Fable

The chair had the softest cushion in the house.

The cat, having the softest fur, had the greatest right to sit there.

But the dog, whose legs were too long and stomach too wide, always got there

First

Onto the chair where she licked her

Never-mind…

As if she thought the waiting cat wouldn’t mind.

The chair looked very agreeable and the cat

Imagined it would be feel much better than a mat

For her to sit on.

So she washed her fur

And watched her furred

Canine invading chair-getter

And thought.

The cat then jumped up from the mat

And sat on the dog

Who was very fat and comfortable and warm

And long and pleasingly loglike, perfectly molded

To long luxuriant shape of luxuriating cat

Better in fact

Than the softest cushion in the house

And furrier too.

The moral of this tale

If you're not a mouse

Is that arriving second isn't worse

Than getting there first.