The two girls were enjoying themselves immensely when something huge, white, and brown jumped over their bushes and landed right in front of the giant turtle. The girls weren’t frightened because they knew who, or rather what, it was---Ben, the neighbor’s St. Bernard. Ben, it seemed, had never seen a giant turtle, and was barking (rather loudly) at the turtle as it was slowly winding it’s way around the back yard.

“Be quiet, Ben!” shouted Katie. “This is our new friend, ‘Mr. Turtle’, and he’s kindly giving us a ride on his back. Ben quieted down and came closer to Katie so she could pet him. He enjoyed the girls’ company, and he often jumped over the bushes dividing the girls’ house and his owner’s house to play with them. Wanting to imitate the turtle, Ben knelt on the ground in front of them. He seemed to be offering the girls a ride on his back!

“Hey!” shouted Katie. “Ben wants us to ride him, too!” So she put her arms around the furry dog’s neck, threw her right leg over him, and sat up on him like she’d seen the cowboys do on horses on TV. Anna also climbed up on top of Ben and held onto Katie for support. And then---away they went!!!

Ben was a great animal, strong and boundless in energy. First he jumped over the hedge, and then he ran swiftly down the block. Katie and Anna could barely hold on, he was going so fast!

Today was the day of the neighborhood block party, and that was where Ben was heading.  Ben smelled the hot dogs roasting on the grill, so he ran straight to the food.  Mr. Cummings was doing the grilling.  He knew Ben, and offered him a hot dog when the animal approached.

"Well Hello, Ben!" Mr. Cummings exclaimed.  "Nice of you to take Anna and Katie for a ride!"

"Did you two have fun?" he asked Anna and Katie.

"Oh, yes!" the two beamed.  And they dismounted and let Ben have his hot dog snack.  Then the two walked around the block party to see what they could see.

"Oh look!"  said Anna, pointing her finger at an animal other children were petting.  "A camel!"

Anna and Katie walked up to the camel and started to pet him along with the other children.  "Would you two like to mount him?" asked Ken, the camel keeper.  "Sure!"  Katie and Anna replied.  Ken put Katie on the front hump and Anna on the back.  He then led the camel slowly down the sidewalk.  When they had traveled about 20 feet, Ken stopped and let go of the camel's reins in order to help Anna and Katie down.

Katie, however, was in a very mischievous mood.  She wanted to see just how fast that camel could go!  She kicked the camel's side with her two feet and yelled "Giddyup camel!" just like she had seen the cowboys do on TV.

And off they went, holding onto the camel's humps for dear life!  In vain Ken yelled to them, "Hey!!  Stop!!"  But the camel ran through the crowd of people and away from the block party. 

The crazy camel turned right on Big Bend Blvd. and then made a left on Forest Park Parkway.  At first both Anna and Katie were having fun, just riding the camel and holding onto its humps for dear life.  But then they wondered where the camel was taking them.  They didn't have to wait long, for soon they saw the entrance to the St. Louis Zoo in Forest Park!  "It headed for home!"  yelled Anna.



Sure enough, the camel stepped over the entrance turnstile gate and headed straight for the camel yard.  "Why Hello, Sue" yelled Karen, another camel keeper.  "What are you doing here?  I thought you were at a block party!  And who did you bring with you?"

"I'm Anna," said Anna.  "And I'm Katie," added Katie.  Anna explained, "We sort of took Sue for a ride and brought her back to you.  We think we'll call our parents now and go back home!  Thanks!"  And they bid good-bye to Karen the camel keeper.

As Anna and Katie were looking for a telephone, Katie cried, "Hey look, Anna, a monkey!"

Hot on the monkey's heels were two zoo keepers holding nets with which to capture the monkey, who apparently had gotten away.  The monkey ran towards the elephant house, with the zoo keepers closely behind.  "Hopefully they'll catch him without too much harm," Anna remarked.

Then, all of a sudden, the ground started to shake, and Anna and Katie heard elephants trumpeting from the elephant house.  They heard a big "Crash!" and down came one of the gates to the house.  A herd of elephants appeared from nowhere and came rumbling through the gates, toward Anna and Katie!  "Ruuunn!" they both cried.  The two girls ran as hard and as fast as they could, but the elephants were gaining on them and the two thought they were doomed for sure!