Tatum and Ursula were finally completely comfortable staying at the yarn lady's house. They'd explored every nook and cranny and found nothing inimical. None of the furniture was familiar, but it was comfortable enough. The yarn lady wasn't home all the time, but she was there enough for them to feel comfortable without feeling crowded.
It was restful, actually. Most of the time when she was home the yarn lady was reading, on her computer or sleeping. Oh, and cooking or cleaning up, but that didn't take much time, really. She didn't have loud music on at all, and even the television rarely was turned on. It was an atmosphere very conducive to sleep, and so Tatum and Ursula found themselves drowsing their days away.
Of course, if you sleep all day, you tend to be awake more at night. One night both Ursula and Tatum found themselves wide awake at just about the time the yarn lady went to bed. Tatum, snuggly cat that he was, sat with the yarn lady, pressed against her back until she fell asleep. He liked it and the humans seemed to like it a lot too, judging from their comments. Once she was sound asleep Tatum wandered over to the crunchy food bowl and helped himself to some food. The yarn lady usually made sure it was full before she went to bed, but tonight it was nearly empty. She'd refilled the water bowl, which was nice. The yarn lady was nice about water. She gave them fresh water twice a day, even if the bowl wasn't empty, and more often if someone (generally Ursula) had dropped a piece of crunchy food in the bowl.
Ursula also helped herself to some crunchies, and began complaining as she finished the last one off. "Hey, this is not good. I'm gonna be hungry again in a little while and there's no food left in this bowl. Tatum, where does she keep the food bag - maybe I can just burrow into it and help myself."
"No go, sweetcakes. She's got it in a cabinet that I can't open. I think it's got some sort of magnetic closing thingy. Maybe she'll wake up before we're hungry again." Tatum wasn't one to worry over things that hadn't happened yet.
Well, within 45 minutes Ursula wanted more food, and there was still none in the bowl. The crunchy food fairy hadn't appeared and refilled it and the yarn lady was still sound asleep. So, Ursula took it upon herself to wake the yarn lady and let her know that there was a job that needed doing. "I'm hungry...I'm hungry...I'm hunnnnnngryyyyyy!" She wailed and then jumped up and down on the yarn lady's tummy. One or the other was sure to wake her up.
"Hunh? What's up - who's that? Tatum? Ursula?" The yarn lady got up and stumbled (literally) into the hallway where she turned on the light. "Darn, I should have fed you before I went to bed. I had a feeling you guys would finish that food." She pulled the bag out of the cabinet, filled the bowl and headed back to bed.
Ursula munched through several mouthfuls of crunchies and wondered what to do next. She saw Tatum passing the doorway on the way to the kitchen and ambushed him. "Gotcha! Tag. You're it." She ran into the other bedroom and hid in front of the bookcase.
Tatum, who had been a bit bored, ran in after her and skidded to a stop on the wood floor. He whipped his head around, trying to figure out where Ursula had gone. He noticed the tip of a small black tail underneath the dresser next to the bookcase and decided to sneak up on her by going under the dresser. It was considerably higher than the living room couch, so he didn't worry about getting stuck. He wormed his way through and snagged the tail with his claws. "Tag."
The disadvantage to a strategy like that was that by the time you got out from under the dresser, the cat who was 'it' was waiting for you. "Gotcha!"
The two cats ran around the apartment, tagging back and forth until they realized they'd never established a home base. Ursula suggested that the yarn lady would make a perfect base, and so the game moved to one where the not-'it' cat raced to touch the yarn lady before the other cat could tag him or her. More fun for them, but it made for a rumpus on the bed. First Tatum leaped onto the bed, tagged the yarn lady and yelled "Home free!" Then Ursula tried the same, only to find that Tatum had snuck up the other side of the bed - so she made a giant leap over the yarn lady crying, "Banzai!"
After a few minutes of this the yarn lady sat up and said, "Enough! I am not playing home base for your game of tag. Out, both of you!." She shooed them out of the room and securely latched the door. Tatum and Ursula looked at each other. Bummer. They were just having fun.
