"Lookout the Moose"

                                                                         
                                                                                                  "Lookout the Moose"


    Everyday a young moose would stand on that hill overlooking the small village just beyond the forest. His mother would find him there and walk beside him as he looked with wonder. She would always encourage him the same way each morning.

    " Do not ever go into the village, we live in the woods  We are moose and they are people. They do not like us."

    One day the young moose saw children playing along the roadside. He had no friends and wanted to play also. His mother had left and so the moose thought he would go closer to see why they were so happy. As his big head poked out of the bushes near where the children played along the road, one child saw him and yelled.

    "Lookout the moose is coming."

    The children were not afraid and jumped around with pleasure to see the young moose, pointing at him and hollering for their friends to come take a look. This made the young moose happy. They seemed to like him and he wanted to play too. So despite what his mother had said, he walked out from the bushes where he stood and slowly trotted toward the children, playing at the bus stop.

    He didn't know what a bus stop was, and never saw a school bus before.  As he approached the happy children, they hollered even louder.

    "Lookout, the moose is coming, the moose is coming!"

    The young moose did not have a formal name and had never thought much about it until now. The moose thought that the children were calling him a name. Lookout! So every time that he heard them cry, "Lookout, for the Moose", he thought they were calling to him. He thought is was a very nice name, and the children called out his name so loudly. They were glad to see him! So he trotted even faster to go and play with his new found friends. The bus pulled up in front of the children as they hollered again.

   
    "Lookout, the moose is coming!" And they jumped onto bus just as Lookout arrived. He followed the last little boy right up to the step of the bus and stuck his big head into the door, as the bus driver now yelled out to the children.

    "Lookout, the moose is coming!" The driver yelled.

    The children laughed and stuck their noses to the windows of the bus trying to get a better look at Lookout! The silly moose now tried to squeeze up through the doorway of the bus and get on board himself! The bus driver still yelling at Lookout, tried hard to close the door, but Lookout was stuck in the way. The children laughed and hollered some more.

    "Lookout! Lookout!"  This made Lookout even happier. So many new friends liked him and called out his name!

    The driver finally pulled the door shut and threw the bus into gear, lurching down the road. Lookout stepped back out of the way and saw every smiling face in the windows of the bus as it went past and down the road toward the schoolhouse. So Lookout decided that he should follow the bus and see where his new friends were going to. He was having so much fun and wanted to play some more with the children.


    As Lookout came down the road near the school, he noticed a man standing in the middle of the street with white gloves and a nice blue suit, with a white hat to match on top. So Lookout walked over to him as he had his back toward the moose. He had his arms out and something in his mouth, helping more children get across the street to the school. Just as the children passed the crossing guard they saw the moose and began to yell just like the other children.

    "Lookout, here comes the moose!" Then they ran as the crossing guard turned around and now was face to face with Lookout! He blew his whistle and then ran right past the school children. Lookout thought that the sound of the whistle was a signal and so he ran after the crossing guard who he thought was playing also. As the children rushed into the school, Lookout was following right behind and when he got to the door, the man with the whistle tried to shut the door on poor Lookout! He tried and tried to fit into the door because he could hear all the children still calling his name and laughing. He was really having fun now and wanted to go to school just like his new friends! But he just couldn't quite fit in through the door and finally a loud school bell rang, surprising Lookout. The door slammed shut and soon no more voices could be heard. So Lookout
walked all the way around the school but could not find a way in, nor could he find any more of his new friends to play with.

    This made Lookout sad. He was having so much fun. Where did everyone go? He looked down the street and decided that may be close to the stores in town, he would find someone else to play with. So he went to find out and as he came near one store, an old man was sweeping the sidewalk. When he saw Lookout coming, he too yelled!

    " Lookout! Here comes the moose!"  He shook his broom at Lookout and Lookout thought that it was another game to play. He found someone new to play with him. So he grabbed the broom with his
mouth which made the old man surprised and he started to back up. Lookout followed the man with the broom still in his big moose mouth as the man tried to back into his doorway. Lookout tried to follow too, and see what was inside the store. There were so many smells coming from inside because it was a bakery shop. The smells filled Lookout's big nostrils and he tried to go in, but the broom in his mouth kept getting in the way. He didn't want to drop the broom because it was part of the new game he was playing with the baker. He tried and tried but only part of his head got into the door.

    "Lookout. There is a big moose trying to get into my store and eat my cakes and cookies." The baker yelled, as he let go of the broom which Lookout was pulling on, sending Lookout backwards.
The moose watched the man grab a phone, as Lookout quietly moved closer to the door again. Maybe he was going to get some cakes and cookies and play some more, so he stood there patiently. The
 
baker slammed the door shut right in poor Lookout's face. It hit his nose and the broom dropped to the ground. The man inside pulled the shade down, so Lookout walked over to the big window to look and see where his new friend had gone. Then, quietly, Lookout turned to walk away, when all of a sudden, down the street, some more people called out his name.

