Saturday, October 8, 2011

Spy Cat and Spy Dog


By now you know that Bhanu, Shanu, Kaju and Biju are kids; they are no grown-up people as yet. Bhanu the oldest of them all is just 10 years old. His younger sister Shanu is 8 years, his younger brother Kaju is 6 and the littlest sister Biju is 4.

Though they are still very young, Bhanu, Shanu, Kaju and Biju form a very strong team. Together they have solved many mysteries in the past. Their name and fame have spread far and wide. People recognize their intelligence, strength and talents and now call them "formidable four".

Since they have become kind of important detectives, people in the neighborhood have started referring more and more mysterious cases to them. And they are finding it hard to manage the increased work. Bhanu has generally started cribbing about it.

The other day he said with a bit of anger, "Our friend Percy wanted us to solve the mystery of the missing cake and we have not been able to solve it for past three days. Are we not taking too much time to solve this case? We must find some additional help."

In the corner of the room where Bhanu, Shanu, Kaju and Biju were sitting together and brooding over the delays in solving the mysteries, their cat and dog were lazing around. While they seemed to be lazing around they were keenly listening to what the four brothers and sisters were saying.

The cat and the dog always gave company to Bhanu, Shanu, Kaju and Biju. Wherever they went, the dog and the cat followed them. The two pets were in the habit of listening to whatever the "formidable four" discussed. They also keenly observed whatever Bhanu, Shanu, Kaju and Biju did. In this process they were learning the tricks of the trade. Gradually they were learning the lessons which ultimately could qualify them as a spy dog and a spy cat.

But Bhanu, Shanu, Kaju and Biju were not even aware of this fact that their cat and dog were already getting trained to ultimately become the spy cat and the spy dog. The additional help they needed was just around the corner and they failed to notice it. Pity!!

So when the dog and the cat who pretended to sleep heard Bhanu saying that they needed additional help, the dog opened his eyes and winked at the cat. Cat was keeping her eyes half open and the dog knew that she could see him winking at her.

She spoke, "Hey, why are you winking at me? What's the matter? Is something wrong with your eye?"

The dog replied, "Nothing is wrong with me or my eye. I winked so as to attract your attention. Now that you got my attention I want to tell you to go out of the house and meet me on the lawn. I will follow you soon."

The cat got up and slowly crawled away from the room and went towards the lawn outside the house. Soon, the dog also got up without making any noise and went out of the room. He joined the cat on the lawn. Bhanu, Shanu, Kaju and Biju, the famous "formidable four" did not notice them sneaking out of the room.

While Bhanu, Shanu, Kaju and Biju were discussing various cases they were presently handling, the cat and the dog were conducting a conference between the two of them on the lawn.

Cat enquired the dog, "Why did you drag me outside? I was dozing off so nicely and also listening to the interesting things our "formidable four" were talking and you disturbed me unnecessarily."

Dog replied, "I did not disturb you. In fact I am going to do some favor to you by revealing some important matter that you did not pay heed to while your were in the room."

Cat retorted, "Don't accuse me like that. I always pay heed to everything that is important. Haven't you seen me catching the mouse even when there is no noise made by the mouse? I can listen to even the most silent whisper made by a mouse."

Dog interjected, "Then did you hear what the "formidable four" were saying about their overload of work and they needed extra help from someone?'

Cat sheepishly admitted, "No, I didn't."

Dog rebuked the cat, "Then why are you bragging about your hearing skills?"

Cat pleaded, "Forget about what I said. You have aroused my curiosity and now, don't let me die. Have you have heard people saying that a cat can die of curiosity. So save me by satisfying my curiosity. Tell me what you heard inside the room today?"

Dog was happy to notice the importance given to him by the cat. He spoke with a lot of dignity, "Bhanu, Shanu, Kaju and Biju's work has increased quite a lot these days. They are solving lot more mysterious cases than before. So they need someone to help them in their work. Before they decide to take some outsider in their team why not offer our services to them?"

Cat jumped in the air in excitement and shouted with joy, "I must hug you and give you a kiss for that idea. I can now see that you have picked up some of my brain. You have become intelligent."

Dog objected, "Not your brain baby. It's my brain. Now don't waste any time. Let us barge inside and offer our services to the "formidable four". We will start working like a spy or a detective too."

Then the dog and the cat ran inside the house and stopped only after they reached the room where Bhanu, Shanu, Kaju and Biju were still discussing some important matter.

The cat  and the dog spoke simultaneously, "Please don't take anyone from outside in your team. We heard you saying that you need some extra help. Both of us will help you out."

Bhanu got angry on them for creating the disturbance. He said, "Don't disturb, get out of here. We are right in the middle of solving an important case. Already we are short of hands and work is increasing day by day. And you guys are disturbing us."

The cat requested, "Please listen to us for a minute. In fact we are here to solve your problem of shortage of help. Both of us will work as your assistants- your assistant spy or your assistant detective."

Shanu questioned, "What do you know of a spy's work? Don't act like a fool."

This time the dog replied politely, "We have picked up a lot of knowledge and skill of a spy's work by being in your company constantly. As they say we have picked up the rope, we have learnt the tricks of the trade. We can work as perfect spys under your guidance."

Kaju and Biju suggested to Bhanu and Shanu, "It's not a bad idea. We needed extra help and now we have our own family members ready to help us out. Why not consider their proposal? If you think it necessary, we can test them for their knowledge before recruiting them."

Bhanu said, "OK. That's fair. I will test their knowledge before taking them in our team."

Then turning towards the dog and the cat he asked them, "So, tell us the most important quality a good spy should possess? If you answer this question to our satisfaction, you are in."

The cat first answered, "I can always smell the rat. Smelling the rat is the first most important quality of a spy. Now don't mistake me. I am not talking about my usual habit of smelling the rats and catching them. I am talking about the quality a spy should possess- one of sensing that something is wrong some where. That's what you guys call as smelling the rat, right?"

The "formidable four" nodded in unison accepting the cat's answer as correct. Then they turned to the dog, "What about you?"

The dog too answered quite smartly, "If the cat can smell rat, I can smell the fish. Now don't mistake me.  You may think that since I like eating fish I have the quality of smelling the fish. I am not referring to it. What I am saying is the same thing as the cat said. I too possess the same quality of spotting the wrong things at the least suspected places."

The "formidable four" again nodded in unison accepting the dog's answer as correct.

They looked at each other, exchanged glances and cheered up, "We were searching for our assistant spys everywhere and our assistant spys are right here."

They invited the dog and the cat to join their team, "We welcome you in our team as a spy dog and as a spy cat. Now start working immediately."

The dog and the cat became mighty happy to get their new title of "spy dog" and "spy cat". They got ready to help the "formidable four".

Novels and Stories

Novel "Good People" http://good-people-novel.blogspot.com/
Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories http://funny-shortstories.blogspot.com/
Stories Children Will Love http://stories-children.blogspot.com/

The novel "Good People", "Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories" and "Stories Children Will Love" are available in the form of eBook and printed book from Amazon online. Hurry up, get your copies.