The Weekly Tot

An Aesop-esque story, complete with a gory ending.

A group of cats decided to settle in a forest near a pack of dogs. They agreed to each pick a tree to climb up when the dogs came. There were 2 massive oaks in the forest, both of which were highly prized.

An orange cat came upon the first oak and claimed it. But a white cat had its eye on the same prize.

"I want that tree!" he decreed.

The orange cat smiled and gestured to the tree. "You are free to join me in this tree. There is more than enough room for both of us."

The white cat shook his head. "No, I want that tree, you must leave!"

The orange cat flicked his tail towards the other great oak. "My friend, I have claimed this tree, but its duplicate still stands unclaimed only a few steps away."

"No!" the cat yowled, "I demand this tree!"

The orange cat began to open his mouth, but just then, the cats yowled a warning, and the sound of barks filled the air. All the cats had since claimed trees except for the white cat, who was left alone on the ground. The other oak had been claimed by an aggressive cat, who the white cat dared not anger. So he stood alone as the dogs came, torn to pieces by their sharp teeth.