Behind the flower valley on the green ranch lived Lucy the cat. She was scruffy, chocolate brown, and always covered in mud and dirt. Most cats are clean and well-groomed, but Lucy was different. She wanted to be a dog.
She tried to bark, herd sheep to pasture, and guard the ranch at night, which is why she was always dirty. The other animals tried to convince her that she was a beautiful cat and that she shouldn’t try to be a dog, but it was no use. Lucy had a mind of her own. She wanted to be a dog, and that was that.
One evening, when all the animals were asleep, Lucy the cat wandered around the ranch. Past the barn, along the fence, to the right of the stables. Then she jumped up onto the roof of the pigsty. “The view is beautiful up here. I can see in all directions. I’ll guard the whole ranch from here,” she said to herself. And so the evening passed, and Lucy the cat kept watch as if she really were a dog.
Suddenly, there was a rustling in the grass. She sharpened her gaze and pricked up her ears. Not far from her, a strange, suspicious man appeared, trying his best to get onto the ranch. “Oh no, I have to do something,” mewed the cat, looking around to see whether any of the animals was still awake. They were all asleep. So she tried to bark: “Meow, meow!” It sounded more funny than alarming, something between a bark and a meow. That wasn’t going to scare the thief away. So she jumped off the roof and ran unnoticed to the dog’s kennel.
“Doggie, wake up, there’s a thief on the ranch! Hurry, we have to chase him away or catch him,” Lucy said, trying to wake the dog. At the word thief, he sprang to his paws. “Good thing you woke me up, Lucy! Let’s call the others before he gets to us! We’ll give him a going-over” said the dog and slipped quietly towards the stables. There he woke the horses, the pigs in the pigsty, and the ducks by the pond.
They all knew what to do. They knew the battle plan to protect the ranch. Everyone took their places and waited. As soon as the thief climbed over the fence and crept quietly through the garden, the dog leaped out in front of him. He barked so loudly that the thief jumped back in fright toward the stables. The horses were waiting for him there. They kicked him until he flew straight into the pigsty, right into a mud bath! Getting out of that isn’t easy. Finally, the ducks threw a fishing net over the thief, who was covered in mud and sore from such a rough fall. He was trapped.
The dog ran to wake the farmer and warn him about the thief. The farmer jumped out of bed in surprise and stared at the bruised, muddy man pinned under the net. The animals were thrilled. They had saved the ranch. Their ranch. Their home.
The next day, as the animals recalled how cleverly and bravely they had caught the thief together, they all agreed on one thing. Praise for Lucy the cat. “You know, Lucy, you can’t bark or herd sheep, but you’re the best night watchman we’ve ever had. We’re glad to have you here. It’s only thanks to you that we were able to prepare for the thief. You don’t have to be a dog, and you’re not. But you’re the best cat night watchman in the whole wide world,” the dog told her. Lucy was delighted. She realized that she really didn’t have to be a dog or wish to be one. Even as a cat, she could still be the best at something.