The Hospital

Once upon a time, there lived a precious almost-three-year-old boy. His parents called him Little Man.

One day, when Mama came to get Little Man out of his crib, he cupped his hands around his mouth and asked, Mama, we going to the hospital?

Mama looked at him blankly.

The hospital? she asked.

The hospital! The hospital! he shouted and clapped.

Oh, Little Man, are you foreshadowing? she wondered.

All day long he kept bringing it up, each time circling his lips with his cute little fingers and almost whispering in his excitement, We going to the hospital!

Mama was a little worried.

She asked her husband a couple of evenings later, after Little Man had gone to bed with hospital on his lips, Do you think we should take him to a hospital? Maybe he just wants to see one inside, or something?

Husband shrugged and said, Why not?

So the next day, as they drove into the closest Small Town to make a bank deposit, they pointed out Small Town Hospital and said, Little Man, there's the hospital! Do you want to go inside?

Little Man looked out his window long and hard.

Are dere zebras in dere? he asked.

...

Zebras? queried Daddy. Did you say zebras, Little Man?

Yes! Are dere zebras in dere? he asked again, impatiently now.

Mama looked at Daddy. Daddy looked at Mama.

Little Man, did you mean you wanted to go to the zoo?

Yes! he shrieked and clapped. I want to go to da zoo and see da zebras!

And he never asked to go to the hospital again.

Whew.

The End