Henry's Cat - The Cowboy

Page 3

“Excuse me, Mr Head Cowboy, I’ve got an idea.”

Well, the rest of the cowboys just looked at him and then started laughing, and one said: “Ha ha, the pussycat’s got an idea. I expect he’ll throw old Zeke a Fe-line, ha ha.”

They all laughed, and Henry’s Cat was about to get upset when the Head Cowboy said, “OK, OK, now you all just shut up and. listen to this gentleman pussycat,” and they all listened.

“What I would do is this,” said Henry’s Cat very seriously. “It’s too far for one lasso, but not too far for lots of lassos tied together, so if someone can get to the island with lots of lassos then old Zeke can be pulled back. As I’m only a small cat, I could float over to the island on a small log and give the lasso to old Zeke.”

The Head Cowboy thought about it. “It’s a good idea, but we can’t pull old Zeke across the river because he can’t swim, so we’d better think up something else.”

“I’ve thought of that,” said Henry’s Cat. “I could give him my hot-water bottle blown up like a life jacket.”

He took out his hot-water bottle and tied it round him the way they had shown him on the aeroplane for life-jackets.

Well, the Head Cowboy was very impressed. “Why, bless my soul, I guess you got somethin’ there Mr Pussycat. OK, boys, get started.”

They all tied their lassos together just as the cowboys in the old film had done. Then Henry’s Cat floated out to the island. Well, it didn’t take long to rescue old Zeke - thanks to Henry’s Cat. They all said how clever he was, and a real cowboy, and Henry’s Cat shrugged and said, “Aw shucks, it was nothing,” and stuck his hands in his pockets and pretended he was chewing something.

When they all got back to the ranch, the cowboys told everyone about Henry’s Cat’s idea.

“Naw, he ain’t no Greenhorn, he’s a real, rough, tough cowboy, even with a hot-water bottle,” said the Head Cowboy. “Give him a double milkshake,” which they did, and he drank it down in one go, and said:

“Well, a man’s got to do what he’s got to do, and that goes for pussycats too!”

With that Henry’s Cat toddled off to bed feeling that enough’s enough. . . even for a pussycat.

The End

email: stan@henryscat.com