===================================================== Smokey Cat Finds a New Home ---------------------------- Smokey Cat was just a kitten. He lived in a house with his mother and all his brothers and sisters. Smokey Cat wanted to see the whole house. He looked in the corner. He looked in the living room. He played with the ball. Smokey looked out the window. Smokey saw the snow on the ground. He saw the cars go by in the street. Smokey Cat wanted to see the whole world. One day Smokey was sitting by the back door. The door opened. Somebody was coming into the house. As soon as the door opened, Smokey ran outside. Smokey ran down the driveway. He ran across the street. Smokey was going to see the whole world! Smokey Cat chased a leaf. Smokey tasted the snow. It was cold. Smokey Cat crossed a street. A car chased him. Smokey was scared. He ran away from the car. Smokey Cat ran far away. He ran across many streets. Soon Smokey did not know where he was. Smokey did not know where to go. Smokey walked up a driveway. A big dog walked out from behind the house. It was a _very_ big dog! Smokey was afraid. Then the dog said, "Hello, cat." The big dog could talk in cat talk! "My name is Joshua Dog," said the dog. Smokey was happy. Joshua was a friendly dog. "My name is Smokey Cat," said Smokey. "Can I stay with you? It is cold in the snow." "You can come into my dog house," said Joshua Dog. So Smokey Cat and Joshua Dog curled up together. ===================================================== Smokey Cat Takes a Vacation ---------------------------- Smokey Cat sat in the sunshine. He stretched. The sun was warm. He looked through the window. Joshua Dog was outside. Joshua was Smokey's friend. Smokey wanted to go outside. Smokey Cat sat by the door waiting to go out. Nobody opened the door for him. So Smokey waited. At suppertime, Smokey's person filled a bowl with dog food for Joshua Dog. Then Smokey's person opened the door to let Joshua come inside. Smokey Cat ran out the open door. He ran down the driveway. He ran across the neightbor's yard. Smokey Cat had disappeared. Joshua Dog was worried. Smokey Cat was Joshua's friend. Where had Smokey gone? Smokey's person was worried, too. "Let's go look for Smokey," the person said to Joshua. So Joshua Dog put on his leash. He took his person outside to look for Smokey Cat. Joshua and his person walked all around the house. They didn't see Smokey anywhere. Then they walked around the block. But they didn't see Smokey by any of the houses. Where could Smokey be? Finally, they walked around the next block. But they couldn't see Smokey Cat. Joshua Dog and his person went back to their house and ate supper. After supper, Joshua went outside again. He walked around the block with his person. Joshua Dog was happy now. He knew where Smokey was. Joshua Dog's person said, "You aren't worried any more. Do you know where Smokey is?" Joshua tried to tell his person what he knew. But his person couldn't understand dog language. When night came, Joshua went to bed in his dog house. Their person went to sleep in the house. In the morning, the person got up and went outside. He was going to look for Smokey Cat again. "Joshua!" the person called. "Let's go look for Smokey." Joshua Dog came out of his doghouse. He had a big smile on his face. Right behind Joshua came a sleepy Smokey Cat. Smokey had taken a vacation in the back yard! ======================================= Smokey Needs a Bath ---------------------------- Smokey Cat was an old cat. He lived in a house with his person and Pepper Dog. One day Smokey Cat sat in the window. Smokey thought about the Old Days. Smokey Cat had adventures when he was a young cat. "I think I'll go on an adventure," thought Smokey Cat. So Smokey Cat waited by the door. He waited for his person to open the door. Smokey waited by the door for a long time. Smokey's person came to the door with Pepper Dog. "I'm going to put Pepper outside," he told Smokey Cat. "OK," said Smokey. And he smiled a cat smile. When the person opened the door, Smokey Cat ran outside. He ran door the driveway. He ran down the sidewalk. Where did Smokey go? Pepper Dog went with the person to look for Smokey. They looked in the bushes. They looked on the street. Where was Smokey Cat? Smokey's person went to the telephone. "Have you seen Smokey Cat?" he asked. But nobody had seen Smokey. Where did Smokey go? Smokey Cat went to the park. Smokey looked under all the bushes. He looked up all the trees. Smokey was having an adventure! Smokey jumped up on top of a picnic table. This was fun! He could see all around. Then Smokey saw a big, green can. "I wonder what's on top of the big green can," thought Smokey. Smokey Cat jumped way up high. He jumped to the top of the big, green can. Smokey wanted to see what was there. There was nothing at the top of the big, green can! Smokey Cat fell down inside. Smokey landed on a pile of garbage inside the garbage can. "I'll just jump back out," thought Smokey. But the garbage was soft and gooey. It was hard to jump very high. The sky was getting dark. Smokey was still inside the garbage can. This adventure wasn't as much fun as Smokey thought it would be. Smokey Cat called for help. "Meow," he said. But there was nobody in the park at night. Smokey Cat tried to jump out of the garbage can. He tried and tried. But he couldn't jump high enough. Finally, Smokey jumped _really_ high. Smokey's front paws grabbed onto the top of the garbage can. His back paws scraped on the side of the garbage can. Smokey was going to get out! Smokey hurried back to his house. He didn't want to have any more adventure. Smokey scratched at the door of his house. "Will somebody let me in?" he asked. Inside, Pepper Dog heard Smokey scratching. Pepper woke up his person. "Come to the door," said Pepper Dog. The person went to the door. He picked up Smokey Cat and smelled the garbage. "You need a bath," the person said. So Smokey Cat and his person took a shower. Smokey didn't mind taking a shower. He was back home! =====================================================