Two Sides Of The Same Coin
It was a lovely day in November. At least Tom thought it was November,
the air was crisp and cool and it felt Novemberish. There were no
calenders here, while he had a clock he rarely looked at it. He never
had to be anywhere at any particular time in any event, when he had to
be somewhere he always showed up on time, if that's the word for it.
Anyway, it was a nice Fall day.
Tom stood on his porch that surrounded the small field stone house, he could see and smell the smoke from his neighbor's fires, someone was cooking fish and the big cat was salivating. Since he had had his coffee he wasn't hungry, but the fish really smelled enticing. Odd, he thought, I haven't had meat since I got here. When did I get here? he thought to himself, I don't remember. Maybe someplace in town sold meat, although he had never seen such a shop. It didn't matter, what with the bread and potatoes and butter and honey he was never hungry.
Tom lit a cigarette and looked at the distant ocean. Maybe I could go fishing, although he had never walked down to the shore. Everytime he thought of doing so something else came up. I must make a note of this, he thought, I can be so forgetful. He frowned. Who could be cooking fish? No one he knew ate the stuff, the bunny family next farm over certainly would not be eating fish and he knew his other neighbors were the strictest of vegetarians, the Fox family was very religious and regarded all life as sacred. Hmmm...the big cat thought as he drew on his smoke, maybe there were gypsies or something around. The idea of travel was very appealing but he never seemed to really want to take the one road that led out of town, he didn't know where it went and the thought of being lost frightened him. Oh, well, one would think he was not allowed to leave. How silly I am this morning, I can go anywhere I want to go. I think.
Tom flipped the cigarette butt into the flowerbed that ran around the porch and went back inside the house. He nodded at the plaster bust of Socrates and went to his bedroom to put some clothing on. Today he felt more stylish than usual so he found his best walking boots and a clean if old pair of jodhpurs that would go well with a white shirt and his prized Norfolk jacket. The pants fit very well, whoever had sewed them did a good job with the opening for his tail, his pride and joy and he liked people to see how good a cat could look when he really tried. Cats are awfully vain and Tom was no exception. He had found the pants at the thrift store in town, Tom loved a bargain and he always had plenty of money these days. The boots were tall and made of what appeared to be leather but probably wasn't, the toes were cut out so his paws were on display for all to see. Tom had great paws and after his tail he felt they were his best feature. He walked over to the hall tree and selected a straw boater, more of a summer item but he was feeling rakish today. It fit well and the holes cut for his ears would hold the hat on his head in all but the fiercest of winds. He winked at himself in the mirror and then walked outside, carefully closing the door but not locking it. Nobody used locks here.
Tom walked into town along the winding red dirt track that led from his little house to the village, he saw no one on his way but pretended he did and startled some crows by waving at them and wishing them a good morning. The crows immediately flew off and out of sight, almost, Tom thought, as if they had to deliver an urgent message. Aw, screw a bunch of birds anyway, they were only good for eating seed from his garden. The town came into view and Tom decided to see if any of his friends were at the coffee shop. As he neared the shop he saw Mrs. Bunny and the twins out shopping, he doffed his hat and she smiled politely in return. The door bell tinkled when he entered, the smell of fresh coffee and muffins was intoxicating. Putting the hat back on over his ears was far more of a chore than taking it off, by the time he had it back on he realized that he was now indoors and so took it off again. He didn't recognize any of the customers but nodded to everyone, he was in the best of moods. The poodle behind the bar got him his coffee and a muffin, she was cute and had very obviously gone to a lot of trouble with her hair, Tom made sure to mention that to her. She laughed and gave a mock curtsy. He walked over to the jug of cream and put a generous dollop in the coffee, he liked cream a lot. Tom sat at a table with a newspaper someone had left, he sipped the delicious coffee, ate his muffin and read the headline. Savage Murders Still Unsolved!, but the paper gave no details beyond the atrocious slaughter of the 4 orphaned kittens. Old news and no longer interesting, Mr. Ferret was adding a new section to the bookstore and the water would be shut off today from 12 to 3. Tom only read the paper out of habit, there was never anything interesting and he certainly didn't want to think of children being hurt. What is this world coming to, he thought.
