The Wish Fulfilling Cat

A bright sunny morning with fluffy white clouds and a good breeze - just perfect!  I was out in the garden sunning myself - and exercising, of course.  A climb up the old custard apple tree - a little jogging in the car park ...gosh, it's good to feel so fit!  I could put Garfield to shame any time!

I was about to return to the temple when I thought I heard some one whistling.  I looked around but there was no one in sight.

"Up here!  Up here!" yelled a voice.  I looked up and to my amazement saw a cat floating on some clouds in the sky.  I rubbed my eyes - was I seeing things?

"No, you're not seeing things," the cat said.  "Come on up and I'll show you!"

He let down a white ladder and urged me to climb up.  Now I thought I was really seeing things.

"Go on," he urged.

"Look, who are you?" I managed to yell back.

"Oh, why does everyone have to ask me that!  I hate this part most ... well, I am the Wish Fulfilling Cat or W.F.C. for short.  Every year I make a tour of this planet like your Santa Claus looking for cats who deserve to be rewarded in some way or another.  This year you're on my list - so climb on up and see what I have to offer you!"

"Wish Fulfilling Cat!  I've never heard of you!  Are you for real?"

W.F.C. sighed.  "Why don't you just come on up?"

I looked at the white ladder and finally decided to climb up.  I found myself on a white cloud when I reached the top while W.F.C. sat on another, which was filled with gold, silver, jewels and everything precious.

"Okay.  Now you can choose what you want from what I have here.  Go on, help yourself!"

I looked in awe at the treasures at his feet.

"But I have no use for these things," I exclaimed.

W.F.C. looked at me in surprise.  "You can't be serious!  All the other cats I approached found something for themselves.  You're the first one I've come across who has "no use" for my gifts! Are you sure?  I come this way only once in every ten years!  How about that large diamond, it's worth a fortune or those precious gems ...."

I shook my head. "No thanks," I said.

W.F.C. scratched his head.  "I can't believe it!  Alright, if you don't want anything I have here, here's paper and pencil.  Just write what you want and let me have it."

I looked at the paper and suddenly Greed reared its ugly head.  "Go on," it whispered.  "Ask for anything you want, don't be a fool and pass up on this opportunity ..."

I picked up the pencil and started writing ... a new basket with silk cushions to sleep on.....oh yes, plenty of my favourite soya bean milk....what else?  Maybe a silk robe to sleep in ...how about a personal butler to attend to my every want?  And a private garden with a swimming pool .... as my thoughts raced, the list became longer and longer.

"Have you finished?"  asked W.F.C.

His voice startled me out of my reverie.  I looked at my list and "woke up" with a start.  I couldn't believe all the things I had written - what the heck came over me?  I'm supposed to be a spiritual aspirant with Nirvana as my goal.  I tore up the list in disgust.

"I want nothing, thank you," I said.

W.F.C. looked at me, shaking his head in wonder.  "OK, your wish granted!  For noble hearts like you, we have a special gift pack - you will find it in your basket when you wake up tomorrow morning."

"Thanks," I said a little sceptically and scrambled down.

"See yuh!" he sang and disappeared, clouds and all.

I looked at the sky for a while, wondering whether I had been dreaming.  Oh well, if it wasn't, I would know the next morning.

Somehow the day ahead became very long and I thought more and more of my "gift pack".  By nightfall, I could hardly contain my excitement as I tried to sleep. I tossed and turned, rolled from side to side and when I woke up the next morning, I jumped right of my basket looking for my gift pack.  I looked all around my basket, above and below, sideways, backwards but there was nothing.

"That darned cat!  He fooled me!"  I muttered angrily.

"What are you looking for, Vege Cat?" asked Head Nun.

"Er .. nothing.  Just thought I lost something ..." I stammered.

"By the way, this came for you by special delivery early this morning," she said, handing me a big package tied with a red ribbon.

"It did?"  I cried, excitedly.  I almost snatched the parcel from her and started opening it.  I had never seen so many layers of packaging.  I tore off one after another.  The package became smaller and smaller and finally .....a small box.  What could be inside?  I opened it with trembling hands ....a small note inside ...it read:

"You wanted nothing, so here's nothing."

I dropped the box and laughed till my sides ached.

"I'll get you one of these days, W.F.C. wherever you are!" I yelled.  I saw the curious looks on the nuns' faces - oh well, I'll tell them later on ...