Why Dogs Chase Cats and Cats Chase Mice

Why Dogs Chase Cats and Cats Chase Mice

Wheeler, Les

Eence a lang, lang time ago, fan a penny wis aye worth a penny, the dogs got thegither an spiert at the King if he wad sign a decree that wad stop fowk fae hairmin, hittin or botherin dogs at aa. The King wis a fine like chiel an likit dogs, he hid twa-three o his ain, an he signt the paper an gaed it tae the dogs. But, dogs are nae aye as clivver as ye think, an they couldna think o a safe place tae keep thir bittie o paper.

They aa scrattit thir heids for a file an thocht an thocht till ae dog says, "Could we nae jist gie it tae the cats? Cats can creep intae aa sorts o nooks an crannies an wee spacies that neither dogs nor mannies can win at."

Weel, the ither dogs thocht that this wis the best suggestion that they hid hin, sae they aa agreed. The cats wir fine pleased tae gie a han an took the paper an pit it awa in the eesins in the reef o a hoose.

Noo, for a file, aathing wis fine, but memories can be gey short, an nae lang efterwards dogcatchers began tae roond up aa the dogs.

"Jist hud on there," cried the dogs. "We hiv a decree fae the King himsel that says you canna bother us ava."

"If that's richt," said the dogcatchers, "far is yir funcy bit o paper?"

Sae the dogs wint tae the cats an said, "We hiv tae hae the King's paper that stops fowk botherin us an we hiv tae hae it richt awa. The dogcatchers are efter us an winna believe oor story. Far's the paper?"

"Jist hud on a meenit," said the cats, "we'll gyang an get it."
Sae aff shot the cats an clammert up tae the eesins o the reef as only cats can. The decree wis there aa richt, but the mice hid aiten awa at it till there wis jist a lot o shreds an bitties left ahin.

Fan the dogs got word o the mishanter they couldna hae bin mair annoyed an chased the cats aa ower the place. An jist because the dogs wir chasin them, the cats wir in a richt bin, an that sair pit oot, that they wir chasin the mice aa ower the place!

Weel, that's jist the wye things come aboot an thiv aa bin chasin een anither iver since. (A Yiddish Folk Tale)