Tales of The Mouser: SPC Huey's Promotion

Sammy and Tabitha sat among the cats watching Specialist Huey receiving
his promotion to Sergeant. The orange and white cat stood proudly at
attention while Captain Pine Cone read the promotion orders and then
gave a few remarks (Tabitha wondered why a few remarks always took so
long) about the reasons for Huey's promotion. The cats knew that Paw
Rob smelled different from the other hoomins, now they knew it was from
something calico cancer. They resolved to purr for the cancer smell to
go away and leave Paw Rob alone. As Captain Pine Cone kept making his
few remarks, Lacy nudged Sammy. "Tell us about what happened below
decks," She hissed softly.

"Later," Sammy hissed back. "I don't want to tell it more than once.
It was terrifying." She licked some fur back into place from where it
had risen and thought about the ordeal that she and Tabitha had been
through. It was enough to terrify the bravest cat, like me, she thought.

************************************************** **************

After Cap'n Pine Cone finished giving them their orders, Specialist
Huey sent them to see the Fat Wench, whom he called Meowmie Pam, for
some rations. The negotiating for just the perfect rations took some
time as Meowmie Pam seemed not to be very bright, and took some time to
understand what they wanted. She kept giving them healthy food and not
the yummy gooshy stuff they craved. They finally got most of the food
they wanted, tacitly agreeing to get rid of the rest if Specialist Huey
didn't eat it, and walked out the galley door to find Specialist Huey
walking up the stairs from the lower decks. He made no explanation for
his being down below, and the kittens had already learned not to ask him.

The trip to the lower decks was accomplished in silence, with an
occasional greeting to a cat who was below decks on business. There
were not many cats down there and Tabitha and Sammy felt lonely and
scared. Huey didn't help any, when he suddenly stopped them and
whispered softly, "ok, now we're getting to the places that the noises
have been reported from. You two are to follow me, when I point a
whisker at a place I want you to go in there and chase whatever there is
out. Sammy you take the port or left side and Tabitha, you take the
starboard, or right side. Be very quiet, or you might chase it away
before we can get a look at it."

The two of them crept behind Huey, their hearts thumping in their
chests. Huey swung his head back and forth, sensing the air currents,
searching for strange smells and noises. At the same time, all of them
smelled it, it was as if they were in the bad smell place where TED
poked them and stuck pointy thing into them.

They all wrinkled their noses and carefully stepped forward. None of
them wanted TED to get his paws on them. Suddenly, Huey pointed a
whisker to a dark area on the right. Starboard side, Tabitha reminded
herself. She shook but slipped forward anyway, just as she reached the
area, there was a twang sound and the smell became very intense. She
gagged as she dived in to find what was in the shadows. She drew back,
holding a small mouse in her fangs.

"Every kit has to start somewhere," Huey seemed relieved as he laughed.
"Looks like you caught yourself a trophy. If you want you can eat it,
or let it go."

Tabitha decided to let it go, it smelled too much like TED's house.
The three cats edged further into the below decks. The smell was
intense down there. It smelled like TED's, uncleaned litter boxes, and
something extremely musty, like dried worms. The two younger kits felt
their fur rising up on their backs and necks higher than it had ever
risen before. Every so often, Huey would have one of them check out a
dark place, but other than a few mice, the only sign of a monster was a
piece of clothing that was intensely nasty smelling as if the person who
wore it had died a long time ago and had rolled in herbs before it died.

After a while, the kits started to feel sleepy. Huey, sensing this,
called a halt for a meal. The two kittens perked up, then grabbing
their favorites, downed the gooshy food, leaving the healthy stuff for
Huey, who said that he preferred the healthy stuff. It made him
stronger and more able to handle the hard work he did, taking care of
Paw Rob. The kits pretended to believe him.

After they ate, Huey got them into order and led them further into the
below decks. They were almost to the far end of the boat, when all
three cats rose up on their tiptoes and arched their backs. There was a
squalling noise, and a series of thumps in the far deck. Huey sprang
forward screaming, "Quick, don't let it get away!"

The two kits sprang after him one on each side, blocking all escape
from the area. Suddenly, Huey stopped dead in his tracks and a silly
smile came over his face. "Come here, you two, and meet our monster,"
he quietly said. The two kits edged closer.

There in front of them, curled up in a little nest, lay four baby
kittens. They were so young their eyes weren't even opened yet. They
had a mixed parentage, as one was a black and white tuxedo, another a
gray striped tabby with white paws, the third was a creamy tan colored
and the fourth was a tiny calico. They were so busy admiring the kits
that they didn't hear anything behind them until, Huey found himself
knocked to the side by a lean Calico, who was determined to protect her
babies.

