Sebastian the cat was a very serious fellow. He didn't have time for jokes or games. This week, he had a very important project: building the most magnificent house for his favorite toy mouse. It had three stories, a tiny balcony, and even a miniature welcome mat.
Just as he was about to attach the tiny balcony, a cheerful voice called from behind a flowerpot. "Hey there! I'm Milo, your new neighbor!" Sebastian looked up to see a tiny brown mouse beaming at him. "I've got a joke for you! What do you call a cat that gets everything it wants?"
Sebastian grunted. He did not want to know what you called a cat that gets everything it wants. He wanted to finish his toy mouse house. "A purr-suasive cat!" Milo shouted with a giggle. Sebastian just sighed and picked up his tiny hammer.
The next day, Sebastian was carefully painting the tiny window shutters blue. "Hey, Sebastian!" Milo called out, holding a piece of straw. "Why did the mouse bring a tiny ladder to the cheese tasting?" Sebastian pretended he couldn't hear.
"Because he heard the gouda was on the top shelf!" Milo bellowed, laughing so hard he almost dropped his straw. Sebastian dipped his brush in the paint with a little too much force, splattering some blue on his nose. He scowled.
On the third day, Sebastian was on a small stool, carefully placing the roof on his masterpiece. "Sebastian! Oh, Sebastian!" came the voice. "What's a mouse's favorite game?" Sebastian grumbled, "I don't know, Milo. Hide-and-don't-squeak?"
"Mouse-trap!" Milo cheered. Sebastian was so annoyed that he rolled his eyes. He rolled them so hard that he wobbled on the stool. He wobbled to the left, and he wobbled to the right.
Then, with a great "WHOOPS!", Sebastian tipped over completely and landed with a soft, milky *SPLOOSH* right into a giant bowl of milk he'd left out for his afternoon snack.
Milo peeked out from behind the watering can. He saw Sebastian, covered from whiskers to tail in creamy milk, with a daisy stuck to his ear. Milo didn't tell a joke. He didn't have to. He just started laughing. It was a high-pitched, squeaky laugh that made his whole body shake.
Sebastian looked at the milk dripping from his whiskers. He saw the silly daisy stuck to his ear in his reflection in the milky puddle. And then, a strange sound started in his own belly. It rumbled, and it grew, until a loud "Meeeoow-ha-ha!" burst out. From that day on, Sebastian was still a serious cat, but sometimes, he and Milo would share a bowl of milk and a good laugh.
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