A Little Cardio Before Breakfast

Mindy glanced across the room at the mousetrap with its tempting payload of cheese, then at Mikey beside her. "Ready for breakfast?" she chirped.

Without waiting for a response, Mindy darted from their hole in the wall, her tiny feet producing a chorus of high-pitched squeaks. The swinging door to the dining room opened, and there, in all his feline glory, was Stripes. With lightning speed, he locked onto Mindy and surged forward. Mindy zigzagged left, her agile form slipping safely beneath the ancient refrigerator.

Meanwhile, Mikey streaked to the right. He scaled the steps of the step stool, finally landing on the countertop with a soft thud.

Stripes, undeterred, launched himself at Mikey, claws poised for action. But Mikey was already on the move, darting behind the old lady's sewing kit. Stripes, his trajectory miscalculated, collided with the toaster and tumbled to the ground, sewing kit in tow.

Instantly, Mindy made a beeline for the mousetrap. With expert precision, she batted the square of cheese under the stove. As she did this, Mikey made a daring leap onto the trap's spring mechanism.

The trap released with a snap, sending Mikey rocketing upward. Stripes twisted and turned, trying to catch the airborne mouse. But Mikey landed on one of the motionless ceiling fan blades, then dropped to the dining table.

Stripes leapt onto the table as Mikey ducked behind an open wine bottle. The frustrated Stripes hit the bottle head first, knocking it over where it began to drip onto the floor.

As Stripes lays dazed on the table, Mindy seized the cheese and made a dash for safety. Mikey, ever resourceful, caught a few drops of wine in the nearby thimble and steered it towards their home.

"So, dear," Mikey panted, "do you have dinner plans?"