Mr. Jones Gets A Cat(Marla) Mr. Jones wanted a cat. He wanted a cat, because he did not want a mouse. And he had a mouse in his house. At the pet supply store, he saw a sign that read “Pet Adoption Every Day This Week.”

“Perfect,” thought Mr. Jones. He walked into the store and saw a row of cats.

The first cat was sleeping.

“He is an old cat,” said Ms. Herrick, the store owner. “He needs a quiet house.”

“Hmm,” said Mr. Jones. “I don’t want an old cat.”

The next cat was a beautiful cat. She looked up at Mr. Jones. She placed one paw very gently on his knee. She looked into eyes and tilted her head sweetly.
Mr. Jones thought that she was lovely. “This is the one for me,” said Mr. Jones.

"We want the cats and the owners to be happy. If you get home and realize that either of you will not be happy, please come back." said Ms. Herrick.

He took the cat home and put her on the floor. “Go find the mouse,” he said.
The cat began to explore. Soon she found the bathroom. She looked into the mirror. She stared and stared, admiring her pretty coat.

The man did not look for her. He thought that she was looking for the mouse, so he went to his room to read a book.

The next morning, Mr. Jones went into the living room. He saw the mouse sitting very still by his favorite chair. He looked for the cat and found her in the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror. “Come here,” he whispered. He gently picked her up and carried her to the living room. The mouse was still by the chair, sitting very still.

“Get that mouse,” said Mr. Jones quietly.

But the cat ignored him. She licked her paw. She smoothed her coat. She didn’t seem to care at all about anything but the way she looked.

“Get that mouse!” shouted Mr. Jones.

The mouse ran away.

The cat licked her paw. She glanced at Mr. Jones. Then she licked her paw again.

Mr. Jones was annoyed. He did not like to be ignored. “This won’t work,” he said.
He took the cat back to the store. “I need a different cat,” he said.

“No problem,” said Ms. Herrick. She walked with him to the row of cats.

Mr. Jones passed by the old cat. He stopped when he saw a cat that was playing with a bell.

“He is a feisty cat,” said Ms. Herrick.

“Great! A feisty cat is what I need. I will take him,” said Mr. Jones.

“When Mr. Jones got home, he put the cat on the floor. “Find the mouse,” he said.

The cat took off. He jumped onto the table and knocked over a vase of flowers. He jumped to the counter and spilled the fruit bowl. He bumped the coffee pot and made a mess. He ran into the living room and quickly climbed the curtain. Then he jumped to the couch and scratched the cushion until there was a hole.

Mr. Jones was shocked. He had never seen anything like that before. He did not appreciate the damage that the cat had done. And he realized that he was just a little afraid of the feisty cat. “This won’t work,” he said. He took the cat back to the store.

“So soon?” asked Ms. Herrick when she saw Mr. Jones and the cat. Secretly, she was not much surprised, and she had tried to warn Mr. Jones before he took the cat home.

“He was destroying the house!” exclaimed Mr. Jones.

Ms. Herrick said, “Goodness. Choose another cat.”

Mr. Jones saw a very large cat. “That’s the one,” he said. He took the cat home and put the cat on the floor. “Find the mouse,” he said.

The cat did not move.

“Go,” said Mr. Jones.

The cat lay down and went to sleep.

“Well, perhaps when you are hungry, you will get that mouse.”

The cat slept a long time. When he woke up, he walked to the food dish and began to eat. Mr. Jones watched as the mouse walked right past the cat. The cat only looked at the mouse. Then the cat yawned, lay down, and went back to sleep.

Mr. Jones was disappointed. He did not want a lazy cat. “This won’t work,” he said.

He took the cat back to the store.

Ms. Herrick said, “Hello again! Do you need a different cat?”

“Yes,” said Mr. Jones. He saw a gray cat. “Tell me about this cat,” he said.

“This cat does tricks,” Ms. Herrick answered. She held up a hoop and the cat jumped through it. She clapped her hands and the cat stood up and danced.

“Amazing!” cried Mr. Jones. Any cat who could do tricks could certainly catch a mouse. He took the cat home and set her on the floor. “Go find the mouse,” he said.

The cat walked to the computer. She put a paw on the computer mouse.

“Not exactly what I meant,” said Mr. Jones. “I am going to read. Practice your tricks.”

A few hours later, Mr. Jones went back into the living room. The cat and the mouse were playing checkers.

Mr. Jones was baffled. Never before had he seen a cat and mouse playing chess. The mouse saw him and ran away.

“You were supposed to get that mouse!” exclaimed Mr. Jones.

The cat looked at him. Then she slowly shook her head. She really was refusing to do what he told her to do!

“This won’t work,” said Mr. Jones.

He took the cat back to the store. “She is clever – perhaps much smarter than you know - but I can’t keep her,” he said.

The only cat left was the old cat.

Mr. Jones sighed. “I suppose I will take that cat,” he said.

Mr. Jones went home and put the cat on the floor. “Get the mouse. Please, just get the mouse.” he said.

The cat walked slowly around all the furniture in the living room. He walked down the hall. He inspected every room. He came back. Then he lay down and went to sleep.

Mr. Jones sighed and went to his room to read a book. He didn’t want to think about the mouse and all the cats that had so greatly disappointed him.

Early the next morning, Mr. Jones went into the living room. The cat looked up at him. Mr. Jones thought he saw the old cat smile. Then the cat pushed something toward Mr. Jones.

Do you think it was the mouse?

It was!

Mr. Jones smiled and said, “Good cat. This will work.”

The old cat still lives with Mr. Jones, and he is a very spoiled cat. He and Mr. Jones are content in their quiet, mouseless home.

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