“I have a Teacher’s Day treat for you,” announced Mrs. Katson, entering the classroom with a basket. As her students waited in eager expectation of goodies, she took out a fat cat and placed it before them. “Meet Cleopatra---Cleo for short. Isn’t she beautiful?” Taking uneasy silence for enthusiastic assent, the teacher urged the children forward. “Cleo will permit you to pat her,” she said brightly.

Cleopatra stared coldly at the boys and girls as they moved hesitantly towards her. “Does she scratch?” said Reena nervously, wondering if she could escape to the sick room. No need to invent an ailment; her blood pressure was mounting!

“Rarely,” replied Mrs. Katson, gazing fondly at Cleo. “She prefers to bite.”

“Is Cleopatra Egyptian?” asked Mohan, making polite conversation.

“Only her name,” said Mrs. Katson. “Notice her cream-coloured fur and blue eyes. Cleo is a Siamese; originally from Siam---now called Thailand.”

“I didn’t see any - - - er - - - Cleos when I was there,” said Lisa, wishing she were in Bangkok rather than Bengalooru.”

“Never mind, dear,” said Mrs. Katson kindly. “You may have the pleasure of feeding Cleo a tuna sandwich.”
Lisa turned pale. “I’m afraid - - -afraid of - - -”

“Hurting her? Don’t worry. Just be gentle,” said Mrs. Katson. “Here’s the sandwich, Lisa. Cleo, open your mouth, darling - - -” Mrs. Katson broke off abruptly as Cleopatra suddenly leapt off the table and charged across the room. “STOP,” yelled Mrs. Katson, pursuing her pet in undignified haste.

“If Cleo hadn’t made that dramatic exit, Lisa might have lost a finger,” said Ashish, when Mrs. Katson was out of hearing. “I wonder why she behaved so strangely.”

“I sent my small clockwork car scuttling along the floor,” confessed Mohan, deftly retrieving the object from under a chair.

Reena summed up the morning’s action: “ A fake mouse at play on Teacher’s Day keeps the teacher’s cat away!”
Suryakumari Dennison