At 6 p.m. on the dot, I awake. I stretch my furry paws up in the air. I creep off my soft bed made of fabric scraps and cotton balls that I had stolen from the bathroom. I peep my little head out of my mouse hole and check to make sure the cat isn’t there. The kitchen smells wonderful. Fresh cheesy broccoli soup, one of my favorites!

“I wonder if I could sneak some today,” I think aloud. I stepped out of my hidden mouse hole and onto the smooth wooden floors of the kitchen. My nose is filled with the cheesy scent.

“Another wonderful evening in New York City,” I said gleefully. All of a sudden I smelled an unpleasant smell, cat. Steadily, I turned on my heels to face the giant feline of the house.

“Hello there, little mouse,” he sneered.

“What do you want?” I asked confidently.

“Oh…nothing of course,” he replied.
At that moment I turned around and dashed away. Up the table and into the fruit dish I scurried. I landed with a thud as an apple shifted onto my tail. I screeched and hopped out of the bowl. I peered over the edge of the table to see the cat angrily staring up at me. I didn’t know what to do at this point. The father of the house was going to be getting home from work soon, and I better be hidden when he comes, or more mouse traps tonight. I glanced at my mouse hole and wondered if I could make it back safely. Then I gazed at the black, shiny pot of soup. My tummy grumbled. I stepped closer to the edge. Without the cat seeing me, I slipped down the table’s leg and dashed to my hole. The cat didn’t have a chance to chase me.
As I walked back and forth in my mouse hole, I decided I was going to get soup before the dad got home. I grabbed my water bottle cap and snuck out of my hole. Climbing on top of the stove was difficult while carrying my bowl. I cautiously crawled past the salt and pepper shakers and up to the pot. I climbed the edge to sit on the handle. I bent down and filled my bowl with the yummy soup. Just the smell of it warmed my tummy. I very carefully, so as not to spill a drop, climbed down the pot. Then, I had to make it back to my hole once again. I slipped down onto the hard floor to find the cat waiting.
“Um, I was just getting uh, sooo…p,” I stammered.
“YOU must pay for stealing my human’s food!” The cat hissed. At that, the cat’s paw came down hard on my tail. I screeched. Then I came up with an idea.
“Oh, cat,” I said tauntingly, “how about I make a deal? I’ll get you a fish treat if you let me take the soup to my home.”

The word fish treat made the cat’s ears prick up.

“Fine!” he spat out.
I then carelessly walked into the laundry room to get a treat for the cat. I tossed him the treat right when the door opened. It was the father with his family! Leaving the cat to finish off the few crumbs of his treat, I dashed out of the room. I saw my bowl waiting near my hole. Just then, the father’s little girl screamed, “MOUSEY!” and ran to her dad. The dad started to yell at the cat.

“Why don’t you ever get the mice, you fat cat?” he bellowed. “What will we ever do with you? I guess I’m just going to have to put traps up tonight.” As I listened to what the dad had to say, I gorged myself with the soup while sitting snugly in my safe hole.

“Well, I had my soup; I guess I don’t really need to go out anymore tonight!” I said satisfied.
And I fell asleep on my bed with my empty soup bowl next to me and my belly completely full.