26 December 2022 part 2

Surprise! I actually got two writing sessions in that Monday. I wanted to catch up a bit, I guess, and I had work off, which made it easier.

This one was fun. When I was younger, sometimes I would entertain my little brothers by having each of them give me a word (kind of like mad-libs), and then I’d make up a story or something that used all the words they gave me. Most of them were pretty corny, but it was fun. So I kind of went and tried it again with the family we had over. One of them gave me the word cheese, another birds, and the my Mom gave me the word, “Why?”. Then I cam up with this.

The pigeon carefully looked around from his perch on the branch. There was a pizza with a beautiful, golden crust the humans had thrown out for whatever reason, and the pigeon wanted to grab what he could of that crust and carry it home to his family. However… This was the Cat’s territory. And if the Cat was around… Well, it wasn’t worth risking his neck for.

Once he’d watched and waited long enough to feel safe, the pigeon flew down to the pizza, only to come face to face with a mouse.

Both of them shrieked and jumped back. They slowly circled each other, the pizza between them. Finally, the pigeon asked, “You’re… not with the Cat, are you?”

“What? Never!” the mouse exclaimed. “The Cat would sooner eat me ask for help. WHat about you?”

The pigeon shook his head and heaved a sigh of relief. Then he had a though, and gave the mouse a sidelong glance. “Are you here for the crust, then?”

The mouse narrowed his eyes. “And what if I was?”

The pigeon ruffled his feathers, and got ready to fight. The mouse settle back on his haunches, ready to spring forward, and asked, “What about the cheese? Are you after that, too?”

“What? No! What would I even do with the cheese?”

Surprised, the mouse relaxed. “Well, maybe we can come to an agreement, then. I leave you the crust, and you leave me the cheese?”

He extended a paw, and the pigeon hesitated only a moment before he took it in his talon. “Agreed.”

For the next several minutes, the odd pair worked to harvest the pizza, each keeping a wary eye out for the Cat. As they worked, the pigeon said, “I haven’t seen you around these parts. Are you new here?”

“Oh, no,” the mouse replied. “I’ve lived here my whole life.” With his tail, he pointed to a small drain. “My wife and I live down there with our children. Out of sight. Not seen, not heard. That’s the best way to avoid the Cat.”

The pigeon cocked his head and ruffled his feathers. “Is it? That’s not what I’d learned.”

“Oh?”

“No. My pappy always taught us to fly high and free, out where the Cat can’t reach us.” The pigeon flapped a wing into the forest. “That’s where my family lives; high up in a tree, out where the Cat isn’t.”

“Hm? Out in the sky? Where the Cat can see you all the time?” The mouse shuddered. “I couldn’t do that. Way too scary. What if he watches you land?”

The pigeon scoffed. “Better than you. You practically live in the Cat’s lap! If some accident reveals you to it, then there’s nowhere to go, nothing to do. And you have to come out sometime to gather food and such, don’t you?”

The two stared at each other for a long time, then finally just shook their heads, took their piece of the pizza, and left, the mouse to his hole and the pigeon to his tree. Each was so certain the other was the greatest fool he’d ever meet.