To Be a Cat

Barney Willow wishes he were a cat.

When you're a cat, Barney guesses, no one makes you walk the dog in the rain on your birthday.

When you're a cat, he thinks, bullies like Gavin Needle don't put pins on your seat in geography class.

When you're a cat, he figures, the evil Miss Whipmire can't make it her mission to cut you down like a weed.

And when you're a cat, he hopes you don't have to wonder why your dad disappeared one day and never came back.

So what would happen if Barney Willow actually got his wish, you ask? Well, that's another story.