Leave It To Twigg

 

       “Mama, mama,” wheedled Twigg, “I want a pet. I want a kitty, mama!”

        Ramona looked down at her son, trying to determine what the genesis of this latest bee in his bonnet was. What did it spring from? How did he even know what a kitty was? She pondered.
        “Now, Twigg. What is a kitty?” asked Ramona.
        “Well, Missus Thaga said a kitty was a pet, and I think if she has one, I should have one,” said Twigg, logically enough, in his own estimation.
        “What does a kitty look like Twigg?,” asked Ramona, mentally deciding to speak to Thaga.
        Twigg opened his mouth, then shut it again. He hadn’t expected a grilling.
        “I think a kitty is an animal with fur,” said Twigg hesitantly. He felt like maybe this whole thing was slipping out of his understanding.
        “You know, Twigg, sometimes when we ask for something we don’t understand, we get a real surprise!  Sometimes it’s not a good surprise.  Sometimes it is a good surprise, you never know,” said Ramona.
        “Basically, a pet is an animal friend.  Don’t you already have animal friends? You have Maeve, I know, she’s just a bird. You have that baby skunk, Fredrich. You think you need more animal friends? Then, there are rabbits all over the place,” she added.
        Just when she couldn’t think of anything else to say, Ralph himself strolled into the clearing. He looked highly pleased with himself.  Of course, he usually did. But this time even more so. His broad, amiable face shone with amusement.
        Standing there by the fire circle he appeared as a glorious figure to his son, for in the crook of each elbow he carried a cougar cub, squealing and wriggling as hard as he could.
        “Hey, look what I found Ramona! These two little kitties have been down in a little badger den for days without their mama.  Something must have happened to her. They are hungry and thirsty.  Also, very noisy!”
        At the word kitties, Twigg’s eyes lit up. All his fondest wishes looked to be coming true, right before his eyes! This was more like it!
        “Twigg, sit down, and I’ll hand em to ya,” said Ralph to his son.
        Twigg dropped right where he stood. His hands reached up! He couldn’t wait.
        “They’re both boys,” said Ralph. “One is smaller.  You can name him first,” he said as he handed one hungry looking cub to his son.
        “Berry,” said Twigg, giggling.  “His name is Berry, because he is berry little!”
        “Here is the big brother,” said Ralph, handing down the bigger cub.
        “Bob!” said Twigg.  He thought he was very funny naming the cub Bob. He knew about bobcats and their short tails, but this Bob had a long tail. Kids think weird things are funny.
        The cubs crawled all over Twigg, hissing and growling, but snuggling too.
        “Ramona, what do you have that these two can eat?” asked Ralph. Ramona could see the writing on the wall.
        “OK, I’ll just chop up something raw for them. Um, you do know you are going to have to hunt a little more now, right?” said Ramona, realizing that she now had four men to feed.
        “Yeah, yeah, It’ll be great Ramona!  When they grow up a little they can help me hunt!” chortled Ralph.
        So, Bob and Berry it was, and would be thereafter for the immediate and foreseeable future! And a very fine future it would be!

        Anybody could see that.