It was restful, actually. Most of the time when she was home the yarn lady was reading, on her computer or sleeping. Oh, and cooking or cleaning up, but that didn't take much time, really. She didn't have loud music on at all, and even the television rarely was turned on. It was an atmosphere very conducive to sleep, and so Tatum and Ursula found themselves drowsing their days away.
Of course, if you sleep all day, you tend to be awake more at night. One night both Ursula and Tatum found themselves wide awake at just about the time the yarn lady went to bed. Tatum, snuggly cat that he was, sat with the yarn lady, pressed against her back until she fell asleep. He liked it and the humans seemed to like it a lot too, judging from their comments. Once she was sound asleep Tatum wandered over to the crunchy food bowl and helped himself to some food. The yarn lady usually made sure it was full before she went to bed, but tonight it was nearly empty. She'd refilled the water bowl, which was nice. The yarn lady was nice about water. She gave them fresh water twice a day, even if the bowl wasn't empty, and more often if someone (generally Ursula) had dropped a piece of crunchy food in the bowl.
Ursula also helped herself to some crunchies, and began complaining as she finished the last one off. "Hey, this is not good. I'm gonna be hungry again in a little while and there's no food left in this bowl. Tatum, where does she keep the food bag - maybe I can just burrow into it and help myself."
"No go, sweetcakes. She's got it in a cabinet that I can't open. I think it's got some sort of magnetic closing thingy. Maybe she'll wake up before we're hungry again." Tatum wasn't one to worry over things that hadn't happened yet.
Well, within 45 minutes Ursula wanted more food, and there was still none in the bowl. The crunchy food fairy hadn't appeared and refilled it and the yarn lady was still sound asleep. So, Ursula took it upon herself to wake the yarn lady and let her know that there was a job that needed doing. "I'm hungry...I'm hungry...I'm hunnnnnngryyyyyy!" She wailed and then jumped up and down on the yarn lady's tummy. One or the other was sure to wake her up.
"Hunh? What's up - who's that? Tatum? Ursula?" The yarn lady got up and stumbled (literally) into the hallway where she turned on the light. "Darn, I should have fed you before I went to bed. I had a feeling you guys would finish that food." She pulled the bag out of the cabinet, filled the bowl and headed back to bed.
Ursula munched through several mouthfuls of crunchies and wondered what to do next. She saw Tatum passing the doorway on the way to the kitchen and ambushed him. "Gotcha! Tag. You're it." She ran into the other bedroom and hid in front of the bookcase.
Tatum, who had been a bit bored, ran in after her and skidded to a stop on the wood floor. He whipped his head around, trying to figure out where Ursula had gone. He noticed the tip of a small black tail underneath the dresser next to the bookcase and decided to sneak up on her by going under the dresser. It was considerably higher than the living room couch, so he didn't worry about getting stuck. He wormed his way through and snagged the tail with his claws. "Tag."
The disadvantage to a strategy like that was that by the time you got out from under the dresser, the cat who was 'it' was waiting for you. "Gotcha!"
The two cats ran around the apartment, tagging back and forth until they realized they'd never established a home base. Ursula suggested that the yarn lady would make a perfect base, and so the game moved to one where the not-'it' cat raced to touch the yarn lady before the other cat could tag him or her. More fun for them, but it made for a rumpus on the bed. First Tatum leaped onto the bed, tagged the yarn lady and yelled "Home free!" Then Ursula tried the same, only to find that Tatum had snuck up the other side of the bed - so she made a giant leap over the yarn lady crying, "Banzai!"
After a few minutes of this the yarn lady sat up and said, "Enough! I am not playing home base for your game of tag. Out, both of you!." She shooed them out of the room and securely latched the door. Tatum and Ursula looked at each other. Bummer. They were just having fun.
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1 comment:
Ah! It all becomes clear.
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