A Fishy Tale
by Janette
Nourse
Taking careful
aim, Sam fired a jet of water at the large ginger
tom cornering his cat Timmy behind the garden
shed. Ginger let out a yell of anger and glared
over his shoulder at Sam but did not move. Sam
took a fast run towards the defiant cat, yelling
like a banshee. Slowly ginger stalked out of the
back gate, growling. Ten minutes of coaxing and
rattling of cat treats, finally Sam sat with
Timmy on his lap soothing ruffled fur, and
examining a scratched nose.
“You’ve
got to stand up for yourself Tim; I can’t
always be around to save you.”
Timmy stared
blankly at Sam with his wide eyes, definitely a
“lights on but no ones home” kind of
stare. Since Rambo the ginger cat had moved
nearby he had certainly let the local cats know
who was boss. Dinky the Chihuahua next door was
terrified to go into the garden alone. It was no
good trying to reason with Rambo’s owner, he
just laughed when Mrs Grey, Dinky’s owner
had remonstrated with him.
Next day, Sam,
relaxing in the shade of his garden, with
something cool and alcoholic, heard a strange
mumbled meowing. He looked around for that
blasted Rambo. The noise was coming from Timmy,
strutting up the path with a large golden carp in
his mouth, hence the muffled meow.
Sam realised
this was an expensive fish from a nearby pond,
going to the back gate he saw a trail of scales
leading towards Rambo’s garden. Sam would
have gone round and offered to pay for the fish,
but knowing the temperament of Rambo’s owner,
and just having paid another vet bill for
Timmy’s injuries he felt disinclined to do
this. Feeling guilty, Sam hurriedly cleared the
tell tale trail of scales from the path so the
fish thief would not be detected.
By day three
of Timmy’s thieving Sam’s better nature
kicked in and he prepared to confess to Gary,
Rambo’s owner about the missing carp. The
price of carp would be expensive, even more than
the vet bills he had paid for Timmy’s
injuries from Rambo’s bullying. Leaving his
front door he ran into Mrs Grey the owner of the
Chihuahua.
“Heard
the good news, Rambo’s gone!” shouted
the excited Mrs Grey. “Remember they had
that huge pond the size of a swimming pool?”
Sam nodded
afraid to ask what happened next.
Mrs Grey
continued, “The carp in the pond were
Gary’s pride and joy and he’s lost
several over the last few days, a lot of money
they cost him, two hundred pounds I believe.
Anyway he caught Rambo with a fish flapping at
his feet. I think he said your Timmy was there at
the back gate. Gary said he knew it couldn’t
be your cat because he is so stupid, so he has
sent Rambo back to his ex wife’s house”
Later that
evening Sam caught Timmy licking the residue of
fish scales off his paws. Timmy gave Sam one of
his best “cat of little brain” looks.
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