Shivani , Jatin and Laila were returning from school. Their school was very close to their homes and they walked back everyday with some other children who lived in the same neighborhood. They lived in a town, which was not very big but was a bustling place all the same. It was beautiful and green. Many shady trees lined the roads. There were little parks alongside the roads where the children could play or just sit and watch the birds and squirrels as they went about their work busily and cheerfully. Shivani always wondered why birds and animals rarely looked sad, especially the ones which were free to roam around and live their lives freely. Some of the pets she saw in houses did not look happy. Some of them did, like the bouncy little poodle in Deena’s house, which seemed to never stop wagging it’s tail. But others, like Ramesh’s Pomeranian, always looked sad or bored or grouchy! Animals that were free rarely looked sad or bored or grouchy. No, they looked busy, happy, gay, chirpy and also, strangely intelligent! They looked very clever, very smart!
Shivani asked her friends if they knew why this was. “ Why” she asked “ is Stray Cat so cheerful all the time?” Stray Cat was the name they gave to a grey cat that roamed around their neighborhood and depended on the kindheartedness of the people who lived there. Sometimes they weren’t so kind and then Stray Cat had to be clever enough to find food for herself. This she did quite often and it was quite a common sight to see her shooting out of some house being chased by a woman brandishing a stick and screaming at the top of her lungs. Then that cat would sit calmly on a nearby wall, lick herself clean, look smilingly at Shivani and her friends who were admiring her, blink a couple of times and go to sleep! It wasn’t an easy life for Stray Cat but she made it seem easy. And she seemed to enjoy herself!Why did she seem so cheerful?
Jatin and Laila looked at each other. Shivani always had these kinds of questions. It was quite irritating really because they had used their brains so much at school they just didn’t want to use them to find answers to Shivani’s silly questions. But they knew that if they didn’t she would go on and on till they reached home. What do you think the reason is? Shivani would love to know! Laila and Jatin had some answers too but I’ll tell you what they were in a couple of days. After you post your answers! Shivani will be waiting! She wants to know why the animals in the park and animals like Stray Cat are happy while some of the pet animals aren't, though they are so well looked after!