The little white mouse was scampering towards her little mouse-hole one evening when she saw a strange sight. There was a beautiful cat, with golden fur and honey colored eyes, rolling around and around on the floor. Now, the mouse was at first frightened, understandably, but as she watched from behind a bush her curiosity grew. “Why look,” the mouse said to herself. “That cat is laughing! what could have caused the beast (for it must be a beast, just look at those claws) to laugh so hard?” The pure white mouse felt certain now that the cat must be a fool, and couldn't possibly harm her. So she marched towards the ‘beast’ and began to shout.
“Cat, what do you think you’re doing?”
“Can’t you, can’t you tell?”
“You can not even finish a sentence without breaking into a fit of giggles! What could have been so funny?”
“I, I, I can’t remember! It was just so funny though. Ha-ha, you are funny too, little mouse.”
“I do not suppose I am being very funny. How rude of you to laugh at me.”
“Oh dear, have I offended you? I am always doing that, it’s why I don’t have very many friends.”
And with that the great big cat burst into tears. The mouse began to pity the cat. Maybe this is why cats were ferocious beasts- they had no friends! No one to laugh or play with. The beast was lonely.
“If you promise not to eat me Cat, I guess that I could be your friend.”
“Would you really? Oh, that is terrific! Come Mouse, let’s play.”
So they were friends. The mouse learnt more about the cat, and the cat learnt more about the mouse, as this is how most friendships go. The pure white mouse learnt how fond the big cat was of dogs. Mouse laughed when Cat confessed that vice.
“A cat loving dogs? But those are two very opposite things, almost like a tree declaring its love for a house!”
“Silly Mouse, don’t you see how the are the same? Both have wood, and we both have fur.”
“This can’t be rationalized. Maybe you see down that path, but does Dog agree?”
“Whenever I approach, Dog runs to greet me!”
“Whenever you approach, Dog runs to chase you off.”
“But dear Mouse, we are friends. And we are just as different as dogs.”
Mouse realized that she would never be able to convince the cat to stay far from the dogs. so she decided to leave the cat be. “Let her make her mistakes, let Cat be a fool,” Mouse thought angrily. But how spiteful of her to say such a thing!
The very next day, the cat went out in search of a dog. Cat found a fearsome black dog, three times her size. When she entered his yard, he chased her, barking viciously. “What fun,” thought Cat, “how exciting the chase is. I will make him love me, and stop barking.” Then she turned and looked. Cat looked right into Dog’s eyes , just as he was about to grab her. And she laughed! She looked him right in the eye, and watched the change. All anger in his eyes left, and was replaced by adoration. Cat was so happy, she completely forgot about her old friend Mouse.
But all good things come to an end. And this too, ended in time. Cat began to get bored of Dog. He would just sit by her, drooling, staring up as if just looking at her face was all he needed.
“Dog, I think it’s time I left your yard.”
“Where are we journeying, my sweet Cat?”
“Not we, Dog, I alone. I have an old friend I need to see.”
“Please, darling, allow me to join you? I need to be with you, my light!”
“No Dog! Let me go!”
But the dog was so entranced by the cat that he couldn't let her go. He followed her wherever she went. Cat asked the mouse to help her. But Mouse refused.
“I warned you, Cat. But you ignored me, and forgot about what a good friend I was. The poor dog is in love with you, and you can’t break his heart!”
“We are no longer friends Mouse. Your wisdom is not true in the least! I will leave Dog and he will survive just as I will leave you and I will survive.”
Dog howled and jumped when he heard Cat’s words, and the mouse went quietly back into her mouse-hole. Cat ran off into the forest and laughed until she found another dog to keep her on her favorite game, the chase.