Lou-Anne and the Moonlight Cat School

One evening, when the sky was turning deep blue and the first stars were beginning to twinkle, Lou-Anne sat outside Omi and Opi’s house with Marmalade curled in her lap.

The air was soft and still. Crickets chirped in the grass. Somewhere by the lake, a frog gave a sleepy croak.

Lou-Anne stroked Marmalade’s orange fur and smiled. “I have decided,” she announced, “that you and your cat friends are going to learn tricks.”

Marmalade opened one eye.

It was not an encouraging eye.

“Why?” he seemed to ask.

“Because,” said Lou-Anne, “dogs learn tricks all the time. Cats can be clever too.”

Marmalade stretched one paw, yawned, and looked as though he felt clever enough already.

Just then, Pinky appeared from beneath the bench, pale ginger and cream in the moonlight, walking with his usual careful dignity. Behind him came two other cats from the village, a fluffy grey cat named Misty and a black-and-white cat named Socks.

Lou-Anne clapped her hands softly. “Perfect. Moonlight Cat School can begin.”

First, Lou-Anne set out the rewards.

A little bowl of fish.

A few crunchy treats.

And, for Marmalade, a tiny bit of warm chicken.

Now she had everyone’s attention.

“Lesson one,” she said, “sit.”

All four cats stared at her.

Then, one by one, they all sat down.

Lou-Anne gasped. “That was easy.”

Marmalade looked smug. Pinky looked mildly offended, as though sitting had been his own idea. Misty sat very neatly. Socks sat on Lou-Anne’s shoe.

“Very good,” Lou-Anne whispered, handing out treats. “You’re all brilliant.”

From the porch, Omi smiled into her tea. “That may be the first and last time cats do exactly what they’re told.”

Lesson two was “paw”.

Lou-Anne gently held out her hand to Marmalade. “Paw, please.”

Marmalade placed one paw in her palm at once, mostly because he was hungry.

“Good boy!”

Pinky watched carefully. When Lou-Anne held out her hand to him, he placed both paws on it and leaned all his weight forward.

“Oh,” Lou-Anne laughed, “that’s not quite it.”

Pinky purred anyway.

Misty refused at first, then tapped Lou-Anne’s fingers so lightly it barely counted.

Socks simply flopped onto his side and rolled over dramatically, as if to say, Here is all of me. Surely that deserves a treat.

Lou-Anne gave him one. Training, as it turned out, involved a lot of negotiation.

By the time the moon was high, Moonlight Cat School had become very busy.

Marmalade learned to jump onto a little wooden stool.

Pinky mastered walking neatly along the garden wall without stepping off once.

Misty learned to chase a ribbon in a perfect circle and then stop when Lou-Anne said, “Wait.”

Socks learned absolutely no official tricks at all, but he did fall asleep inside the basket of treats, which Omi said was a remarkable talent in its own way.

Lou-Anne laughed so much her cheeks hurt.

“This is the best school ever,” she said.

Vakawu, who had quietly climbed into the apple tree to watch, snorted. “Cats don’t do tricks. They do favours.”

“That,” said Omi, “is probably true.”

At last, Lou-Anne decided on the final challenge.

She tied a soft blue ribbon to a little stick and waved it gently through the air.

“All together now,” she whispered.

Marmalade leapt first, graceful and bright-eyed.

Pinky followed with one elegant jump.

Misty spun in a soft grey blur.

Even Socks woke up, batted the ribbon once, and then sat down as if he had done enough for one evening.

Lou-Anne clapped quietly so as not to disturb the sleepy night.

“Well done, my clever cats.”

She gave each of them a final treat, then spread out a blanket in the grass. One by one, the cats curled up close.

Marmalade settled against her side. Pinky tucked himself near her feet. Misty made a neat silver circle near her elbow. Socks, naturally, chose the softest middle spot and claimed most of the blanket.

Omi came out with another shawl and laid it gently over Lou-Anne’s shoulders.

“Tired?” she asked.

“A little,” Lou-Anne admitted, her voice soft now. “But happy.”

“You’ve done good work tonight.”

Lou-Anne looked down at her little group of sleepy cats. “Do you think they really learned tricks?”

Omi smiled. “Some did. Some just learned that being near you is nice. That’s enough.”

Lou-Anne liked that answer.

She leaned back and watched the stars. The lake shimmered silver in the moonlight. The breeze smelled of grass and warm earth. Around her, the cats purred softly, like tiny engines of peace.

Before long, Lou-Anne’s eyes began to close.

And there, beneath the moon and the whispering trees, with her cat friends tucked all around her, Moonlight Cat School drifted gently into dreams.