An Important Announcement!

       

   

             Hello! This is Suzy Q. Toots and Sammie, and I have an announcement to make! (general applause!)

            It has come to our attention that some improvements have been made to some of the names of the days of the week, denoting their primary importance, which is their reflection of “Catness.”

            Mrrrt!, and Beroww!, by the way! Nice to see you all here! Does everyone have a saucer of cream? If not, call the management!

            Now then.

            To get down to business. Would Willie please sit quietly and stop annoying Sammie? Thank you. Mr. Baby Sir, I’m keeping an eye on you too!

            To wit: Sunday has become Suzday. Thank you! Monday has been improved to Mew-on-day! Delightful, Sir! You know who you are! Tootsday was obvious. We honor our sagacious Toots thereby. So much better than plain old Tuesday! Wednesday, while still going by its old name has gone on record as Butter Your Cat Day. It only makes sense! Thank you! Thank you! (general applause!)

            We are happy to announce a new day name improvement! I know you’re as excited as I am! It is in place of boring old Thursday, who cares about Thor anyhow I say! From now on the fifth day of the week shall be called Purrsday, in honor of all cats everywhere. What could be better? What could be more appropriate? For to purr is sublime. To purr is to enter the realms of grace! Even the humans who serve us can approximate purring if they settle down and try it.

            All the others voted for this, even the guys. Buddy thought it was a great idea. Mr. Baby Sir made up jokes, but voted correctly in the end. Charley said it was about time!

            Serena hasn’t gotten back to us yet, but I bet she will!

            Now, we have an open question. I leave it to all you fertile minded, imaginative cats and humans. What shall we do about Friday and Saturday to give them a better shine and deeper meaning? I think we can leave "Caturday" out of this. Surely something better will come along.

            Please give it some serious thought and see what you can come up with!

           That’s it, ladies and gents! I give you Purrsday!

           Thank you! (general applause!) Thank you!

            Goodnight everyone!

            Meow! Mrrrrt! Brrrt! 

😸

Ralph vs The Open Road, Part 2

       

    

            “Boss,” said Maeve. “You know you can depend on me, right?”
            “I know, Birdy. I count on you,” said Ralph. “You always tell me the truth.”
            “Can we talk at your log? I need to have your ear for a minute,” said Maeve.
            “Yup. Let’s go!”
            So, instead of going down toward the Home Clearing, they veered off to Ralph’s special retreat where he did his heavy thinking, and napping, during the daytime hours.
            “Ralph, what’s this about anyhow?” was Maeve’s opening line.
            “I want to go outside for a little while. Just to take a look around. I don’t want to have anyone notice me, you know? I want to look like one of them, so they won’t pay any attention to me,” said Ralph.
            “Have you thought this through?” Maeve asked.
            “What is there to think about?” said he.
            “Oh, just about everything,” said she. “Starting with that outfit you borrowed from Rick. Didn’t you think about humans wearing clothing? They always do in public for sure,” said Maeve.
            “Well, I knew they did, of course, Birdy,” admitted Ralph.
            “What happens when you get hungry? Forest Keepers don’t have money,” said Maeve. “People buy food, unless they are farmers or something, or fishermen, or hunters with guns. Most of them work hard for that money.”
            “I thought I would just catch something,” said Ralph.
            “Hm,” said Maeve. “Maybe we should go talk to Ramona?”
            “Ramona always has good ideas. Sure. Let’s see what she thinks when she sees I borrowed some clothes from Rick. He’s back there scratching his chin right now, Birdy,” he said, giggling.
            Maeve took the short flight up to his shoulder and he tucked the borrowed outfit under his left arm, and they left for the Home Clearing and everyone waiting there. It looked like a normal everyday scene as they walked down the path.
            Bob and Berry were the first to see them arrive.
            “Something smells bad,” said Berry. “I smell man and soap and sweat.”
            “And something else,” said Bob.
            Next was Blue, the white wolf pup. She ran to Ralph and then circled around him and sat behind him looking confused.
            Ramona and Cherry were practicing old time Firekeeper songs. Ramona was making sure that Cherry never forgot them, by singing with her every day. They were seated by the fire, naturally.
            “Hey, Mona,” said Ralph, “Look! I borrowed some of Rick’s clothes for my walk outside!”
            Ramona looked up. A strange expression passed over her face. She almost seemed puzzled.
            “Ralph?” she said.
            “I’m just about ready to go outside looking like a human man!” he said.
            “I’m worried, Ramona,” said Maeve, as she settled herself down by Ramona’s side.
            Ramona looked at Ralph for a long few moments.
            “I know it’s you, but you’re not the same,” she said slowly.
            He stopped and looked at her seriously. “How am I not the same, Mona?”
            She cocked her head to the side and looked at him seriously. “You sound funny.”
            The wind blew through the conversation; the sky darkened a little as a little spit of a rainstorm flew by. Maeve looked all around nervously. She grumbled deep in her throat.
            Thunder pealed in the distance. Twice and then three times.
            “What’s going on here, Mona? Don’t you want me to go?” said Ralph. As he spoke a light rain sprinkled his face.
            “I don’t want you to change,” she said.
            “I don’t want to change either,” said Ralph.
            “Baby, human people have suffered and worked and died to try to get what you have here. Don’t even play that game for a moment. Why leave all the joy of your life to enter the kingdom of the strivers, even just for a little while?
           “Please. It might change you forever,” she said, and the drops on her face weren’t rain.
            “Evermore. Evermore. Evermore,” whispered Maeve. Her eyes were tightly closed and her head was ducked, as she whispered.
            He sat then, beside Ramona, and Cherry came to him, and he held her. She buried her face in his chest, but didn't speak.
            “I won’t go, Mona. I’ll stay here in the Great Forest,” Ralph said. Then he smiled as he always had.
            “Rick said he didn’t care what I did with his old clothes. He doesn’t want them back. I guess I’ll go put them in the dumpster by the Ranger Station,” said Ralph. “I don’t want them either.”
            Twigg had come home, and was confused about what was happening in his family, but he got it pretty quickly. Some of the B’s had come with him. They just liked to be with him. So as the clouds drifted off to the west and the sun came back out, there were shining, buzzing B’s flying around almost as if in celebration.
            “Sit tight, Dad,” said Twigg. “I’ll take them to the dumpster. Stay with Mom.”
            “Thanks, Twigg,” said Ralph, as he handed over the bundle.
            So, Twigg and the B’s took Rick’s old clothes to the dumpster in the Ranger Station parking lot.
            “You sound better already,” said Ramona.
            “I’ll probably go for a ride with Milly once in while, but as myself,” said Ralph.
            “As yourself!” said Ramona, firmly.
            Even Maeve looked happy again. 

🍁