There's One in Every Crowd
A FablebyAnne Yanchyshyn
It had to be the most peace-loving society of animals ever to be found. Until a family of canines moved in, that is. Till then, the animals had had a marvellous time working together, playing together, helping each other to reach their potential. Whenever a baby was born, for example, they would hold a shower and deluge the youngster's home with gifts of every description. And if they ran out of ideas, they would improvise by offering to babysit or run errands on behalf of the newborn's worn-out parents.
But it wasn't to last. The usual welcoming party was thrown, and the animals literally fell over each other to make the new dog family feel they belonged. And they tried to impress upon the newcomers that even at work there would be someone on hand to ease them into the routines.
Monday morning arrived. All the animals took to their stations at work. The place was humming with busyness and excitement. Anyone looking in from the outside would easily have been fooled into thinking that nothing had changed.
The first sign that something was different was noticed at lunch. There was Cat, the oldest feline on staff, struggling to keep from sliding off the slippery hill where she was having her meal. And there at the place where she had always sat during lunchtime, the place of honor which the animals had long ago assigned to her in deference to her age and years of unselfish service, was the brassiest newcomer, Dog. He seemed most unconcerned as he spread out his elbows and gulped down his lunch.
Several eyebrows went up, but not a thing was said.
Cat now went to take her usual nap on the bed of straw. Dog immediately nipped at her heels and tried to push her away. Cat simply moved over a bit and shared the straw with Dog.
Everyone tried in the following weeks to teach the canines the established code of behavior not by lecturing, but by example. But their patience was finally stretched to the limit.
For one day Dog decided to play a prank on Cat. He came to the lunch room carrying a salt and pepper shaker and a glass of water.
"I'm going to show you, Cat, what canines really think of animals like you," he sneered. "Maybe then you'll understand why our families have done nothing but fight each other all these years. Gather round, folks, and watch this."
And with a flourish he placed the glass on the table.
"See this salt? It's white, just like us dogs, isn't it?" he asked. "I'm going to sprinkle some into the water. Pretend these are white dogs going for a swim. Now see this paw? It represents all the members of this community. Notice what happens when I put my paw into the midst of the dogs."
Everyone stretched his neck to be sure nothing was missed.
But Dog was only warming up.
"Now, I'll sprinkle some pepper to represent you black cats. Look carefully at what happens when I thrust my paw into the water this time."
The grains of pepper fanned out at once and clung to the sides of the glass.
"Need I say anything else?" asked Dog, his nose held high in the air.
"Obviously dogs are just accepted, but what can I say about cats, Cat? You saw for yourself how the animals repelled them and pushed them to the side in the water. Great big pushovers that's the status of cats."
There followed an uproarious din the likes of which had never been heard in the animal kingdom. The dogs barked, the coyotes howled, and in the distance the hyenas lost their cool and laughed uncontrollably.
But Cat had had enough. She was not about to take this latest insult lying down.
"That's NOT what the demonstration shows at all," she protested. "It shows that cats are survivors, that's what it shows. Look what happened to the salt, the dogs. They all sank to the bottom they drowned. But see how the pepper is clinging to the sides of the glass? That's cats for you they keep their heads above water when faced with trouble and they survive."
Suddenly the air was filled with applause, much to Cat's surprise.
"Touché! Bravo!" cried the animals in unison, as Dog put his tail between his legs and tried to make himself invisible.
He had been put in his place, something long overdue.
One day Cat and Dog found themselves sitting beside each other at their Christmas banquet. All of a sudden the chairman, Billy Goat, started telling an old familiar derogatory joke about a lynx. Just as Cat felt her neck muscles tightening up, lo and behold, she saw Dog thrusting his elbow into the offender's ribs and whispering, "Come off it, Billy. Don't you know that lynxes are cousins to cats? You don't want to embarrass my friend Cat here, do you? Where's your Christmas spirit?"
Upon hearing this, Cat lost all sense of dinner decorum and started to purr. Her smile was as broad as a Cheshire's.
It had taken time, but the animals' faith in teaching tolerance through their living example had been worth the wait. An auspicious New Year was dawning. The cats and dogs became the best of friends and peace ruled the land once again.
Merry Christmas To All