A-fishing-we-will-go
NIMI KURIAN
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Having failed in his mice hunt, Cat was still thinking of ways to feed himself. Fishing, he thought, was a dignified pursuit and he would try his hand at that.
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Cat was very hungry. He was wondering how he could rustle up some food…in a dignified way of course when suddenly an idea struck him. He could go fishing! Fish would not talk to him like the silly mice! ‘Yes, I’ll go fishing,’ he said to himself. ‘It’s a dignified enough pursuit’.
So he togged himself up, collected his fishing gear and pranced off. Walking down the road, he heard loud mewling noises coming from the back door of a restaurant. He looked to find his classmates outside the door. ‘All for a few scraps of food!’ he thought in disgust. He saw Ginger, Black, Rancid (ugh! what a name – but common enough for him, thought Cat), Storm and even Merrily whom he had at one time fancied.
“Hey look who’s here!” shouted Ginger. He was the worst.
“Oh! If it isn’t dear Cat,” mewed Merrily, a little too sweetly. Cat walked off. ‘Begging! I tell you! After all that they had learnt...’ He stopped, realising that after all he too had not benefited from his education. He was still hungry!
Down at the river he found himself a nice spot under a tree. He set himself up – as befits a Top Cat, and threw the line. He heard whispering and giggling — disturbed, his line fell short and got entangled in the weeds.
Out fishing
Angry with the disturbance and not knowing what else to do, he went to free the hook. But it was rather slushy and soon he found his fishing boots all muddied and wet. He retrieved his hook after a great struggle. Hot and hungry, and rather the worse for wear, he resumed fishing. He threw out the line. It went in a beautiful arc and landed ‘plop!’ in the river. Smiling, and dreaming of a delicious fish meal, he sat down to wait. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere tumbled the crowd he had met on the road.
“We’ve come fishing too,” said Ginger.
“Hope you don’t mind,” simmered Merrily.
Cat didn’t say a word.
“You know better than to talk to him,” said Black. “He always thought he was better than us!”
Shouting and laughing and making fun of him they went towards the river. Standing on the banks they peered into the water. “So many fish!” shouted Black. And with a quick move he put in a paw and out came a large, silver, squirming fish. The others did the same and they too caught fish.
“I must say that there is nothing like fresh food!” said Rancid, burping.
They looked up at Cat who had not caught anything as yet.
“Oh, give him something,” said Merrily. “We’ve eaten enough.”
But Cat didn’t want charity. “No thank you. I’d rather get my own food.”
So they lay down, sunning themselves and watching Cat — who didn’t want to be watched. After what seemed like ages, Cat felt a tug. He straightened up and began to pull in the line. As he reeled it in, he couldn’t help but smile. ‘This would teach them street cats!’ he thought. Finally the line was out of the water. Everyone gasped, for stuck at the end was a tiny little fish.
“Pleath pleath, Mr. Cath! Don’t cath me. I promithed Mother I’d be home thoon!”
Poor Cat, what could he do in the face of such sorrowful pleading?
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