Tonight my brother Sneak was haunting Mr. Carlos’ house, and I, Bobby Boo, had nothing to do. So I thought I’d go and see what the front of the house looked like. It rained all day today. I heard the kids talking about how great the puddles are outside after the rain and how wonderful it is to stomp and jump in them. I need to try that too!
I waited until everybody was asleep. I headed down the stairs, but whoops! Mrs. Simon was mopping, and from the fifth floor on, every step was more slippery than the sidewalk in January. My paw slipped. Yay. Ouch, ouch, ouch, yay. That’s me going down the stairs. But no one’s gonna get me on the elevator. Was there any other way?
And that’s when I noticed that there was this long pole all along the staircase, wide enough to fit my tummy nicely. I climbed up on it, I think they call it handrail, laid down, let go, and yippee! I was sliding down the handrail! I was moving so fast. I had to brake in the corners so I wouldn’t fall off. I made it all the way down to the entrance. And because it was awesome and the stairs had dried, I popped up to the fifth floor again and slid down the handrail one more time. And again. And again. And again. That was fun!
I almost forgot I wanted to jump in puddles. I carefully slipped out through the secret passage next to the front door that Sneak had told me about. It was dark everywhere, with only the street lamps lit. But I could see well in the dark. I found the biggest puddle, crouched down, wiggled my hips like a cat before a jump, and whoosh! And splash! Water and mud splashed all around me. I can see why the kids like it. It’s great!
I jumped in all the puddles around our apartment building until my fur was soaked. I wasn’t cold, though. I was just a little dirty. But soon it’ll be dawn and I should be going home. I was so tired anyway. I dragged myself up to the fifth floor, when it occurred to me that I might take one more ride on the handrail before I go to bed.
I jumped up on it, let go, and whew! What a ride. The wet hair was sliding a lot faster and I was going so fast I couldn’t slow down. I flew off the handrail and crashed into the wall. I was so ashamed but it was time to go to bed.
The next morning, I was woken up by the voices of my parents and my brother Sneak.
“There is a picture of a sneak on the wall! Someone has painted the silhouette of a sneak on the fourth floor!”
What? People discovered us? Not good. I snuck out of the bed to see what was on the fourth floor. They were right! A picture of an apartment sneak, a beautiful silhouette from the front with four legs and a tail. It looked like me. Well, it was me, afterall.
“What kind of savage smeared the wall with mud?” I heard Mrs. Simon say, but by then I’d fled to my bed.
I’m no savage.
“It looks as if someone printed a cat into the wall,” laughed Mr. Carlos. “I guess we’ll have to have the hallway re-painted, Mrs. Simon.”
“Yes, I’ll have it done next week. But it’s a mystery to me how it appeared on that wall.”
It wasn’t so mysterious to me, I was thinking as I fell asleep in my bed, pleasantly tired after my night’s adventure.