CAT-ASTROPHE
#01
FREE CONNIE
“Oh Mr. Ming, Mr. Ming!”
Mr. Ming jumped on top of the red, Goode Garbage trash can.
He looked down from the top of the trash can to see who was
shouting. Harris was looking up at Mr. Ming seeking help.
“Harris, what can I do for you?” Mr. Ming asked.
“Mr. Ming, these are my friends Pepper and Pedro. This is
also my friend, Connie. As you can see, Connie has a small
problem.”
Mr. Ming could only see Connie’s head. The rest of her
body was stuck inside of a plastic milk jug.
“My dear sweet Connie, how did you ever get inside that
milk jug?” Mr. Ming asked.
“I thought I saw one last drop of milk,” Connie confessed.
“I cannot remember how I got inside, but I know now I cannot get
out. What shall I do?”
“We do not know how to get Connie out of the milk jug,”
Pedro said.
“Poor Connie may be stuck in that milk jug forever,” Pepper
added.
“If people would recycle, this plastic milk jug would have
been in the recycle bin and not the regular trash can,” Harris
informed his friends. “Just recycling could have prevented
Connie’s problem.”
Connie began to cry.
“Do not cry dear Connie,” Mr. Ming said. “Let me call on
my years of wisdom for an answer.”
Connie cried louder. Harris put his paw around her for
comfort. Finally, Mr. Ming had an answer.
“You must go to the mice to help you with this problem,”
Mr. Ming advised.
“The mice!” Harris yelled.
“That is impossible,” Pedro stated. “They are not our
friends.”
“Yes, the mice really do not like us,” Pepper reported.
“Sometimes you must work with those you do not really like
in order to get something done,” Mr. Ming insisted. “You must
go to the mice for help.”
Connie cried louder.
“Okay, okay,” Harris said. “We will do anything to help
Connie.”
When the cats came upon the mice, the mice started to
scatter.
“Wait, wait,” Harris called out.
“We need your help,” Pepper shouted.
The mice did not trust the cats. They slowly crept back to
hear their plea.
“You can see that Connie is stuck in a milk jug,” Pedro
explained. “We need your help to free Connie.”
After looking at Connie stuck in the milk jug, the mice
knew the cats were telling the truth. One of the mice stepped
forward to speak.
“I am Buster and this is my big sister, Bailey, and my
little sister, Bam. Where did you cats come from?”
“We live at Feline Apartments,” Pepper said.
“Wow!” Buster replied. Those are nice apartments. We mice
have been trying to get an apartment there for quite a long
time.”
“If you help free Connie, we will see what we can do to
help you,” Harris told the mice.
“It’s a deal,” Buster and his sisters agreed. “We must
take Connie to the top of the hill at the park.”
When the cats and mice got to the top of the hill at the
park, the mice revealed their plan.
“Now, we just have to push the milk jug. It will roll down
the hill,” Buster instructed. “The milk jug will burst open
before it reaches the bottom of the hill.”
“Good plan!” Bailey and Bam squeaked.
“This plan may actually work,” Pepper said.
“Not a chance,” Pedro bellowed.
“It’s worth a try,” Harris declared.
“I’m doomed,” Connie cried out.
The mice gave the milk jug a good push. Connie went
rolling down the hill. When the milk jug came to a stop at the
bottom of the hill, Connie was dizzy but still stuck inside the
milk jug.
“That didn’t work,” Pedro told the group.
“We tried our best,” Buster said.
“We tried our best,” Bailey and Bam squealed.
“We are glad for the help you gave,” Harris thanked the
mice. “We will have to go back to Mr. Ming.”
The cats went back to the red, Goode Garbage trash can and
explained to Mr. Ming how the mice tried to help.
“Well, you must now go to the birds for help,” Mr. Ming
advised.
“The birds!” Harris yelled.
“That is impossible,” Pedro stated. “They are not our
friends.”
“Yes, the birds really do not like us,” Pepper reported.
“Sometimes you must work with those you do not really like
in order to get something done,” Mr. Ming insisted. “You must
go to the birds for help.”
Connie cried louder.
“Okay, okay,” Harris said. “We will do anything to help
Connie.”
When the cats came upon the birds, they started to fly
away.
“Wait, wait,” Harris called out.
“We need your help,” Pepper shouted.
The birds did not trust the cats. They slowly flew back
down to hear their plea.
“You can see that Connie is stuck in a milk jug,” Pedro
explained. “We need your help to free Connie.”
After looking at Connie stuck in the milk jug, the birds
knew the cats were telling the truth. One of the birds stepped
forward to speak.
“I am Wilson and this is my brother, Wally, and my other
brother, Wardell. Where did you cats come from?”
“We live at Feline Apartments,” Pepper said.
“Wow!” Wilson replied. Those are nice apartments. Mrs.
Crabtree on the third floor always puts out food in her bird
feeder on the balcony. If we could get an early notice when she
is putting out fresh bird seeds, we could fly there before the
other birds know.”
