I LIKE CARROTS

At the zoo the primates were eating treats. There were four of them - Bobo, Dubdub, Chucho, and Ned - and were huddled near the visitor viewing platform gobbling away at carrots and greens.

"This isn't much of a treat anymore," Bobo said.

"Yeah," Dubdub said. "A treat connotes something special, something out of the ordinary."

"We get carrots all the time," Chucho said. "Nothing special about carrots."

"I like carrots," Ned said, smiling.

They were finishing up their food when the first school group hustled over to gawk at them and mock them with monkey sounds.

"Stupid kids," Bobo said.

"Yeah," Dubdub said. "We're smarter then they are at that age. We should be the ones out there mocking them."

"Good idea," Chucho said. "Ned, hop the fence."

"No way."

"Come on, we've all done it. Us primates are smart. We'll show them! Hop the fence and follow the school group around."

"No way. I'll get busted." Ned picked at his hair. He ate a louse.

"We'll give you all the treats in the cage tomorrow if you hop the fence."

"Knock it off, guys," Ned said. "Just leave me alone." He scuffled across the cage to a burlap sack and sat in it before he swung on a rope.

"Geez," Dubdub said, thumbing his hairy knuckles towards Ned, "what a chimp pansy."