Cyndi strolls into the living room in time to see Percy fall off his typing chair. She rushes to his side and, deeply concerned, asks, “Percy, are you all right? Did you break something?”
Usually so agile and quick to pick himself up after a fall, Percy lies where he landed, body convulsing and strange sounds emanating from deep inside him.
“Hold on, Percy. Don’t die. I’m dialing 911 for an ambulance. You’re going to be okay.” Cyndi races for the cordless phone, but it isn’t in its base. She pushes the button and a faint, steady beep is heard.
“Where’s the phone? I can’t find the phone,” she begins to shriek. “Whoever used it last should have put it back where it belongs.” Her voice climbs several decibels. “Help! Someone find the phone. Percy’s dying!”
“No, Percy gasps, “I’m not.”
Buddy rushes into the room, the cordless phone in his mouth. “Here, Cyndi, I found the phone in the laundry basket.”
Cyndi drops the phone as Buddy releases it into her paw. “I’m too nervous. I can’t do it. Buddy, you dial 911, please.”
“No!” Percy pants, barely loud enough to be heard. “I’m ..he, he, he, ohhhhh, he…”
Buddy and Cyndi turn slowly toward Percy, fearing the worst. Percy, gulping and wheezing, struggles to a sitting position. “I … I… he, he, ho, hoooo..”
Realization dawns on Cyndi and Buddy at the same moment. Percy is not dying. He is convulsed with laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Cyndi demands.
“Yeah, you scared us out of a week’s calories,” Buddy complains.
Percy makes a valiant effort to control his laugher and climbs back onto his typing chair. “Look at this video, I found it on a news site. You’ve got to see it to understand what is so funny.”
He clicks on a link and together they watch the short news video.
“I don’t get it,” Cyndi admits. “I still don’t understand what is so funny.”
“The mother cat adopted those chicks.”
“But what’s funny about that?” Buddy asks. “Lots of animals adopt the young of another species.”
“Well,” Percy admits, “that’s not what is so funny.”
“Then why were you laughing?”
“Because I had a sudden mental image of Samaritan in the video with the mother cat, her kittens and those chicks.”
Cyndi and Buddy stare blankly at Percy.
“Oh, come on, you know how big Samaritan is and how he likes to play with cats. He leaps and barks, even bops them to try to make them run so he can chase them. Imagine the pandemonium if Samaritan was in the same room with those cats and chicks. Here, I’ll play the video again. Think of Samaritan in a playful mood.”
He hits a key and the video begins to play again. “He…he..ho,” begins to bubble forth from Cyndi before she collapses on the floor in laughter.
Buddy shakes his head. “I still don’t get it. Why would you want to put Samaritan in the video? I’m more photogenic and playful than Samaritan. And I’m funnier than he is.” He walks away, still staking his head. “Cats sure have a strange sense of humor..”
Posted by Percy, Cyndi and Buddy
