STORY ONE
The four-legged fur-face paced among his humans. Miso’s stomach growled and his nose twitched.
“YUM,” said Mona, a small girl sitting at the kitchen table. She too watched every move her Daddy made in the kitchen.
“The last batch of cookies is ready to come out of the oven,” said her Daddy. Mona and her Daddy had been using a secret recipe to bake cookies together after dinner. “The cookie sheet will be very hot.”.
He filled two glasses of milk and placed these along with a plate of hot cookies on the table. Miso continued to pace by her feet, staring intently at the table with freshly baked cookies.
Daddy looked down and right into the orange cat’s pie-eyed stare.
“While we are waiting for these to cool, I think it’s time for a story about my favorite daughter and her cat Miso,” Daddy said.
“Daddy, I am your ONLY daughter,” Mona laughed. He always said that before story time.
“Well then,” he began, “Have I ever told you about Lotta Pie?”
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POUNCE! Daddy’s story began.
The orange cat slipped into a pink bedroom and jumped onto the red gingham bedspread.
“There were ABSOLUT-ILEE no treats in Mr. Woodrupp’s garbage can again. We must, must, MUST go out treat hunting!” said the cat. “I wanna go to Lotta Pie.”
“Miso,” replied Mona, who now sat up in the bed. “Lotta Pie is far away.”
“Not so far on a rocket ship or a fast train—we could get on and go zip!” replied Miso.
You wouldn’t complain!”
“I don’t think we have a rocket or an airplane, Miso,” Mona replied.”I’ve never been on either. I think they are scary.”
“Then it’s time for an adventure!” the cat replied.
Before leaving, Mona pulled on her comfy cat rain boots. She never left the house without them on.
Mona and Miso stood on the front porch, looking from their hill into town.
“Which way should we go?” asked Mona.
“Why not fast forward!” announced Miso. “First one step and then the next — one, two, THREE!”
“I can do that, my silly friend!” laughed Mona.
The two adventurers marched down the sidewalk to the end of the block. They turned left.
On the sidewalk in front of them was a giant yellow and green-coiled shell on the back of a snail. She was slowly making her way forward.
”Good, good, good, GOOD Morning, Snail,” Miso said, looking up at the wobbling eyestalks.
”Is it stillllll morning?” Snail replied. “I left home early soooo I would have time to get to the store before it cloooses tonight.”
“How far do you have to go?” asked Mona.
Snail stopped and looked up. “It looks like I might have a few more blocks to goooo. I may stoooop at the next street to munch on some fresh leaves or bark for lunch. Where are you twoooo headed?”
”We are on an adventure to find snacks at Lotta Pie,” said Mona.
“Lotta pie, lotta pie LOTTA PIE,” replied Miso,
”Ooooh, that is too far for me,” said Snail. “Cheriooooo.”
”Good luck to you, Snail,” replied Miso.
Two more streets from the house, the adventurers found a track running up and down the street and a shelter on the sidewalk.
“This is where the streetcars come,” said Mona. “They are like trains because they run on tracks but in the street. Streetcars can go fast too.”
First they heard a rumble to their left. Then a long train-like vehicle bent in the middle as it turned the corner, driven by a woman in the front window. The streetcar pulled up in front and opened a sliding door for them.
“Breathe, breathe BREATHE that sweetness in the air. It’s buy-buy a pie-pie!” said Miso as he jumped from the curb into the streetcar.
“Lotta Pie for me too!” shouted Mona as she stepped on board. Both stood on the boarding platform while the streetcar doors shut and the car lurched forward. Mona grabbed a bar to keep from falling.
“You people aren’t very steady on your two feet,” laughed the cat. “Mona-girl is falling down, falling down, falling down!” Miso sang.
Mona felt funny. The strange swaying motion of the streetcar, the clickety-clack of the wheels on the rails were all new sensations. She and the cat looked around the streetcar for a seat while looking at all the riders.
“I’m just not sure about this trip and all these strangers on the streetcar,” Mona said. And maybe we should turn around, she thought to herself.
A woman sat next to a folded-up shopping cart.
A man sat reading a newspaper.
A gray opossum slowly slurped from a straw in a cup. It looked up and smiled at the girl and cat with all 50 of its teeth.
An anteater stuffed its nose into a steaming cup of tea held in one claw and the other claw held a clear bag of large ants.
Mona and Miso looked and found an empty seat near the door.
Miso stood on the seat with his front paws on the back of the seat in front.
“The world goes by so fast, fast, FAST riding a streetcar,” said the cat. “We’ll be eating a YUMMY Lotta Pie any minute.”
“Where do we get off?” asked Mona.
“I’ll know we’re at Lotta Pie when I smell it,” replied the tabby cat. “And I smell it now!”
Miso jumped off the seat and ran to an exit door. It slid open after the streetcar stopped and he ran out.
