In the corner of Abernathy MacGillicuddy’s garden, tucked against a somewhat dilapidated white picket fence, sat a cantaloupe-sized boulder. Beside the boulder was the long-dead stump of a tree, and between them, a tuft of green grass.
If one looked closely, and gently parted the grass, there, there at the base of the stump, was a tiny wooden door.
On this particular morning in early spring, when the grass was turning green, but the pansies hadn’t quite awakened for the year, the door flew open with a bang.
“For the last time, Agnes…” A deep voice, from deep within the stump.
A tiny brown mouse scurried out, slammed the door. The painted sign above it, “Fresh Tacoz,” shook on its nail. The mouse stood, sniffling, as she wiped a tear from her face with a tiny paw. Her sniffling soon turned to sniffing, though, as she caught a scent on the air that made her smile.
“Tigg!” she called out in her tiny mouse voice.
The stump came to life. A gray tabby, exactly the color of the stump, casually unfolded himself from where he’d been snoozing, the hint of a smile on his striped face. He oozed off the stump, stretching his body as he went, and landed with a graceful plop in front of the mouse.
He snatched an imaginary hat from his head, and swept forward in a deep bow. “At your service, Agnes.”
Agnes giggle-sniffle-hiccupped, and hopped on to the cat’s head as he righted himself.
“Where to?” Tigg asked.
“Let’s blow this taco stand,” cried Agnes, looking like a tiny rodeo bronc rider.
And so they did. The boulder was airborne for a full five seconds, and tacos landed all the way across the garden, between the row of beets and the row of carrots.
The cat and the mouse surveyed the damage, disbelieving, laughing, eating the occasional piece of shredded cheese.
“Well that was fun,” Agnes said.
“Mmm,” Tigg nodded in agreement.
“Same time tomorrow?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
The cat hopped back on the stump, curled up, and disappeared.
Agnes wiped a dollop of sour cream from her forehead and opened the door.
Ed. note: No animals were harmed in the blowing of this taco stand.