A pair of otters were laughing it up as one of them showed the other some cards, Tom couldn't see the cards but it was none of his business anyway. There was a large lion he had never seen before stirring his coffee gloomily but he didn't return Tom's wave, lions are aloof at the best of times. Tom sat at the table and watched people go by outside, he saw the Beaver family and the Foxes and the Voles, a dapper crew if there ever was one. Tom was slightly jealous of Mr. Vole's suit, a perfectly matched jacket and plaid vest. Show off, he thought, and he finished his coffee. He got up and left after leaving his usual almost generous tip on the table, the poodle girl would be pleased and that always made the cat happy to think he made someone's day a little better.
Tom stepped into the street and wandered about the small town for a bit. He stopped at the Bear's general store and bought tobacco and wine for that evening. He forgot to ask about the fish. Mr. Bear rang up his purchases and asked him how things were on the hill. They made small talk and then another customer needed waiting on. Tom left and decided to go home for lunch, the uphill walk would do him good.
As the singularly dressed cat walked past the old factory on the way home, he caught a glimpse of a young rabbit disappearing into the alley behind the building, and in a space of time immeasurable he saw Mrs. Bunny lying with her head in a pool of blood on the other side of the street. Tom dropped his parcels, leaped into the alley and beheld a scene that froze him in his tracks.
The big lion he had seen earlier was standing over both the bunny children. One was unconscious on the ground and the other had the lion's hand around her throat. The frenzied cat had his pants off. Tom sprang at the lion and clawed the maned face as a massive hand grabbed his ears and slammed him into the crumbling red brick wall. Tom slashed at the lion and was knocked to his knees by a vicious left hook. There was a commotion at the end of the alley and Tom saw a group of townsfolk running in his direction. There was a big panda leading the way. The lion snarled and disappeared.
Just before he passed out, Tom wondered why on earth the lion had taken his pants off.
Tom stood on his porch that surrounded the small field stone house, he could see and smell the smoke from his neighbor's fires, someone was cooking fish and the big cat was salivating. Since he had had his coffee he wasn't hungry, but the fish really smelled enticing. Odd, he thought, I haven't had meat since I got here. When did I get here? he thought to himself, I don't remember. Maybe someplace in town sold meat, although he had never seen such a shop. It didn't matter, what with the bread and potatoes and butter and honey he was never hungry.
Tom lit a cigarette and looked at the distant ocean. Maybe I could go fishing, although he had never walked down to the shore. Everytime he thought of doing so something else came up. I must make a note of this, he thought, I can be so forgetful. He frowned. Who could be cooking fish? No one he knew ate the stuff, the bunny family next farm over certainly would not be eating fish and he knew his other neighbors were the strictest of vegetarians, the Fox family was very religious and regarded all life as sacred. Hmmm...the big cat thought as he drew on his smoke, maybe there were gypsies or something around. The idea of travel was very appealing but he never seemed to really want to take the one road that led out of town, he didn't know where it went and the thought of being lost frightened him. Oh, well, one would think he was not allowed to leave. How silly I am this morning, I can go anywhere I want to go. I think.
Tom flipped the cigarette butt into the flowerbed that ran around the porch and went back inside the house. He nodded at the plaster bust of Socrates and went to his bedroom to put some clothing on. Today he felt more stylish than usual so he found his best walking boots and a clean if old pair of jodhpurs that would go well with a white shirt and his prized Norfolk jacket. The pants fit very well, whoever had sewed them did a good job with the opening for his tail, his pride and joy and he liked people to see how good a cat could look when he really tried. Cats are awfully vain and Tom was no exception. He had found the pants at the thrift store in town, Tom loved a bargain and he always had plenty of money these days. The boots were tall and made of what appeared to be leather but probably wasn't, the toes were cut out so his paws were on display for all to see. Tom had great paws and after his tail he felt they were his best feature. He walked over to the hall tree and selected a straw boater, more of a summer item but he was feeling rakish today. It fit well and the holes cut for his ears would hold the hat on his head in all but the fiercest of winds. He winked at himself in the mirror and then walked outside, carefully closing the door but not locking it. Nobody used locks here.