“Wait for me, Miso,” yelled Mona. As she ran up to the door, it began to close.
Mona stood on the streetcar, looking out the door window at her cat Miso, who was on the sidewalk. Tears started to fall as Mona thought she would never see her cat again.
Just before the streetcar was to leave, a large paw reached over Mona and touched the green button on the door. The door opened!
“Thank you very much!” Mona said quickly, then stepped out and picked up her cat.
“I almost lost you, naughty cat” Mona said to Miso. “A stranger helped me get the door open. Now, which way do we go?”
“Oh, my glorious nose tells me Lotta Pie is this way, way WAY,” said Miso, who jumped out of Mona’s arms and trotted down the sidewalk. Mona followed.
They walked past many shop windows, some with shoes displayed, another with the knees and legs of grown-ups drinking from steaming mugs, the next shop showing pictures of houses taped to the window, and still another with dishes arranged like a special dinner for guests.
“I smell it, I can taste it, and I see it,” meowed Miso. “It’s in the tall building across the street.”
While they waited for the crosswalk signal, they looked up the side of the building. “It’s so tall,” said Mona. ”Look at all the grown-ups going in and leaving through the revolving door.”
Miso could hardly wait. He ran across the street when the signal changed. “Hey, wait for me!” Mona yelled.
It was an older building with a revolving front door. They took turns entering and going around and around until they each spilled out into the lobby where adults were carrying steam cups toward the elevators. There, in front of them, was the entrance to Lotta Pie.
They pushed open the door and were hit by the heavenly, savory scent of pastries and a miles-long glass case filled with delights!
“May I help you?” A hairy orangutan in a yellow apron looked over the counter at the two visitors, another was making coffee.
The girl and cat couldn’t believe all the choices behind the glass case. There were berry, chocolate and peanut butter mini-pies, and some mini-breakfast pies filled with eggs and bacon.
“Oooooo, they have chocoooolateee! I want the second one on the top, top, top TOP row,” squealed Miso. “Same for me,” said Mona.
The orangutan put the pastries onto plates and placed on the counter in front of the travelers. “Will that be cash or credit?” she asked.
The travelers looked at one another. “Of course you brought money, right, right, right?” asked Miso. Mona stared at the cat. “No, I didn’t,” the girl answered. She had a piggy bank at home, but she forgot it and now they might not get to eat their treats.
Just like the streetcar, a large paw reached over them and laid down some dollar bills on the counter. Mona looked up to see Mrs. Crumbpacker, a large black and white badger who was their next door neighbor, looking down at them. “What are you doing here by yourselves?” she asked.
”It’s an adventure,” answered Mona. “Miso craved a Lotta Pie.”
“I can see that!” the neighbor answered. “Come sit with me while we enjoy these treats.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Crumbpacker,” Mona said. Her teacher told her to always say thank you when someone does something nice for you.
They soon polished off their treats in between telling the neighbor about their travels to Lotta Pie. “And how will you be getting home?” asked the neighbor. “Why don’t you let me drive you there.”
Miso started to answer, “Well, I AM the most-finest hunter and swellist tracker of small AND large animals and treats, so I’m sure I can find our way—”
“That would be wonderful,” Mona interrupted. “Thank you again!”
They soon walked back into the lobby and were getting into the revolving door. Miso meowed loudly and ran across the lobby to an open elevator. “I’ve always wanted to ride one! Up, up UP I GO!” The door closed and he was gone!
As Mona walked through the door, she yelled out, ”What are we going to do, Mrs. Crumbpacker? He’s gone! We’re buddies and I’ll never see him again!”
As they got to the car, Miso came running out of the building and jumped onto the roof just as they drove away. “I’m fly-, fly- FLYING!” he meowed.
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“What happened to Mrs. Snail?” Mona asked her Daddy.
”Well,” her Daddy said, “I think Mrs. Snail arrived at the store and was able to buy her energy drinks and unsalted snacks before the store closed,” said her daddy. “Your crafty cat rode on the roof of the car the whole way home.
“I don’t think I would want to ride on top of a car, but riding in a streetcar sounds fun,” replied Mona. “I would love to visit a place like Lotta Pie for snacks.”
“Speaking of snacks, I think these cookies are cool enough.”
Mona took a bite, smiled ear-to-ear and then handed a small piece down to Miso who answered, “meow, meow, MEEEEEOOOOW!”
END
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© Scott Wolff. No part of this may be copied or reproduced.
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Better Oatmeal Scotchies
© Scott Wolff
Ingredients
- 3/4 C butter
- 3/4 C brown sugar
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 C water
- 3 C oats
- 1-1/2 C flour (the extra 1/2 C flour helps make the cookies chewy.)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 C butterscotch chips
- 1 C choc. chips
Instructions
- Cream together sugar and butter.
- Mix in egg, vanilla and water.
- Add dry ingredients.
- Spoon onto a cookie sheet.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes.