that makes it worse.

Zara bursts out loud.

Then freezes.

Zara snorts—
clamps her mouth shut.

Oh no.

She opens both eyes—just a peek.

She looks left.

Slowly looks right.

Someone might be watching…

or worse—listening.

She stands very still.

Then smooths her shirt.

Zara folds her hands.

Feet together.

Lips tight.

Eyes open.

Very good.

Very still.

Oh.

Too much.

Zara blinks.

One eye open.

Then both.

Quiet.

“I won’t do that again.”

Next—elephants.

Feet.
Ears.
Trunks.

Slow swaying giants.

Zara looked hard.

Close.

No whoops.

No wiggle.

No wow.

She waited.

And waited.

Nothing.

Just… elephants.

“…oh.”

Zara kept both eyes open.

By the giraffes—

something sneaks in.

Her open eye sees
a tall, quiet giraffe.

Zara keeps
both eyes open.

Nothing—

then—

one eye squeezes shut—

all by itself.

The giraffe’s tiny horns… wiggle.

No.

They didn’t wiggle.

Did they?

This giraffe has tiny prickles.

Spiky.

POKY.

Prickles.

“I am a porcupine!” it declares.

“I give the BEST hugs!”

“GET OVER HERE!”

The prickly giraffe leans in—

HUG!

OUCH!

“Sorry!”

HUG!

“OOPS!”

Zara presses her lips tight—

then—

she laughs anyway.

One penguin pops up—
smooths his feathers—
then gives Zara
a tiny wink.

Zara looks.

The lion nods too.

High above,
one monkey hangs upside down—
grinning.

The prickly giraffe whispers—

“Later.”

One elephant lifts
its giant foot—

holds—

holds—

tap.

Zara stares.

“…oh.”

Then—

the lion sits.

The penguins wobble.

The monkey keeps going.

The giraffe barges in—

“GET OVER HERE!”

The elephant lifts its foot—

BOOM.

And Zara—

“WHOOPS!”

laughing so hard
she almost falls over.

Zara smiled.

“Silly.”

“Oh. There you are.”

Tap. Tap. Check.

…whoa.

Zara asleep.

One eye almost closed.

Nearby—

a monkey
trying.
Very hard.

Not to laugh.