A Friday Comment From Suzy on Saturday

 

 
            As I woke this afternoon, Friday that is, Suzy, who had been snugged in beside me, also woke. She looked a little concerned, in that very Cautious™ way she has sometimes when she wants to tell me something.
            “You look like a cat with something on her mind,” I told her.
            “Listen,” she said. “I’ve heard all this talk about that fishy woman being remade as a Daughter of the Forest. It’s a nice idea, but Toots and I think it sounds pretty “fishy” if you ask us.”
            “Oh come now,” I said. “I thought it was sweet! She will get to experience all the pleasures of life on the warm, pleasant land with others who love and care for her. It has to be better than hanging around in Puget Sound and rivers eating fish and singing weird songs out over the water at night to scare people.”
            “Exactly. You’d think she’d be grateful,” agreed Suzy.
            “I think she is! Did you hear how she ran up and down the riverbank on her new feet, throwing her arms in the air and shouting for joy?” said I.
            “Toots and I want to know how she knew to go to Twigg. What about that?”
            “I thought that was happenstance, or maybe a miracle,” I said.
            “You are a big softy, P-lady,” said Suzy. “What if this fishy person is still cold-hearted even though she’s wearing a new suit of clothes and walks the land?
            “We don’t trust her,” said Suzy. “We don’t want anything sad to happen in the story. You know?”
            “Now, who’s a big softy?” I giggled. “What would it take to convince you that she was reborn for real, that like the Velveteen Rabbit, she had changed?”
            “Oh. We didn’t think about that. You wrote it! You figure it out!” insisted Suzy, rather pointedly.
            “That’s what I’m going to do. In fact, I think I know what happens next, but I won’t tell. Your concerns have been noted. Tell Toots I appreciate her interest, too!” I said.
            “By the way, Willie is surprised that Twigg didn’t pop her in the bag with the rest of the fish,” said Suzy.
            “Well, he didn’t, and he wouldn’t. For one thing, she was too big to go into a burlap bag, and Twigg saw that she wasn’t only a fish,” I said.
            “Well, OK. But I don’t think anybody should turn their back on this Rose! That’s all. They should keep a little caution in mind.
            “We just want Twigg to be OK. You know?” she said and went about her business elsewhere in the house.
            “Don’t worry, Suzy,” I called as her tail disappeared around a corner. “Ralph will keep an eye on things! He always does!”
            “Maybe she reads my mind while I’m sleeping?” I wondered to myself.