Long before people lived on Earth, Cat and Dog were friends.

Then the First Man and the First Woman came along. And the First People planted crops and built a big stone house, and soon they were living a life that made all the animals jealous.

One day, Cat searched out his friend Dog. “Ahoy,” said he. “I have an idea.”

“I like it already,” said Dog, He scratched his side and flapped his ear to shake off a fly. “You’re such a clever one, Cat.”

The cat bowed modestly. “You’ll like it even better when you’ve heard what it is,” he said. “I propose that we go to the Humans and offer to become their helpers and companions. In exchange, we’ll ask them to keep us well fed all our days. What do you think?”

“It’s a fine plan.” And to show his admiration, Dog barked non-stop for ten minutes. Then he bounded to his feet and said. “Let’s be off at once!”

But the Cat said. “Wait a bit. Let us first decide how to divide up the work. For if we don’t, the Humans will decide for us, and what good is that?”

“Woof,” said Dog. “You’re right as always, Cat. Tell me then: how shall we divide the work?”

“Well,” said Cat, “there is House Work and there is Field Work. Now, House Work is sure to be difficult, since we have never been in a house. Why, the inside of a house might as well be other face of the moon for all we know about the matter! But never mind, I will shoulder that awful duty. You take charge of the fields. That should be much like chewing on an old bone, for you.  After all, we animals are quite familiar with fields and woods. Does that sound fair?”

But Dog was not listening, for he had just spotted something sneaking up on him. He spent the next fifteen minutes trying to catch the villain. When he discovered it was his own tail, he returned to Cat, panting hard. “What a workout!” he exclaimed. “You were saying?”

“Field work, house work: you, me,” Cat summarized.

“Done,” said Dog. “Let’s go.”

“Not so fast,” purred Cat. “Call me persnickety, but I really can’t feel comfortable unless things are done properly. Now I have here a covenant—”

“A covena-hoo-ha?” said the dog.

“It’s a contract,” Cat snapped. “Everything we talked about is written here in black and white. Read it carefully. If you agree with what it says, sign right here. And here and here and here. And here.”

Dog smiled. “What a funny creature you are!” He was not illiterate, but he didn’t enjoy reading much, so he only made a show of studying the parchment. Then he dipped his paws in ink and made his mark everywhere the Cat had pointed. Cat “signed” too, and the friends then made their way to the Big House where the Humans lived.

The Woman and Man listened to Cat’s proposal and offered a counterproposal. The talk went back and forth for quite some time. But Cat held firm, and in the end the humans agreed to all his terms. Dog then took up his post in the fields. Cat made his way into the house.

In the days that followed, Dog toiled hard to prove himself. He kept wolves at bay and barked at birds that tried to steal Man’s grain. He was out there under the broiling sun, loyally guarding the Man’s sheep. At night he slept under a tree with his paws over his nose. When the rain drenched him, he did not complain. Sometimes he even woke up covered with snow. In the old days he would have found a warm cave in which to defrost himself, but he was on duty now: he could not leave the flocks. Through all his troubles, one thing kept him going: the thought of his noble friend Cat and the hardships he must be suffering!

One night, Dog decided to see how Cat was getting along. He made his way to the house. As he approached it through the rainy darkness, he saw the warm window full of light. It looked wonderfully inviting! Dog got up on his hind legs to peek over the sill.

And what did he see inside? Why, the coziest little room it is possible to imagine! A fire crackled in the fireplace. The furniture had soft cushions and on these were piled even softer pillows. And on the softest pillow of all lay Cat, all curled up and sleeping peacefully.

Well! Dog could not help but feel a little resentment. And the next time he saw Cat, he spoke sulkily. “There I am outside,” he complained, “in every sort of weather—tortured by flies—pounded by rain… And what are you doing all the while? Napping and eating! I must say, it doesn’t seem quite fair!”

“We all have our sorrows,” sighed Cat. “You can’t imagine the boredom I suffer. If you had to endure it for one day, believe me, you would be begging to return to your flies and your rain.”

“I should like to test that for myself,” said Dog. “Let us switch places for a week or two. You take the fields. I will live in the house.”

Cat was shocked. “But Dog! We signed a contract. Would you counteract it now? That’s not honorable. It may even be illegal!”

“What contract?” woofed Dog.

“Don’t you remember that parchment we signed?”

“I remember it,” said Dog. “But I remember the terms quite differently than you. As I recall it, we agreed to take turns.”

“Dog, you are being irrational,” said Cat. “The contract was quite clear.”

“And you are being a big cheater,” said Dog.

Cat drew himself up indignantly. The one thing he valued above all else was his good name. “I can show you irrefutable proof–the contract itself, all covered with your paw marks. And what will you say then—eh?”

“If it proves you right, I will grovel before you humbly,” said Dog. “But I’m quite sure that won’t happen.”

“Follow me,” said Cat in a haughty voice. He made his way into the house and up the stairs, step by delicate step. Dog came gallumphing after. Cat led the way to the attic, where he had hidden the contract carefully under a roof beam.

But when he looked under the beam—horrors! All he saw was a pile of sawdust. Mice had moved into the house, and they had eaten the contract all up!

“Well,” said Dog. “Where is it?”

Cat stood before him aghast. There was no way restore his honor now! Then Dog said bitterly, “So this was your ploy! To let the mice in! And now your lie can never be proven! Why, when I get my jaws on you—”

Dog pounced. Cat managed to squirt away in time to save his skin. But ever since that day, when Dog sees Cat, the old quarrel bursts out all over again. And when Cat sees mice, it’s even worse—right to this very day.

 

 

 

 

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