Robin wanted a dog more than anything else in the world. He had a new bicycle, his own fishing rod and lots of toys - but he didn't have a dog. Only a cat named Miss Puss.
Robin watched his friends with their dogs. They walked them on a leash, they taught them tricks and their dogs jumped and played and ran along with them everywhere.
Robin looked at his cat. "I will change your name to Fido," he said, "and teach you how to be a dog. You will be my new dog."
So Robin got a rope and tied it to Miss Puss's collar. "Come on, Fido, let's go for a walk," he said. And he pulled his cat out on the sidewalk for a walk down the street. But, Miss Puss didn't like being on a leash. She went this way, then that, and would sit down wherever she pleased!
Robin untied the rope on the front lawn. "I will teach you to do tricks," he said. "Roll over, Fido!" and Robin showed Miss Puss how to roll over. "Sit up and beg, Fido!" and Robin showed her how to do it. But Miss Puss would not sit up and beg. In fact, she would not do any of the tricks Robin showed her. She wouldn't even try!
"All right, then," Robin said. "Let's go for a run in the park." So Robin carried his cat across the street and put her down in the grass. "Come on, Fido!" Robin called, and he started to run up the path.
But Miss Puss did not run after him. Instead, she started walking back home. She was thinking of curling up on the big chair for an afternoon nap, the way cats do.
Robin walked slowly back home. "Mommy," Robin said, when he got inside, "MIss Puss
makes a no good dog! " His mother had been watching everything from the window.
"I'm afraid you are right, Robin," his mother said. "But she does make a very good cat. She purrs when you pat her, and she keeps the mice away from our house, and she curls up on your bed when you go to sleep. Miss Puss makes a very good cat. You lik
e your cat, don't you?"
"I guess so..." Robin said. "But I wish she was a dog. Why can't she do what a dog does? It's easy...."
"Sure," said his mother. "Easy for a dog. But hard for a cat. It's not her nature."
"What's that, mommy?" Robin wanted to know.
"Well, Robin, everything has its own nature. That's the way it was made. Cats will seldom do as they are told, like dogs will, but they are quiet and friendly and very good at catching mice. They do things that cats do - naturally. That's just the way they are. Dogs are different, of course. Dogs are good at being dogs. Everything in this world had its own special nature."
"I see," Robin smiled. "And cats make very poor dogs."
"That's right," said his mother. "And that is something to keep in mind, as you grow up. People have different natures too. People are in many ways the same, but in other ways they are different. Some people make good doctors and some people make good teachers and others are good at driving a truck, like your father. Everybody can do something well; it seems to be their nature."
"Me too?" asked Robin.
"Yes, you too," said his mother. "All little boys and girls."
"How will I know what is my nature, mother - what I can do best?"
"That's not hard, Robin," his mother said. "Just try new things as you grow up. That's what growing up is for. You will soon find out what you are good at - what you like to do. Just trust yourself. Maybe you will like playing a piano or being a policeman, who knows? You will discover this as you grow up."
"Wow, that sounds like fun!" Robin said.
"Yes," said his mother, "growing up is fun. It's discovering who you are, and then being yourself. So you can see why Miss Puss didn't want to be a dog. She knew she was a cat."
"Yes," Robin laughed. "And she makes a very good cat, too."
And so she did!
...................................................................................................................................The End.
Book Mark us and email us to your friends; http://www.merry-go-round.ca/
And our associate Canadian Children's Charity: http://www.kidscopscomputers.org/
Robin watched his friends with their dogs. They walked them on a leash, they taught them tricks and their dogs jumped and played and ran along with them everywhere.
Robin looked at his cat. "I will change your name to Fido," he said, "and teach you how to be a dog. You will be my new dog."
So Robin got a rope and tied it to Miss Puss's collar. "Come on, Fido, let's go for a walk," he said. And he pulled his cat out on the sidewalk for a walk down the street. But, Miss Puss didn't like being on a leash. She went this way, then that, and would sit down wherever she pleased!
Robin untied the rope on the front lawn. "I will teach you to do tricks," he said. "Roll over, Fido!" and Robin showed Miss Puss how to roll over. "Sit up and beg, Fido!" and Robin showed her how to do it. But Miss Puss would not sit up and beg. In fact, she would not do any of the tricks Robin showed her. She wouldn't even try!
"All right, then," Robin said. "Let's go for a run in the park." So Robin carried his cat across the street and put her down in the grass. "Come on, Fido!" Robin called, and he started to run up the path.
But Miss Puss did not run after him. Instead, she started walking back home. She was thinking of curling up on the big chair for an afternoon nap, the way cats do.
Robin walked slowly back home. "Mommy," Robin said, when he got inside, "MIss Puss
makes a no good dog! " His mother had been watching everything from the window.
"I'm afraid you are right, Robin," his mother said. "But she does make a very good cat. She purrs when you pat her, and she keeps the mice away from our house, and she curls up on your bed when you go to sleep. Miss Puss makes a very good cat. You lik
e your cat, don't you?""I guess so..." Robin said. "But I wish she was a dog. Why can't she do what a dog does? It's easy...."
"Sure," said his mother. "Easy for a dog. But hard for a cat. It's not her nature."
"What's that, mommy?" Robin wanted to know.
"Well, Robin, everything has its own nature. That's the way it was made. Cats will seldom do as they are told, like dogs will, but they are quiet and friendly and very good at catching mice. They do things that cats do - naturally. That's just the way they are. Dogs are different, of course. Dogs are good at being dogs. Everything in this world had its own special nature."
"I see," Robin smiled. "And cats make very poor dogs."
"That's right," said his mother. "And that is something to keep in mind, as you grow up. People have different natures too. People are in many ways the same, but in other ways they are different. Some people make good doctors and some people make good teachers and others are good at driving a truck, like your father. Everybody can do something well; it seems to be their nature."
"Me too?" asked Robin.
"Yes, you too," said his mother. "All little boys and girls."
"How will I know what is my nature, mother - what I can do best?"
"That's not hard, Robin," his mother said. "Just try new things as you grow up. That's what growing up is for. You will soon find out what you are good at - what you like to do. Just trust yourself. Maybe you will like playing a piano or being a policeman, who knows? You will discover this as you grow up."
"Wow, that sounds like fun!" Robin said.
"Yes," said his mother, "growing up is fun. It's discovering who you are, and then being yourself. So you can see why Miss Puss didn't want to be a dog. She knew she was a cat."
"Yes," Robin laughed. "And she makes a very good cat, too."
And so she did!
...................................................................................................................................The End.
Book Mark us and email us to your friends; http://www.merry-go-round.ca/
And our associate Canadian Children's Charity: http://www.kidscopscomputers.org/