    " Lookout, there's a moose."  He trotted down the street once again proud because a whole bunch more people were calling out his name. He liked his new name. And everyone seemed to know him. People he never saw or met all knew him by name and that made him proud. He was having a great time and didn't understand why mother did not approve. Lookout decided he wanted to live in town now too! All the people were real friendly and they all knew him!

    As the people called his name, Lookout walked farther into town. There was a large building with three great big open doors to it. Surely I can find someone in here to play with, he thought. There were great big red trucks, as big as the school bus Lookout tried to get on. But these trucks had no seats in the back for children and there was no driver that Lookout could see. In between the trucks there was a long pole that went right up to the ceiling. Lookout stood there and looked all the way up the pole and saw a door at the top. He could here faint voices up there and wanted to find out who it was. Just then a loud bell rang and grew louder every second. He
 heard voices up the pole,of men yelling. First one man came sliding down the pole, then another, yanking on boots and jackets. They didn't notice that Lookout was standing right there. As they ran for the trucks, Lookout wanted to go also. So he walked to the nearest truck and poked his big head inside. A man with a funny hat blew a loud horn and Lookout jumped back, almost landing on another man dressed in funny clothes and a big hat. The man took one look at the moose and yelled.

    "Lookout for the moose!" The man yelled, then jumped into the loud truck.

    The truck made lots of noise and soon Lookout could not hear anything when the siren started blaring and so he ran out into the street ahead of the trucks. In the street he stood for a second until the trucks came out of the building and headed right for Lookout. He ran down the middle of the street every once in a while turning back to see where the trucks were at. They were right in back of him! So he tried to run faster but he was just too slow.  Then he would stop every once in a while when someone would call out to him again. But he didn't understand why they wanted to play.

    "Lookout you dumb moose!" They would cry, and every time Lookout would stop and wonder, the big red trucks would blow their horn and someone inside would yell.

"Lookout you big dumb moose!"


    But Lookout could not figure why there was so much confusion. Finally further down the street he heard a faint voice cry out.

    "Lookout, there is a fire! My little dog is inside!"  A little girl cried standing with her mother. She had been home sick from kindergarten that day.

    Lookout got there first before the trucks, because he had caused such a big traffic jam, but didn't know he was in the way. The tiny little girl was holding a toy stuffed animal. It looked just like a moose and Lookout wanted to see it better, so he walked up to the little girl who was crying. She looked at the big moose standing over her and then at her little toy moose. Then she looked back up at Lookout and said with tears in her eyes .


    "Lookout there is a fire and my little dog is in there." Then she pointed to a window on the side of the house.

    Lookout had never seen a fire before, but could hear the dog barking inside. He remembered one day in the woods that a dog chased after him and when he chased back the dog ran around and played. He still wanted to play. So he walked over to the window and saw the small dog jumping up at the window. But he was too small to get out! The fire truck stopped out front, as a fireman grabbed the little girl screaming as loud as she could.

    "Lookout! My dog is in there! Save my dog, please!" But the fireman took her away from the house.

    The dog barked frantically as the fire grew bigger. The firemen yelled to get away, as they unreeled there fire hoses. But Lookout still wanted to play. He heard the little girl yelling his name over and over again and something told him that he had to get her dog. So Lookout stuck his big head into the window as the little dog jumped into the air, barking wildly. Soon everyone was yelling .

    "Lookout, Lookout" They cried.
 
    The moose knew he had to do something. So just as the little dog jumped one big leap again at the open window, Lookout grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and carried him away. The little girl screamed and tried to pull away from the firemen, yelling, Lookout, that is my dog! The tiny dog barked wildly and Lookout saw the little girl's happy face. So he brought the dog to her and set him down.


    The people gathered around and some started to say, lookout! But before they could finish they were just amazed. Other children came close and some parents said, Lookout, don't get to close! But still everyone wanted to come closer to Lookout and touch him.

    "Everyone likes me ," he thought. "Mother was wrong!" Just then it occurred to Lookout that it was getting late. He looked off toward the woods and thought he saw his mother. The little girl looked up at Lookout, while holding her dog, and smiled. Then she stood up and thanked the moose and said.

    "Lookout everyone, I think he wants to go home now!" So she waved her hands so everyone would move out of the way.

    Everyone petted Lookout as he walked past. He never imagined that town would be so much fun. He had to go home but turned once again as the little girl reminded him of one more thing.

    "Lookout that you don't get in any more trouble on the way home." She smiled at Lookout and thanked him for saving her puppy. Then everyone waved goodbye to Lookout as he wandered back into the woods. He was going to go home and tell his mother that the people in town were all nice and friendly. And he couldn't wait to tell her his new name.

"Lookout"                  The End   


 
 
S A Gibbins 1994 wc 2332