Sidney's Star Gazing Party

by Henri of Twin Brooke

I, Henri of Twin Brook was really surprised when Sidney declared that he was going to host an astronomy party for the feline population of the neighborhood. “I’m not going to invite Max,” he announced belligerently. “I don’t like kitties with big tails!” “If Max finds out you didn’t invite him to your party, he’ll be upset. You might regret that....” I meowed. “I’m not afraid of old fuzzy tail, Max!” hissed Sidney. “Well, you certainly were the night he locked you in the garage,” mewed Helen, “and you spent the whole night all by yourself. No blankets, no bed, no pillow...” Sidney never listens to anyone’s meows. He set out alone, and delivered his invitations by paw to the few felines in the neighborhood who could tolerate him. It didn’t take him long. Two days later, soon after dusk our persons left the house for an evening at the movie picture show. Soon after they had left the house, Sidney’s guests began to arrive, the first of whom was Raymond Hazelwitz, rodent activist. “I didn’t invite you!” growled Sidney. “Too bad. Clarence invited me,” chattered Raymond. “I didn’t invite Clarence!” Sidney’s voice squeaked with annoyance. “I know,” remarked Raymond. “Max invited him....” “But I didn’t invite Max with the bushy tail,” wailed Sidney. “Penelope invited him,” chattered Raymond. Moments after Raymond had related that information a few dozen cats came through the gate. Some were carrying pillows. Some had bags of cat treats. All had mugs or cups hanging by the handles from their claws.. Quickly, they settled down, leaning back against the deck, their paws cradling their heads. Helen slipped into the kitchen. I could hear her pouring water from the faucet into a kettle. She would be brewing a batch of cat nip tea. “You can start the lecture now, Sidney. Teach up all about astronomy,” chorused the guests. Sidney hesitated. “Umm. Well we have the planet Orion up there.....” He pointed his paw toward the darkened sky. “No, no, Sidney!” objected Clarence. “Orion is a constellation, not a planet. And it only appears in the Northern hemisphere in the winter and early spring months!” “Where does it go in the summertime?” meowed Penelope grinning mischievously “Does it fall out of the sky?” “No!” hissed Sidney. “Orion’s mother made him come home for the summer. She takes away his sword and belt. With out a belt, his pants fall down. So he has to go home.” “Interesting theory.....” meowed Clarence, winking at Helen who had just come out on the deck with a large pot of cat nip tea. Graciously, she filled each mug and cup with the delicious brew. “Sidney has the brain of a flea,” observed Raymond. “Why don’t we all just settle back, tell ghost stories, chomp on treats and look at the sky?” I meowed. Sidney looked so downcast, I couldn’t bear to look at him. It was just another disappointment in his life. He knew nothing about astronomy and now all the cats in the neighborhood knew of his ignorance. “Well,” meowed Max. “I always thought it was Orion’s father who made him leave the sky in the summertime. Thanks to Sidney’s research, we now know it was really Orion’s mother!” “Thank you, .Max,” purred Sidney, pouring treats into the neighbor’s paws. “You are always welcome at my parties.”