Arobot can do many different things from taking care¹ of a baby to building a spaceship．It can do anything except² think．The Star Zoo computer was³ the only one that could⁵ think．

Well， our family robot could build a robot animal， easily． That was no problem．

First we had⁸ to choose what animal to make， so we went round the Star Zoo to look at all．the animals．Hee-Haw carried me and Hoo-Woo came⁹ with us．The robot followed．

I don't know how many rooms the Star Zoo had； I couldn't count them all．Some rooms were filled¹⁰ with water where there were big fish and small fish．There were horrible¹¹ monsters¹² walking under the water and I felt a little afraid again．

Some rooms were covered¹³ in snow and all the animals there had while¹⁵ fur．There were dry rooms， hot wet rooms， forest¹⁷ rooms…And animals and birds and trees and flowers！

There were more living¹⁸ things than I had ever¹⁹ dreamt of！

I sat²¹ on Hee-Haw's back as⁴ the donkey²² walked on．We went through a door into a room full of strange²³ life， then we went through another door and into another room，It was like a dream．In a dream， things change suddenly，without reason．It was like that．

We went back to the computer．I didn't know which animal to choose and neither²⁷ did²⁶ the robot．Hee-Haw and Hoo-Woo didn't understand the problem；they weren't intelligent²⁸ in the human²⁹ way．

So I asked the computer．

'Watch humans，'the computer said．'Humans³⁰ enjoy playing with animals．Find an animal which enjoys playing with humans．'

So we went to see the humans．

The humans in the Star Zoo couldn't speak． I sat down and watched them while the humans played up in the trees，swam in the pool³² and played games in the grass．They played all the time．

Most other animals didn't play with the humans．But finally³³ I saw³⁴ one animal come through the grass to play． It liked playing with humans！

The humans played with the animal for an hour．The animal and the humans enjoyed playing together．

'That's the animal you must make，'I told the robot．

The robot watched the animal and touched it and measured³⁵ everything．In the end it was ready to build a robot just like that animal．

'What do you need to build it？'I asked．

'Plastic，'the robot answered．'I will use real³⁷ fur¹⁶ on the outside．But I need some metal．Where can I find metal？'

There was only one thing in the Star Zoo made³⁹ of metal－the computer！

The computer told the robot to take off⁴⁰ two small pieces of metal³⁸ from its back．

The robot worked fast．Sometimes it needed a special tool．Then it opened its stomach⁴² because the tools⁴³ were kept inside⁴⁴ the body there．

First，the robot made a plastic³⁶ body which it covered with soft plastic，like a skin．Then it used⁴⁶ fur to cover¹⁴ the skin．

I left before the robot finished⁴⁷ because I was worried⁴⁸ about Buff．I didn't want him to die．

Buff still wouldn't eat or drink But the worst⁵¹ thing was， he was still crazy．His mind⁵³ wasn't getting better…

If Buff stays in the Star Zoo，I thought，he'll die．

I talked to him but he didn't answer．I knew he wanted to kill⁵⁴ me．He wanted to kill all living things．

The robot finished its work and showed me a little animal．It looked，and sounded，and played like the real animal． I took⁵⁵ it to the computer．

'Yes，it looks just like the animal，'the computer said．'It's very small-a baby animal．'the computer told me its name． It checked the animal，then said³¹ to the robot，'Make it warm．'

The little animal was cold．

So the robot made the baby animal warm， like the real animal．We were ready．

The robot put Buff to sleep，then put the spacesuit on him and carried him to the spaceship．

I was leaving the Star Zoo for the second time．Would⁵⁰ our plan⁵⁶ succeed， I wondered？ Before I went through the door，I looked back at all the life²⁴ that existed⁵⁹ only here in the Star Zoo，and in no other place in all the Galaxy⁶⁰.