Noomy the Cat-a-pillar by Pamela Vitale (2015) [dedicated to the memory of Peter Everett and Noomy]
Noomy likes to ride motorbikes with his best friend Peter. He rides in Peter’s backpack cause it's safe and warm or atop his helmet for the best views ever. They sometimes ride into town, the cemetery, to the park, or into the woods; where else might they go, can you give us a clue?
Noomy like to ride in the basket of Peter’s pedal bike so when they go to the farmers market he gets to smell the pick of the season and sneak a few treats while Peter’s not looking. What treats do you think Noomy likes best?
Noomy often has naps with his friend Peter. They cuddle all safe and warm in his bed for hours dreaming of going on secret adventures to places unknown. What places would you like to go?
Noomy likes Peter’s late-night adventures in the canoe, gazing at the stars and skipping pebbles across the moonlit reflective pond. He likes it best when Peter taunts the local giant beaver by slapping the surface of the water with his paddle or chases the toads from rock to log to water. What else would you find at or in the pond?
Noomy likes to balance on the bow like a trapeze artist while his best friend Peter plays the cello with so much expression and grace he floats like a dancer on a cloud and sings like a minstrel. What kind of music or instrument do you like to play or dance to?
Noomy likes it best when his friend Peter fixes the house and trims the hedges cause he gets to wander around the yard and sometimes down the secret path to the pond. Chase and run from strange creatures. He makes sure the house is safe and no intruders mess with Peter. That’s what best friends do of course. Who is your best friend? What have you done for your best friend lately?
Noomy likes most of all his morning ritual, the shower, breakfast, and hugs so when Peter his best friend goes to work he’s ready for his day of napping until his best friend is back home again. What’s your morning ritual?
I’m sure you are thinking, “What a great story about a cat and his wonderful best friend, but why on earth do you call him a Cat-a-pillar?”
Well ever look at a caterpillar?:
It’s a flat face,
it’s fuzzy, spiky black and white hair,
it’s a nubby wiggly body
, and its cute little stubby rump?
When it glides across the floor it wiggles up and down and side to side.
So one day I asked Noomy, “You must have been a cat that was once a caterpillar or a giant caterpillar confused it’s a cat. I must say I am quite impressed by your self-expression”
And the lovely, deep-voiced gentleman Noomy said, “I’m so pleased you like my demeanor and dapper appearance I work so hard to look the part. REALLY! It’s just a hoax, a ruse, I say, and my way to confuse the slowly coasting hawks. So when they fly down with great presence and determination to pluck that said juicy caterpillar off the ground, they suddenly have to slam on the brakes and turn around or look dreadfully embarrassed that their perfect eyesight was so way off. It makes me giggle so.”
And he’s not at all fussy about that.
The End.
