The orange lake

Once upon a time, in THESE times, actually, there lived a sextet of friends known as the Adorable, Animated, Anthropomorphic, Athletes--or the 4-A's Club, who were  looking for summer jobs.

There's Mrs. APE, who always worried that her opposable thumbs might have a negative affect on her athletic prowess, and Mr. BEAR, who was concerned that the all the contents of those picnic baskets he consumed during hibernation might negatively affect his ability to perform.

Mrs. CAT wasn't concerned about perils on the job..she had eight more lives to spare, while Mr. DOG only took the job because he was told there'd be a ball. 

The eldest in the group, MRS. ELEPHANT, may have collected some junk in her trunk after all these years, but she never, ever, forgot...

The newest member of the sextet was MR. FOX, who was as sneaky and as slick as one would think he'd be, but he wanted everyone else in the animal kingdom to listen to him and him only, even if it meant defying his colleagues.

The 4-A's  would soon get their first assignment for the summer..life guarding at a resort with two lakes.

The first lake on the property was older. 

 The waters could occasionally be cloudy but they were mostly clear--clear, warm, inviting, and most importantly,  welcoming to all.

The second lake..well..that second lake, with it's slick, oily surface and it's orange hue, that was a whole different animal, but the bosses of the 4-A organization instructed the team to set up at whichever lake they preferred

The orange-y lake was peppered with warning signs posted  around its perimeter:  "Do Not Swim Here."

"This lake is polluted and corrupt.  Yes, we've tested it to make sure."

"Enter at Your Own Risk."

Even without the warning signs, it was general knowledge that the lake was a menace to society, inhabited by many  known predators that lurked just below the surface.

Mrs. APE explored the options and realized there was only one viable one.

She set up the lifeguard stand at the older lake. 

 She erected a table to hold a first aid kit, stacked flotation devices into a pile,  and wrapped a whistle around her neck. 

"I think..I KNOW..this will be a good job for all of us, " she said, as she slathered sun block onto her massive form. 

Mr. BEAR dove into the water, bobbed around a bit before smiling broadly, a big sunfish jutting out from his teeth, and agreed:  "Yep!  This is gonna be..ggggggrrrrEAT!!"

Mrs. CAT sound a spot in the shade and ignored everyone, while Mr. DOG dug for bones in the sand. 

 Mrs. ELEPHANT scanned the beach for all the speedo wearers, admiring their trunks.

Mr. FOX, however, does not like this set up. 

 He doesn't like it one bit. 

 In fact, he wants to go..even if he's the sole life  guard at the orange-y lake ….the rogue animal of the 4-A's group..

"But that lake is filled with bacteria! And gators and porn stars and some really fishy characters! “ cried Mrs. APE.

"We can't stop you!" chimed in Mrs. Elephant,” by if you insist on going..please..take this with you."

She handed Mr. FOX a gift wrapped in shells and seaweed.

It was long and thin, with a boxy square at the top.

Mr. FOX took the gift, hissed at his friends, and sashayed away to the second beach.

There he saw a bunch of busy beavers, an exhausted pregnant bunny with her litter that numbered in the hundreds.  He saw goats playing with their unhappy kids who couldn't read classic books  and he saw praying mantises, filled with judgement and vodka.

Mr. FOX looked up at the skies that were beginning to darken now.  He surveyed the crowd on the beach, dressed in red sunhats and blinders, despite the  graying skies that made sunglasses unnecessary.

When nobody seemed to be looking, Mr. FOX unwrapped the gift from his friends:  It was a new sign, in big bold letters that read, "ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK."

Mr. FOX paused for a moment,  grabbed a piece or charcoal he found in the sand and wrote under those letters, "BUT I MYSELF WOULDN'T."

He surveyed the crowd again, and saw a mother kangaroo pouring Kool Aid from her Kangaroo Kool Aid pouch, which the little joeys enthusiastically lapped up.

He grabbed the charcoal and added, "I wouldn't... but the PAY me to."

And he drove the stoke deep into the ground.

THE END

KLA 4/23/24