Tom walked into town along the winding red dirt track that led from his little house to the village, he saw no one on his way but pretended he did and startled some crows by waving at them and wishing them a good morning. The crows immediately flew off and out of sight, almost, Tom thought, as if they had to deliver an urgent message. Aw, screw a bunch of birds anyway, they were only good for eating seed from his garden. The town came into view and Tom decided to see if any of his friends were at the coffee shop. As he neared the shop he saw Mrs. Bunny and the twins out shopping, he doffed his hat and she smiled politely in return. The door bell tinkled when he entered, the smell of fresh coffee and muffins was intoxicating. Putting the hat back on over his ears was far more of a chore than taking it off, by the time he had it back on he realized that he was now indoors and so took it off again. He didn't recognize any of the customers but nodded to everyone, he was in the best of moods. The poodle behind the bar got him his coffee and a muffin, she was cute and had very obviously gone to a lot of trouble with her hair, Tom made sure to mention that to her. She laughed and gave a mock curtsy. He walked over to the jug of cream and put a generous dollop in the coffee, he liked cream a lot. Tom sat at a table with a newspaper someone had left, he sipped the delicious coffee, ate his muffin and read the headline. Savage Murders Still Unsolved!, but the paper gave no details beyond the atrocious slaughter of the 4 orphaned kittens. Old news and no longer interesting, Mr. Ferret was adding a new section to the bookstore and the water would be shut off today from 12 to 3. Tom only read the paper out of habit, there was never anything interesting and he certainly didn't want to think of children being hurt. What is this world coming to, he thought.
A pair of otters were laughing it up as one of them showed the other some cards, Tom couldn't see the cards but it was none of his business anyway. There was a large lion he had never seen before stirring his coffee gloomily but he didn't return Tom's wave, lions are aloof at the best of times. Tom sat at the table and watched people go by outside, he saw the Beaver family and the Foxes and the Voles, a dapper crew if there ever was one. Tom was slightly jealous of Mr. Vole's suit, a perfectly matched jacket and plaid vest. Show off, he thought, and he finished his coffee. He got up and left after leaving his usual almost generous tip on the table, the poodle girl would be pleased and that always made the cat happy to think he made someone's day a little better.
Tom stepped into the street and wandered about the small town for a bit. He stopped at the Bear's general store and bought tobacco and wine for that evening. He forgot to ask about the fish. Mr. Bear rang up his purchases and asked him how things were on the hill. They made small talk and then another customer needed waiting on. Tom left and decided to go home for lunch, the uphill walk would do him good.
As the singularly dressed cat walked past the old factory on the way home, he caught a glimpse of a young rabbit disappearing into the alley behind the building, and in a space of time immeasurable he saw Mrs. Bunny lying with her head in a pool of blood on the other side of the street. Tom dropped his parcels, leaped into the alley and beheld a scene that froze him in his tracks.
The big lion he had seen earlier was standing over both the bunny children. One was unconscious on the ground and the other had the lion's hand around her throat. The frenzied cat had his pants off. Tom sprang at the lion and clawed the maned face as a massive hand grabbed his ears and slammed him into the crumbling red brick wall. Tom slashed at the lion and was knocked to his knees by a vicious left hook. There was a commotion at the end of the alley and Tom saw a group of townsfolk running in his direction. There was a big panda leading the way. The lion snarled and disappeared.
Just before he passed out, Tom wondered why on earth the lion had taken his pants off.
Rabbit mother and children by Beatrix Potter Ceramics.
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