Toby, The Different Cat
Once, there was an adorable cat named Toby. His coat was black and shiny. He had sparkling green eyes that would almost shine in the dark. Toby could go anywhere, day or night, because of his good eyes and strong legs. He could run after the leaves that the wind blew down the street. He could jump high after fluttering butterflies. Toby could climb the highest tree in the neighborhood without getting stuck or being afraid to come down again.
He should have been the happiest cat in the neighborhood, but something was wrong. He had a good home. Toby was well-fed and cared for each day. But something was still bad, and Toby was getting sadder each day.
Toby had many cat friends to play with, but this is where the trouble seemed to come from. The yellow Cat that lived across the street in the brown house seemed to have started it when he asked Toby a question.
Yellow Cat asked, "How many mice did you catch last night, Toby?"
Now, Toby was a good cat, and he could run fast and could have caught several if he had wanted to, but Toby did not like to catch mice. He enjoyed playing all the other cat games but did not like playing "Catch the Mouse."
Yellow Cat told Spotted Cat, with a stubby tail, that Toby disliked playing "Catch the Mouse." Then, Spotted Cat with the stubby tail told White Fluffy Cat that lived next door that Toby disliked playing "Catch the Mouse." Soon, all of Toby's friends knew. However, this condition was not so bad because Toby thought it was nice to be different. Toby was saddest when all the neighbor cats would no longer be his friend because he was different and disliked playing "Catch the Mouse." Toby's friends would not let him play the other cat games with them. Each day, he got sadder and sadder. Soon, he felt like running away.
As Toby was sadly walking down a quiet road, he walked under a tall tree. In this tall tree was an old owl that didn't have his eyes closed. Who, the owl, noticed that Toby was sad? Who asked, "What makes a lovely-looking cat such as you so sad?"
Toby answered, "I don't like to play "Catch the Mouse," so all my friends make fun of me and won't let me play any other cat game with them."
Who said, "That seems to be an awful thing to do. Every cat should be able to do what he likes and not have to be the same as every other cat."
"That's what I thought at first and was thrilled when I felt I was special because I didn't like to chase mice, but Yellow Cat told Spotted Cat that I didn't like to chase mice. Then no one would be my friend or let me play any cat games with them. They say I am different."
Then, Who said, "It is alright if every cat is different. Did you know that Yellow Cat, Spotted Cat, and White Fluffy Cat are all different?"
"I only thought I was different, which made me sad," said Toby.
"Let me tell you how they are different," said Who. "First, there is a Yellow Cat. Did you know Yellow Cat doesn't like to drink milk," asked Who? “Yellow Cat says it makes his whiskers too hard to keep clean so that he won't drink milk."
"That is different for a cat," said Toby.
"Also," said Who, "Spotted Cat just can't stand lying in the sunshine. He says it makes him too hot."
"Boy, I never heard of a cat who didn't like to lie in the sun. Spotted Cat sure is different, too," said Toby, getting excited.
"Now, don't get too excited," said Who. "Wait until you hear what makes White Fluffy Cat so different. White fluffy Cat does not like to run and play in piles of leaves because she says it is too hard for her to keep her long white fur clean."
"Boy, now that is being different. Whoever heard of any cat not wanting to roll around in a pile of leaves and chasing them when the wind blows them? I guess I don't need to be sad anymore about being different."
"No, you don't," said Who. "You should be happy that you are different, but you have one hard job ahead of you."
"What job is that?" asked Toby.
"Well, Toby," said Who. "You have to go back to Yellow Cat and Spotted Cat and White Fluffy Cat and help them learn they are different and that you can still be friends even if each one is different."
I wrote this story, TOBY THE CAT, in about 1987 or 88 while at Crossroads Christian School. I was substituting for an English teacher. The assignment for her class was to write a story. So, after I gave the task to the students, I sat down and wrote this story.
Larry E. Whittington
If you can copy this, read it to your young children before bedtime and see what they think about it. Do they see themselves being “Toby” in their neighborhood? (Or at school.)
(If this story would “fly,” I would need an artist for the pictures and page decorations and some information about “How to proceed.”)