Captain Cat joined the army.
He went in when nobody was looking.
The soldiers marched in a parade.
“Left, right--- left, right…”
Captain Cat kept in step.
He knew one foot from the other.
“That cat has more strips than we have,” said a corporal to a sergeant.
“Meow,” said Captain Cat.
Another sergeant looked at cat.
“Yes sir!” he said and laughed.
From then on everybody started saying,
“Here, Captain Cat,” when they wanted him, instead of “Here, kitty kitty.”
But sometimes the soldiers had no time for Captain Cat.
“I have to clean the bathrooms,” said one soldier.
“I have to sweep the grounds,” said another soldier.
One soldier named Pete always found time for Captain Cat, even when he was on guard duty.
“You remind me of a cat back home,” he said, and scratched Captain Cat behind the ears.
Pete played with Captain Cat so much, he got into trouble.
The general made Pete do kitchen duty.
Captain Cat kept him company.
Pete let Captain Cat play with the potato peels.
“Are you my buddy?” asked Pete.
“Me-ow,” said Captain Cat.
The next morning a bugle blew.
Oh, how Pete hated to get up!
But Captain Cat sprang right out of bed.
He had to check out the garbage before it was taken away.
Then it was time for inspection.
Everybody lined up.
Captain Cat lined up, too.
The general fixed a soldier’s gun.
He fixed Pete’s hat.
All he could fix for Captain Cat were his whiskers.
“Forward march!” said the general.
The soldiers went one way.
Captain Cat went the other way.
He had to chase some birds.
The soldiers crawled in the mud.
They hiked through rain and sleet.
But not Captain Cat!
He was taking a nap on Pete’s bed.
Time for chow!
Pete and the other soldiers rushed into the mess hall to get plates of nice, hot food.
Captain Cat wished Pete would get him a plate with a mouse.
“Are you my buddy?” asked Pete.
“Me-ow,” said Captain Cat.
Lights out!
Everyone went to sleep and dreamed of loved ones.
Captain Cat dreamed of his loved one, too.