Smokey Visits Catnap Land

                                                              "Smokey Visits Catnap Land"



                                                                                  By



                                                                            Jerry Steele







It was deep into the night when the three kittens, Tabby, Triscuit, and Smokey attempted to go to sleep in their warm and comfy basket. They were restless, and noisy. Mother would have none of that.



"Ssh!" she purred, looking over at all three. "What is the problem with you three tonight?"



"I'm ready to go to sleep," said Tabby, "but Triscuit and Smokey won't let me."



"Well, I'm ready to go to sleep," said Triscuit, "but Tabby and Smokey won't let me."



"I'm not tired, mom," Smokey said, stretching her paws towards the clear night sky, "I had too much fun chasing that silly puppy, Rascal."



"Tabby and Triscuit," mother cat said, sitting up in her basket, "mind your manners, and go to sleep. As for you, Smokey, that little puppy wants to be your friend. I also think that you may need him some day."



"Aw, mom," Smokey laughed. "How could Rascal help me? Why, he's so slow, I can already run rings around him. Besides, I'm already twice as smart."



"Keep it up, little girl," said mother cat, "and you'll be seeing him in your dreams."



With that, mother cat curled around her blanket. With one eye open , she said, "Now, good night!"



"Imagine," Smokey thought, wrapping her long and fluffy black-and-white tail around herself, "seeing Rascal in my dreams."



Suddenly, Smokey was floating. She was drifting off. It was like she had sprouted wings. She found herself pawing at her favorite toys flying by; a large ball of bright yellow yarn, a fuzzy blue bird with a squeaky voice, and a big, fat brown mouse that was quicker than quick.



Then, just as suddenly, she landed on all fours, with a "thumpity-thump-bump".



"Where, where am I?" she gasped, looking around. This was not her safe and warm little room. Triscuit, Tabby, and mother were no where to be found. There was no one around anywhere.



Blinking twice, before her stood an open field. Smokey's ears twitched. Strange animal sounds filled the air. Smokey finally sniffed out a trail and decided to follow it. Birds in the trees chirped as she made her way. Then, coming around the corner, what did she see?



That silly puppy, Rascal.



"Why are you here?" asked Smokey.



"Hah! The joke's on you, Smokey," Rascal said, putting down a playful paw, just missing her tail. "You haven't been to Catnap Land before, now have you?"



Smokey wrinkled her nose and thought. "No, what's Catnap Land?"



"Catnap Land is where all cats go to when they fall asleep. It seems like you're asleep for a little while, but really, it's a long time, unless you know your way out."



Smokey rubbed her soft whiskers. It was hard for her to believe that this little puppy was in charge of things. "Why isn't a cat showing me the way out. Why is it you?"



"How can they?" laughed Rascal. "They're all asleep, but awake in their dreams, same as you. Come on, I'll show you."



Down the trail they went, until Rascal stopped in front of the tallest scratching post that Smokey had ever seen. Looking up, it seemed to be touching the clouds. More than that, Smokey could see the tails of cats, slowly swishing, back and forth.



"Go ahead, Smokey," Rascal said, "scratch three times on the door and see what happens."



"Scratch, scratch, scratch," went Smokey.



The door slowly opened, into the biggest playground a cat had ever seen. Every cat had a separate room, in a dream world of its' very own.



The first room had a wooden sign above it that read "Alley Cat". Alley Cat was chasing an imaginary mouse around a bright, metal garbage can.



"Doesn't he ever get tired of chasing that mouse?" asked Smokey.



"Not yet, but when Alley Cat does, then he'll be ready to leave."



The second room had a flashing sign that said "Ship Cat" above its door. On a ship, the large cat had chased a rat up one of the poles of the sail. The rat hung from the sail with one claw, as the cat sat still, its' impatient tail going back and forth, waiting for the rat to fall.



"What about him?" Smokey said.



"Oh, it's hard to say," said Rascal, strolling on, "that could go on for hours."



The third room was the "Copy Cat" room. Copy Cat sat at a desk, with his paws folded, just waiting for someone to come by.



"What goes on in here?" asked Smokey.



"What goes on in here?" Copy Cat asked back.



"Oh, Copy Cat will just repeat everything that anyone says to him. He'll walk the way you walk. Copy Cat will even purr and scratch himself behind the ear, if he sees you doing it. You see, Smokey, when the cats grow tired of being here, they come to see me, and that's when I bring them home."



Smokey put her paw to her mouth and yawned. "I'm tired of all of this. I want to go home now, Rascal."



"Seems like you're ready, Smokey. Follow me."



Rascal, with Smokey close behind, lead her straight up the stairs of the scratching post, to the top of the steps. Before them stood a large door, covered with cat paw prints of all sizes and shapes. Below, the purring of a thousand cats was so loud, that Smokey could barely think.



"Go ahead, Smokey, scratch on the door three times. See what happens," Rascal said.



So Smokey did. "Scratch, scratch, scratch".



The door flew open  with everything a cat loves flying by; squirrels and chipmunks racing by, a large red ball that kept rolling and rolling, and a band of brightly-colored feathers, moving back and forth in a sudden breeze.



"Come on," Rascal said, "this is the best part of all!"



He grabbed Smokey's paw in his, and out the door they went, falling until the largest cat-blanket Smokey had ever seen, swooped down beneath them, picking them up.



Down, down they went, going so fast that Smokey's whiskers stood on end. She dug her claws in deep to hold on.



"Whew!" said Smokey. "What makes this blanket go so fast?"



"Look over the side," Rascal shouted. Smokey did, and lo and behold, a cat with nine tails looked up at her, smiled, and purred up at her.



It seemed like a million houses flew by in a blur, until Smokey spotted her home. It was coming up fast. There was no time to lose.



"That's it," yelled Smokey, "that's our home, Rascal!"



"I know," Rascal said, nudging Smokey off the blanket, at just the right moment. She tumbled down the chimney, with Rascal close behind.



"Where, where am I?" Smokey said, clawing the air, as she opened her eyes.



"Warm and comfy, in your basket of course," Tabby said, yawning.



"And where's mother?" asked Smokey.



"Out in the kitchen, having breakfast," said Triscuit, cleaning her immaculate paws.



"Don't worry," Tabby said, moving her blanket before lying down, "mother said she'd save you some."



And as she wandered out into the kitchen, who did she see but Rascal.



He seemed to have a smile on his face.







                                                                THE END