An advanced adventure from the world of Woofington
The next morning in Woofington, Tigger was feeling very proud of himself.
He stretched like a cat.
He smacked a toy across the floor.
He did a perfect Kitty-Cat Attack-Mode Butt Wiggle.
Then he hopped onto a low ledge and pushed a little wooden block over the edge.
PLOP.
Tigger smiled.
“I believe I have mastered cat stuff.”
Reese slowly turned toward him.
“Mastered?”
Tigger nodded.
“Completely.”
Reese looked him up and down.
Then she smiled.
“You’ve mastered beginner cat stuff.”
Tigger’s smile disappeared.
“Beginner?”
Bella gasped.
Penny leaned closer.
Zeus looked intrigued.
Bumbles looked worried for Tigger.
Midnight slept through the entire conversation.
Reese stood.
“Today, you learn advanced cat stuff.”
Tigger puffed out his chest.
“I’m ready.”
Reese smiled.
“We’ll see.”
Reese placed a toy on the ground.
“A true cat can sneak up on anything.”
She crouched low.
Her paws moved slowly.
Her tail barely twitched.
Not a sound.
Tigger nodded.
“I can do that.”
He crouched.
He crept forward.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Silently.
He reached the toy.
Tigger turned proudly.
“See?”
Reese frowned.
“Too loud.”
Tigger blinked.
“I didn’t make a sound.”
Reese nodded.
“Exactly.”
Tigger waited.
“That’s suspicious.”
Zeus tilted his head.
“That does not make any sense.”
Reese whispered:
“Advanced cat stuff.”
Zeus nodded as if that explained everything.
Tigger tried again.
This time he moved even slower.
He reached the toy.
Reese nodded.
“Better.”
Tigger smiled.
Then Reese pointed behind him.
“You forgot the butt wiggle.”
Tigger sighed.
“Of course I did.”
Next, Reese led everyone to a sunny window.
“Cats like high places.”
Tigger jumped onto the windowsill.
Reese joined him.
The puppies gathered below.
Penny looked up.
“What do you do once you get up there?”
Reese and Tigger looked down at everyone.
Reese answered:
“Judge.”
The puppies went silent.
Reese narrowed her eyes at Bella.
Tigger narrowed his eyes at Zeus.
Bella shifted uncomfortably.
“Why are they looking at us like that?”
Zeus whispered:
“I believe this is part of the lesson.”
Then everyone noticed Midnight.
She was asleep on a shelf even higher than Reese and Tigger.
Nobody had seen her climb there.
Tigger looked up.
“How did she get up there?”
Midnight opened one eye.
“I’m doing really important stuff here.”
Her eye closed again.
Reese nodded.
“Advanced.”
Reese jumped down from the windowsill.
“Now…”
She became very serious.
“…we come to one of the most important advanced cat skills.”
Tigger stood beside her.
“What is it?”
Reese smiled.
“The rabbit kick.”
Zeus tilted his head.
“The what?”
Reese grabbed Tigger with both of her front paws.
Before Tigger could ask another question—
KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK!
Her back feet pummeled him right in the face.
Tigger’s head bounced with every kick.
bop bop bop bop bop
Reese let go.
Tigger lay on the floor blinking.
A tiny bird circled his head.
Then another.
Tigger watched them go around.
“Oh.”
Reese looked down at him.
Tigger blinked again.
“I don’t think I know how to do that.”
Reese frowned.
“No.”
She examined him carefully.
“You’re definitely not doing it right.”
Tigger slowly sat up.
“I wasn’t doing anything.”
“Exactly.”
Reese grabbed him again.
“Let’s try a little to the left.”
Tigger’s eyes widened.
“A little to the—”
KICK KICK KICK KICK!
Reese stopped.
She studied him.
“Hmmm.”
Tigger’s eyes crossed.
Bella leaned closer.
“Did he get it?”
Reese tilted her head.
“No.”
Tigger groaned.
“No?”
Reese looked at his face.
“I think he needs to get kicked more in the nose.”
Tigger tried to scoot backward.
“Wait.”
Reese grabbed him.
KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK!
bonk bonk bonk bonk bonk
She let go.
Now three little birds circled Tigger’s head.
One chirped.
Zeus examined him.
“I think he has it, Reese.”
Reese walked around Tigger.
She looked at him from one side.
Then the other.
She narrowed her eyes.
“No.”
Tigger looked horrified.
“What do you mean, no?”
Reese scratched her chin with one paw.
“I still think you’re missing something.”
Tigger tried to get up.
Reese grabbed him again.
“Oh, come on—”
KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK!
When she finally let go, Tigger lay flat on his back.
His eyes spun.
A whole flock of tiny cartoon birds circled his head.
One of them landed on his nose.
Reese sat beside him proudly.
“There.”
She nodded.
“Perfect.”
Tigger stared cross-eyed at the bird on his nose.
“Did I pass?”
Reese smiled.
“With flying colors.”
The bird chirped.
Tigger sighed.
“I walked into that one.”
Reese decided Tigger was ready.
“You have one final test.”
Tigger was still lying on the ground.
“Can the final test be sleeping?”
“No.”
“Worth asking.”
Reese placed a toy across the room.
“You must combine everything.”
Tigger slowly stood.
Reese counted on her paw.
“Stalk.”
Tigger crouched.
“Wait.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Butt wiggle.”
wiggle wiggle wiggle
“Strike.”
Tigger pounced.
POUNCE!
He landed directly on the toy.
Perfectly.
Everyone cheered.
Bella bounced.
Penny clapped her little paws.
Bumbles smiled.
Zeus nodded.
“Excellent execution.”
Tigger stood proudly.
He looked at Reese.
“Well?”
Reese inspected him.
Tigger waited.
Reese walked around him once.
Then twice.
Finally she nodded.
“You passed.”
Tigger’s face lit up.
“I did?”
“You did.”
Tigger puffed out his chest.
“I am officially an advanced cat.”
Reese smiled.
“Almost.”
Tigger’s ears dropped.
“Almost?”
Reese pointed to the floor.
“Nap.”
Tigger stared at her.
“That’s the final lesson?”
“Yep.”
Tigger immediately curled into a ball.
Reese curled up beside him.
Bella tried to join them.
Penny squeezed in too.
Soon Bumbles and Zeus were piled nearby.
Everyone settled down.
From the shelf above them came Midnight’s sleepy voice.
“Took you long enough.”
Tigger opened one eye.
“Were you listening?”
Midnight didn’t move.
“I’m doing really important stuff here.”
Tigger closed his eye again.
“Of course you are.”
And for once, Woofington became completely quiet.
At least until one of the little birds circling Tigger’s head landed on Reese.
She opened one eye.
The bird chirped.
Reese smiled.
“Advanced cat stuff.”
And went to sleep.
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