An Unexpected Guest
My cat, Tink, had never taken a particular interest in reading before. But the other night she was suddenly mesmerized by the bookcase.
She stared at the collection from the floor for awhile with rapt attention. Then she strolled over and stretched herself full length to examine the titles on the second shelf.
Had she somehow learned to read?
Balancing on the back of an adjacent chair Tink peered intently at the third row. Then she leaped atop the case and leaned over to read the titles upside down.
What on earth was going on? I walked over to the shelves to see if I could discover the source of her sudden fascination with the books.
Oh my! Of all things! A chubby little chipmunk was huddled on the top row, trying to hide between two taller books. It sat perfectly still and looked at me with big eyes as if it were begging me not to give away its cover.
Eventually Tink managed to leap onto the shelf where the little critter was hiding and before long they set off on a game of tag that took them from the loft down the stairs to the first floor. The game has been going on for two days now with the adventures mainly centering in the kitchen, where the wood stove gives off its pleasant heat.
Tink, who had been terribly bored, is delighted to have an entertaining guest. The chipmunk is happy to be warm and offered treats in a protected corner of the room. And me? I figure if I have to put up with an uninvited guest, at least it’s a literate one with an interest in books.
I left a copy of The Great Escape on the kitchen table and I’m hoping for the best.
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How cool! And as you nicely say, you’ve got a literate guest
I hope he eventually reads the book you left out for him! 