“If you help free Connie, we will see what we can do to
help you,” Harris told the birds.
“It’s a deal,” Wilson and his brothers agreed. “We must
take Connie by the head and fly as high as possible. Once we
get really high, the milk jug will slip right off.”
“Good plan!” Wally and Wardell chirped.
“This plan may actually work,” Pepper said.
“Not a chance,” Pedro bellowed.
“It’s worth a try,” Harris declared.
“I’m doomed,” Connie cried out.
The birds grabbed hold to both Connie’s ears and the top of
her head. They flew up as high up as they could go. When the
birds were as high as the clouds, Connie was dizzy, but still
stuck inside the milk jug. They flew back down and put the milk
jug back on the ground.
“That didn’t work,” Pedro told the group.
“We tried our best,” Wilson said.
“We tried our best,” Wally and Wardell chirped.
“We are glad for the help you gave,” Harris thanked the
birds. “We will have to go back to Mr. Ming.”
The cats went back to the red, Goode Garbage trash can and
explained to Mr. Ming how the birds tried to help.
“Well, you must now go to the dogs for help,” Mr. Ming
advised.
“The dogs!” Harris yelled.
“That is impossible,” Pedro stated. “They are not our
friends.”
“Yes, the dogs really do not like us,” Pepper reported.
“Sometimes you must work with those you do not really like
in order to get something done,” Mr. Ming insisted. “You must
go to the dogs for help.”
Connie cried louder.
“Okay, okay,” Harris said. “We will do anything to help
Connie.”
When the cats came upon the dogs, the dogs began to growl
and were ready to chase the cats.
“Wait, wait,” Harris called out.
“We need your help,” Pepper shouted.
The dogs did not trust the cats. They allowed only one
minute before beginning the chase to hear the cat’s plea.
“You can see that Connie is stuck in a milk jug,” Pedro
explained. “We need your help to free Connie.”
After looking at Connie stuck in the milk jug, the dogs
knew the cats were telling the truth. One of the dogs stepped
forward to speak.
“I am Rover and this is my cousin, Rusty, and my other
cousin, Ralph. Where did you cats come from?”
“We live at Feline Apartments,” Pepper said.
“Wow!” Rover replied. Those are nice apartments. There
has to be a family living in those apartments that wants a small
and lovable dog to be the family pet.”
“Small?” Pepper whispered
“Lovable?” Pedro mumbled.
“If you help free Connie, we will see what we can do to
help you,” Harris told the dogs.
“It’s a deal,” Rover and the other dogs agreed. “We must
take turns gripping the milk jug handle with our teeth and
shaking as hard as possible. We will shake Connie right out of
that milk jug.”
“Good plan!” Rusty and Ralph barked.
“This plan may actually work,” Pepper said.
“Not a chance,” Pedro bellowed.
“It’s worth a try,” Harris declared.
“I’m doomed,” Connie cried out.
After the dogs had taken turns shaking the milk jug as hard
as they could, Connie was dizzy but still stuck inside the milk
jug.
“That didn’t work,” Pedro told the group.
“We tried our best,” Rover said.
“We tried our best,” Rusty and Ralph barked.
“We are glad for the help you gave,” Harris thanked the
dogs. “We will have to go back to Mr. Ming.”
The cats went back to the red, Goode Garbage trash can and
explained to Mr. Ming how the dogs tried to help.
“Oh no!” Mr. Ming meowed out loud. “I am not sure what
else we can do!”
Just at that moment, the Goode Garbage trash truck drove up
and stopped right at the trash can.
The other cats quickly hid. However, Connie was unable to
run. She was still stuck inside the plastic milk jug.
A man got out of the Goode Garbage truck. He looked down
and saw Connie stuck inside the plastic milk jug.
“If people would just put their plastic containers in the
recycle bin, you would not have this problem.”
The man reached down and picked up the milk jug. Connie
looked at the labels on his work overalls. The label on the
left read Goode Garbage and the label on the right read Lionel.
Lionel got one of his work tools from the truck. He poked
a hole in the jug and was able to rip the jug open with his
gloved hands. He gently pulled Connie out and threw the torn
jug into the garbage truck.
“There you go girl,” Lionel told Connie. “Now be careful
getting a taste of milk the next time.”
Connie was overjoyed. She gave Lionel a loud thank you.
“Meow!”
After Lionel emptied the trash can into the garbage truck,
he waved goodbye to Connie. He got back into the truck and
drove away.
All Connie’s friends came out from their hiding places to
greet her.
“You’re free!” Pepper hollered.
“This is just wonderful!” Pedro yelled.
“Free at last!” Harris announced with relief.
“There are two lessons that you cats should have learned
today,” Mr. Ming said.
“What are the two lessons?” Harris asked.
“First, always remember to recycle,” Mr. Ming informed.
“And second, try to be kind and friendly to everyone because you
never know when you may need their help.”
The cats all together shouted out their agreement with
Mr. Ming.
“Meow!”
THE END