Littlefoote and A Tear

by Jewels Meow Cat

As many of you know in February there is something that hoomins call Groundhog day. Well, on this particular morning I was snoozing outside when I heard a rather unusual sound nearby. I arched my back and slowly with out a sound pawed over to where I heard the sound. "PSSSSSSSSSST" I heard. I turned my head and saw a very strange looking creature. I could tell by its gentle look that this animal meant no harm so I relaxed a bit. "Hullo there" said the creature. I meowed my greetings and then we began talking. It turned out this creature was a groundhog. Her name was Littlefoote, and she belonged to a tribe of groundhogs that had little but quick feet. She said according to a strange custom this year it was her job to poke her head out on this day so that the myth of forcasting the weather for humans was completed. She had sighed when she told me this, as she said there was no fact based in this at all. The real reason we often poke our heads out on this day is that this is the day when our hibernation is over for the winter. It is our time to stretch and see the world. I was amazed at this fact and she continued to amaze me. I was really beginning to have quite a friendship with my new little friend. She also told me that they DID like to have a day named just for them! Well, who wouldn't I thought! I asked her ( nicely) if she were really a hog, since she didn't fit my image of a hog. She was rather pretty and very petite. She said she wasn't and told me where the name groundhog came from. Ground was from the french word Grandioiseeee, and Hog was from the Yiddish word Hoggezt. It meant a creature who loved the earth and often and was very limber. Needless to say, I was quite surprised. Then I noticed a sad look on my new friends face. I asked her what the problem was. She told me she couldn't find the spot that she had come from and was a bit lost. She was afraid she wouldn't be back to report to her tribe what the earth above looked liked in time for their annual meeting. We then began looking for every possible opening where she might have come from. I noticed that big tears were sliding down her face. I then looked and they were sliding right into a small opening in the ground. " LOOK" I meowed. She did and relief crossed her face. We had found her way back to her tribe. " I can't thank you enough" she said. I became very sad at the idea of loosing my friend Little Foote. She could see the sadness in my face and knew why. " I have an idea" she told me. I will put a white berry from our tribe over by that tree when I emerge and we can meet and play. If you can't make it leave a note for me and I will know. We said goodbye and she scooted down under the earth. In a daze I carefully walked back to where I was snoozing. My hooman came outside shaking her head. " Jewels, you could sleep all day. Now come in and have some breakfast". If she only knew!