Cat and Mouse
Cat stalks. Mouse runs. The game can’t last.
Some time ago, in the bustling city of New York, New York, a timid Mouse scrounged. The Mouse lived in a hole, the hole in a wall, the wall in a house. The house had people, and the people had a Cat. The cat’s name was George, but the mouse called him Stalker.
Day after day, the Cat stalked the Mouse as he crawled from his hole in the wall and searched for table scraps.
Day after day, the Mouse said, “Go away, Stalker. I’m not your toy— I’m my own Mouse.”
Day after day, the Cat replied, “Not yet, you aren’t.”
The Mouse scurried under the cat’s watchful gaze for many years. One winter afternoon, three days before Christmas, the Mouse left his hole and beheld a miraculous sight.
The watchful Cat was nowhere to be found.
The Mouse thought himself very pleased. “The people have left for Christmas, and they’ve taken that horrible Stalker with them,” he said to himself. “I’ll make a holiday of it!”
For three days, the Mouse scurried around the empty house.
On the first day, the Mouse bored into beautifully wrapped boxes. He chewed through crunchy candies. He licked delicious cheeses and sampled tiny ham slices. All the while, he kept an eye out for the watchful Stalker.
The Cat remained absent.
On the second day, the Mouse grew nervous. He said to himself, “That’s strange. Something feels off. I almost wish — no, but that’s insane!” He raided the Christmas stockings and he ate and he ate until he felt full and fine.
The Cat remained absent.
On the third day, the Mouse grew melancholy. He said to himself, “I wonder when Stalker will be back? But I mustn’t — he’s a very watchful cat.” The Mouse had a lovely picnic by the fireplace, and he ate until his stomach felt as if it would burst. Feeling brave, he slept beside the flickering flame.
The Cat, as always, remained absent.
On the fourth day, the Mouse yawned and stretched. He licked the crumbs from his claws, but something was missing. He said to himself, “That Cat was an odd fellow — no doubt about it! Still, it’s hardly a holiday without a company. I almost wish he hadn’t left.”
A shadow fell upon the Mouse. “Now you’re mine,” said the Cat.
The Mouse squeaked louder than he’d ever squeaked before. He dodged the Cat’s outstretched paw and fled toward his hole.
“SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK”
He shoved his head through the hole. He squeezed and he squirmed, but his belly was stuck. He’d grown too fat to fit.
“Don’t eat me!” said the Mouse.
“Don’t move,” said the Cat.
The Cat leaped upon the frightened Mouse and bit him in two. He slurped the Mouse’s twitching tail and licked his lips.
“Thanks for the meal,” said the Cat. Then he stalked off, as cats are wont to do.
The End.
