Litterbug, Litterbug
A very merry, bright, and bouncy girl bounded through the bustling train station.
Katie was so excited, she could hardly contain herself! She was going to the zoo!
A train horn blared: Wooo-ooh-wooo! Woo-ooh-wooo! An announcement rang out: Allllll aboarrrd!
People scurried about, turnstiles spun ‘round and ‘round. The station display board made a clackety-clack sound.
“Katie, don’t get too far ahead!” her parents called after her.
But they didn’t see her! “Oh, dear, oh, dear, where can she be?” her mother said.
When they finally caught up to Katie, she was staring up at a not-so-bright or bouncy gentleman.
He was dressed from head to toe in leather! The name “Duke” was stitched into his vest.
They both had their hands on their hips. It was a staredown!
“You pick that up right now!” Katie said to the man. He had tossed his trash on the floor, right in front of Katie.
“Well, well, well! And just who do you think YOU are, little girl?” the decidedly not merry man said.
“Litterbug, litterbug!” Katie said, inching closer to the man. “My mom always says ‘never litter!’”
He inched one inch backwards, and then two. Katie stepped one step closer, and then two!
“Litterbug, litterbug!” Katie said again. “LITTERBUG!!”
“Well, well, well”, bellowed a very merry, bright, and not so bouncy man.
Katie and Duke stood with their hands on their hips, staring at each other, and then at the other man.
Katie said, “He littered! He littered! He’s a litterbug!”. Duke scowled at Katie and looked to his friend for help.
The very merry and bright, but not so bouncy man turned to Katie and said, “Soooooo, you’d like Duke here to pick up his trash, do I have that right, young lady?”
Katie looked this new man right in the eye and said, “Yes! He’s a litterbug! All he needed to do was toss his trash in the can.”
She pointed towards a trash can near a doorway.
A small crowd had gathered at this point, and Katie’s mom and dad were mortified! “Katie, please, let’s just get this nice man to pick up his trash, and we can be on our way.”
The very merry and bright, but not so bouncy man, whose name was “Chance”, according to the stitching on his leather vest, turned towards Duke and said, “Ok, big fella, how about we just do what this little lady says, and pick up that trash!”
Duke scowled again and let out a low “hrrummpphhh!” He bent over, picked up his trash, and lumbered over to the trash can.
He turned to face Katie and the crowd and tossed the offending crumpled-up paper bag into the can.
Katie clapped her hands and smiled from ear to ear. The crowd cheered and whistled. Katie’s mom and dad hurried over and each took one of Katie’s hands in theirs.
Duke and Chance stood there, hands in their pockets, looking at Katie. She broke free from her parents’ grasp and ran up to the two towering men.
She said softly, “Thank you! Thank you so much!” The men looked down at this precocious little red-haired girl for a moment. Then Duke mumbled bashfully, “I’m sorry for littering. I won’t do it again, ok?”
Katie beamed! She took one step towards Duke and Chance and winked!
She ran back to her parents and exclaimed, “Ok! I’m ready to go to the zoo now!”
Her mom and dad breathed a sigh of relief, and they merrily, and brightly, and bouncily made their way out of the train station and towards the zoo!