Kid's Story -- Piggy Puss

Kid's Story -- Piggy Puss

Jethro, a handsome butterscotch tabby lived with his family in a nice suburban home. There was plenty of everything he needed. He loved his family and was well cared for. He's very sweet,timid,and affectionate.He also lived with another cat, Cletus. Who was mostly white with black patches. Cletus also had a totally different disposition from Jethro, but that is for another story.

One morning, he was doing his usual morning routine. A cautious artful balance of both being underfoot, and not getting stepped on, at the same time.He also at intervals would tag her with his claws, and look at her beggingly with his beautiful amber eyes. As well as brush affectionately against her legs, and offer plaintive mews. While "Mother" for the most part, just tried to avoid stepping on him. As she bustled about the kitchen getting "Father's" lunch and morning coffee prepared.

He had developed this routine through experience. For he had learned that it was the quickest and surest way of getting a delicious slice of ham luncheon meat. Mother quickly giving in, just to be able to get things done without him underfoot. He was always begging  for treats, eating quite a lot. and he was becoming rather chubby Earning him the nickname of Piggy Puss.

Mother joked "Careful you don't eat so much ham, or you'll turn into a piggling". As she tenderly stroked his fur,Jethro purred loudly.

Thimble,their house faery, overheard Mother.She began hatching a plan,as she was always up for some mischief. Especially when she was bored.

The morning went smoothly. Father left for work. The kids left for school. And Mother left to do the marketing.
Now, Thimble could work her mischief. She began by using her magic to leave both the front door, and the door of the refrigerator ajar. True to his nature, it wasn't long before Jethro was raiding the garbage can next to the refrigerator.

It only took a minute for him to realize there's nothing good in the can today. Turning around to go to his food bowl, he notices the refridgerator door ajar. He opens the door wider with his paw. Sniffs his way to the ham, and pulls the sandwich bag out of the refrigerator with his teeth. Impatiently, he manages to rip a pretty big hole in the sandwich bag. He pulls the ham out of the bag, and eats all of it. Very full, and sleepy, he curls up on the couch for a nap.

Thimble had been watching him from the little china house on the fireplace mantle. The family had no idea that Faeries even existed, let alone that one lives on their mantle. Yet they had inadvertently provided a Faery house, thinking it just a cute knick-knack. After he had fallen asleep, she came down from the mantle. Holding both her hands over the sleeping cat, she worked her spell on him. Then she returned to the china house to await the hilarity that was sure to happen when Jethro awoke.

But, after about an hour, she became impatient. Looking about the room, she saw a coffee mug close to the edge of the kitchen table. She pushed it over the edge, causing a loud crash.
Jethro leaped to his feet, scared awake by the crash. Startled and shaking, he casts a furtive glance around, for the source of his awakening. When he looks down, his eyes become round as saucers. Where his feet should be are pink legs and black hooves!! He lifts one hoof, then the other. Yes, they obey him,they must be his. But where are his lovely paws?? This can't be, yet seems to very much "be".

He runs up the stairs. And stops before the full length mirror in the hallway. What he sees makes him screech in fright.
Or at least what should have been a screech. But what came out of him wasn't a screech at all, but a squeal!!
"Oh no!!" He thought, horrified. "Mother was right, I have eaten so much ham, I have become a piggling!!"
He examined his new form in the mirror. Kinda cute, but nowhere near as magnificent as his true self was. He already missed his straight tail, and beautiful fur. His gorgeous amber eyes were now small black and beady. He most decidedly did not like this snout at all!! He started to sniffle in despair, which only came out as grunts. But a new more horrible thought made his heart skip a beat in mortal terror.
" What if other cats like ham and eat ME!!"
"I must find Mother, She'll know how to fix this." He ran back downstairs, and dug at the ajar front door with his hooves, until it opened enough to run out.

Thimble was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face. She didn't think she'd ever stop laughing. Her sides hurt from so much laughter, but she was still unable to stop.

Squealing, he ran down the road. After several miles he slowed his pace down. He was tired and lost. Jethro looked around,and realized he was in town. He recognized it from when he had been taken to the veterinarians office.
He wandered aimlessly. Not sure where to find Mother.

Most people just gave him a curious look, and kept on walking. But some of the younger kids wanted to pet the piggy. It felt really strange to be petted without fur. Some of them even gave him snacks and water. For which he was grateful.

He rounded a corner, and collided with a police officers legs. The officer looked down at him puzzled to find a pig in town.
"What have we here??" said the officer, picking Jethro up. "Guess I'll just have to take you into custody, till we can find your owner."Jethro was relieved to find someone to help him. However, that relief was to be short lived. Halfway down the street, they heard the bank's alarm pierce the air with its shrillness. Out of the bank ran a man with a stocking over his face,and carrying a large satchel. The policeman said "Sorry piggy." As he placed him on the sidewalk. He left Jethro standing there as he raced off down the street in pursuit of the robber.

Jethro was tired, and just wanted to go home. He continued to look for Mother. He made a big mistake entering one of the shops. At first no one noticed him. There were people standing in lines in front of the counter. The counter had glass front windows. Within the counter, behind the glass, were dishes with food. Jethro recognized some of the dishes as things he had eaten as leftovers. He got excited with the familiarity of the dishes, and the scent of the place.
"Mother might be here, or she may come here." He thought.
Then He saw a dish that he did not recognize. upon closer inspection,he noticed a hoof like his own!! It was a dish of pickled pigs feet!! He let out a loud squeal of terror. The man behind the counter saw him. He looked surprised and shouted at Jethro.
"Hey, how did you get in here?" Asked the man as he wiped his hands on his apron. He grabbed a meat cleaver from the counter and chased Jethro out of the Ye Olde Butcher Shop. After a couple of streets, the man gave up and returned to his butcher shop.

Jethro slowed down his pace to catch his breath. The town clock struck 4 O'clock.
"Four O'clock !" Thought Jethro. "Mother is certain to head home now. The butcher had chased him where he could  remember  the way home from the Veterinarian's office. He was so relieved, and went straight home..
When he arrived home the door was shut. He knew the boy of his family had to have done it, because as usual, loud music was blaring from the boy's upstairs window. Jethro kicked and scratched at the door for the boy to let him in. No response. So he kicked and scratched some more,and squealed loudly too. Still no response. It was no use. The boy's music was too loud for him to be heard. Exhausted, and very sad over the long hard lonely scary day he'd had, he curled up on the front stoop and cried himself to sleep.

The boy hadn't heard Jethro, but Thimble did. She opened the door and found Jethro asleep on the stoop. She held out both hands over the sleeping cat , and recited the spell to change him back. Afterward she returned to her china house leaving the front door open for Jethro to come in when he woke up. She hadn't changed Jethro into a pig to be mean, or to teach him a lesson. She just thought it would be funny, as she was kind of a mischevious fairy. Having had her fun, she felt very sorry for him, and sad at her part of his misadventures. She changed him back to apologize and set things right.

Mother arrived home. She saw the door ajar and the cat asleep on the stoop.
"What are you doing out here?" Said Mother as she bent down to pick him up. Jethro awoke to Mothers hands picking him up to cuddle against her chest, as she took him inside. He was happy beyond anything he'd ever known to be home, especially when he noticed he was himself again.

The boy got scolded for leaving the door open, and letting the cat getting out. Of course he denied it. Thimble couldn't exactly step forward to his defense, without revealing the existence of Faeries. After all the mischief she had caused, she vowed to not change Jethro into a pig ever again. No matter how amusing it had been.
And everyone except Thimble thought it odd that Jethro didn't like ham anymore......

The End
June 5,2009