Put Me in the Zoo

By Robert Lopshire

Copyright 1960

Many of us have a few books, either from our own childhood or that of our children that we can recite word for word off the top of our heads.  This is one of those books for me. 

             Oh!  They would put me in the zoo

             if they could see what I can do.

             I can put my spots up on this ball

             and I can put them on a wall.

             I can put them on a cat

             and I can put them on a hat…

Thus begins the plea of a large, friendly looking bear-like animal that can magically change the colors of his spots and do fun tricks with them too.  He wants to live in the zoo so he can show off his tricks and have a nice place to live, but the keepers throw him out.  Two children he meets outside the zoo listen to all the amazing tricks this animal can do and watch his demonstration.   He’s sure the zoo would let him in if they could only see his talents.  

After watching and listening, the two children convince him that the zoo is not the place for him.  Rather, with his fun tricks, the circus is the place he belongs.  

So much of his time and energy were spent trying to get into the zoo, where he thought he belonged.  Then, it turns out there was someplace even better for him!  The circus is the place for him after all.

This happens often, doesn’t it?  We work and work in vain to get to a place, a relationship, or a job we were sure was meant to be, when our real calling is actually something different.  I guess that’s just a part of life, isn’t it?  If we are open to new ideas, new challenges, new paths, we will eventually find our place in this world.