One night, after Mr. and Mrs. had turned out the light, and the little white house grew so silent and still that Hauser could hear with his big Devon ears every whispery sound, no matter how slight, a howl emerged from the deep winter wood making Humphrey and Fleta wake, shaking with fright.
But Hauser was brave and eager to save pretty Fleta from every treacherous plight, so he leapt to the window and watched the thick snow blow and stood guard with his head turning left, turning right.
“Don’t be so fast,” said Hauser aghast when Fleta suggested the danger had passed, “for terrors don’t pass on their own, hope we might. What I think is that we should find it and fight.”
He then turned to Humphrey, a young mini schnauzer who was new to the home and who idolized Hauser, but Humphrey stayed silent for as long as he could, for he wasn’t quite certain that fighting was good.
Yet Hauser persisted and Hauser insisted that he could not keep Fleta safe unassisted, so finally Humphrey said he understood and he would go hunt in the deep winter wood.
They walked without talking (after all, they were stalking) when Hauser started to slow. “Humphrey,” he said, “we’ve no further to go, for there on that tree-branch, just hanging below, I see the brown body of our dreaded foe!”
“Foe?” said the creature, “no, no Mr. Cat. My name is Rodrigo, the Rodrigues bat. I fly and I screech and I look like a rat, but please, my friend, do not hate me for that.”
“Hauser,” said Humphrey, “take what you said back. Rodrigo did not deserve that attack. He cries when he flies and no one sleeps stranger, but surely this creature would cause us no danger.”
“Kind Humphrey,” said Hauser, “tonight that seems true, but tomorrow who knows what Rodrigo will do? I’m going to eat him, though his wings are so leathery. (I’d really prefer it if he were more feathery.)”
But before hungry Hauser could unsheathe a claw, he got distracted by singing and saw a hopping, horned fellow that looked like a goat and draped down his back was a bright-colored coat.
“Now there,” whispered Hauser, “is the villain we heard. He’s even more dangerous than that furry bird. If you try to ram him you’re going to lose, for those horns on his head leave a terrible bruise!”
The goat stopped his hopping, looked down and then said “little tiger, I promise, I won’t bump your head. I know when I hop I look rather silly, but billy goats hop and I’m Billy Goat Billy.”
“Hauser,” said Humphrey, “I think Billy’s fun. Why is it that you must distrust everyone?”
“Gentle Humphrey,” said Hauser, “my distrust is wise. I’m not so quick to believe other’s lies. Look at his coat and you’ll see what I mean. What trustworthy creature wears red, blue and green? Why Humphrey, that Billy Goat Billy’s obscene!”
And then, the cat and the dog heard a cry. It came from a dragon weeping nearby. “Dear dragon,” said Humphrey, “I don’t mean to pry, but I see that you’re weeping and I’d like to know why.”
“I’m weeping because I haven’t got gold. An indigent dragon is worthless, I’m told.”
“Now there,” hissed Hauser, “is a creature most foul. I bet it was she who woke us with her howl.”
“I howled because my grief was so deep. I’m sorry, my friend, if I ruined your sleep.”
“Hauser,” said Humphrey, “this dragon is sad. Don’t tell me you think that she also is bad.”
“Humphrey, I know that right now she seems tame, but turn your back once and she’ll roast you with flame!”
“No Hauser,” said Humphrey, “I don’t believe that. You really are a paranoid cat. This is where our partnership ends. You treat them as enemies. I’ll treat them as friends.”
The two left the wood and headed for bed. They walked without talking (though they were not stalking) until finally Hauser quietly said, “our friendship is not what it once used to be.”
“Something about it has changed, I agree.”
“Fleta will never choose you over me.”
“Fleta will choose what is right, as did we.”