"Owww! Stop!! Help!!" Huey sputtered as he rolled around the below
deck, with the mama kitty beating up on him. Sammy and Tabitha came to
Huey's rescue, finally, the three of them subdued the Calico long enough
to find out how she came to have her kittens aboard the "Mouser."

She told the usual tale of a stray cat. She'd gone into first heat and
her humans had thrown her into the out. She'd met a tom of mixed
parentage and had gotten pregnant by him. The mouser had looked like a
good place to have her kits, especially as it had kitten food, litter
pans, and not many hoomins around to harm her babies. The three cats
found themselves getting angry with hoomins, as their heard Phoebe's
story of her indignities at hoomin hands. But then Huey halted her story.

"Our hoomins aren't like that," Huey declared. "They're kind and good.
They even write stories about us on the internet. They'll take care
of you and your babies and find good homes for all of you. They'll take
you to TED and have that which wasn't broken, fixed. You'll never have
to have babies again."

Phoebe expressed her doubts about the hoomins, but Huey, Tabitha, and
Sammy convinced her otherwise. Finally, she let the three cats help her
carry the babies up to the upper decks where they were taken to Cap'n
Pine Cone's cabin. There he gave orders for the family to be made
comfortable, and for his bedding to be put in the Blonde wench's cabin
where he would share with her until the mother and kits were old and
well enough to be added to the crew. As soon as it was practicable the
family would go in for the big snip, and be adopted by the hoomins of
their choices.

************************************************** ****

Sammy and Tabitha were so busy thinking about the tiny family sleeping
comfortably below them that they didn't hear their names being called.
Lacy had to nudge them to get them to respond to Cap'n Pine Cone, and
step forward.

"I'm proud to be able to grant more than one promotion on this day," he
said. "Sergeant Huey wasn't the only cat on this rescue operation. Two
young and untried kits were also part of the team. Sammy and Tabitha, I
would like to promote you two, you'll gain your first rank as crew of
the mouser's army. Please say welcome to our newest privates, Sammy and
Tabitha. I'm sure they will gain in rank and wisdom quickly." As the
two stood at attention to give their first salute, they could feel the
pride and envy of the other kittens on board. Tabitha and Sammy were on
their way.

In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.anecdotes", Tanada
artfully composed this message within
news Sep 2004:

Sammy and Tabitha were so busy thinking about the tiny
family sleeping
comfortably below them that they didn't hear their names being
called. Lacy had to nudge them to get them to respond to Cap'n
Pine Cone, and step forward.

"I'm proud to be able to grant more than one promotion on
this day," he
said. "Sergeant Huey wasn't the only cat on this rescue
operation. Two young and untried kits were also part of the
team. Sammy and Tabitha, I would like to promote you two,
you'll gain your first rank as crew of the mouser's army.
Please say welcome to our newest privates, Sammy and Tabitha.
I'm sure they will gain in rank and wisdom quickly." As the two
stood at attention to give their first salute, they could feel
the pride and envy of the other kittens on board. Tabitha and
Sammy were on their way.


Shamrock and Bonnie would like to concatulate Sammy and Tabitha for
their good work and promotions.

The mouser has a nursery room!! Awwww!

--
Cheryl

In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.anecdotes", Tanada
artfully composed this message within
news Sep 2004:

Sammy and Tabitha were so busy thinking about the tiny
family sleeping
comfortably below them that they didn't hear their names being
called. Lacy had to nudge them to get them to respond to Cap'n
Pine Cone, and step forward.

"I'm proud to be able to grant more than one promotion on
this day," he
said. "Sergeant Huey wasn't the only cat on this rescue
operation. Two young and untried kits were also part of the
team. Sammy and Tabitha, I would like to promote you two,
you'll gain your first rank as crew of the mouser's army.
Please say welcome to our newest privates, Sammy and Tabitha.
I'm sure they will gain in rank and wisdom quickly." As the two
stood at attention to give their first salute, they could feel
the pride and envy of the other kittens on board. Tabitha and
Sammy were on their way.


Shamrock and Bonnie would like to concatulate Sammy and Tabitha for
their good work and promotions.

The mouser has a nursery room!! Awwww!

--
Cheryl

"Tanada" wrote in message
news
snip wonderful "Mouser" tale

Sammy thanks you very much for making her seem so brave and heroic - she was
really very scared.

Great story!

Hugs,

CatNipped

"Tanada" wrote in message
news
snip wonderful "Mouser" tale

Sammy thanks you very much for making her seem so brave and heroic - she was
really very scared.

Great story!

Hugs,

CatNipped

Very very nicely done!!!!!

Excellent story!!

Kristi

Very very nicely done!!!!!

Excellent story!!

Kristi