Monday

On Monday morning, Ivy the cat busily explored the balcony of Miss Waite’s second floor apartment. Ivy was batting a dead leaf between her furry paws when she heard a soft cooing sound nearby. She quickly hopped up on the balcony railing. Sitting in a nest on the roof next door was a plump brown pigeon. Yum, thought Ivy. That bird would sure make a tasty breakfast.

Ivy tensed her muscles and leaped across the wide space between the balcony and the roof. Just before her claws should have grabbed the red tile roof, Ivy felt herself falling. She twisted and turned as she dropped through the air. She meowed loudly, hoping Miss Waite would save her.

Crunch! Ivy landed in the branches of a large bush. As she brushed the dirt off her fur and the pink flower out of her ear, Ivy heard a cry. “Ivy! Are you all right?” In a matter of seconds, Miss Waite plucked Ivy out of the bush and carried her safely upstairs back into the apartment. As the door closed, Ivy thought she heard a noise that sounded suspiciously like a pigeon laughing.

Tuesday

On Tuesday morning, Miss Waite told Ivy to behave herself and let her go back out to the balcony. Ivy jumped onto the railing and there, staring at her from the roof next door was the plump brown pigeon. I’m going to get you today thought Ivy.

Placing one paw against the wall, Ivy dug her sharp claws into the tan paint. Maybe she could climb the wall and walk across the roof. Ivy pushed the claws of her other front foot into the paint and began climbing. Unfortunately, she didn’t get far because she couldn’t find any more footholds. Ivy slid down to the balcony. “I’ll get you tomorrow,” she told the pigeon. A noise that sounded suspiciously like pigeon chuckles came from the roof next door.

Wednesday

On Wednesday morning, Ivy meowed loudly at the screen door until Miss Waite finally let her out onto the balcony. Today she was prepared to catch that plump brown pigeon. In her mouth she carried a length of fishing line with a hook at one end. Ivy twirled it around her head so that it looked like a lasso. She let the fishing line fly though the air, hoping the hook would catch on the roof next door. Then Ivy would be able to tightrope walk over to the pigeon’s nest.

The first attempt fell short so Ivy gathered up the fishing line and twirled it above her head again. This time, the hook hit the red tile, but when Ivy placed her front paws on the fishing line, her weight was too much and the hook fell off the roof. Ivy had to scramble to keep her balance on the railing. Darn, thought Ivy, this is not going to work either. Dejectedly, Ivy slipped inside the apartment. In the distance, she heard a noise that sounded suspiciously like pigeon giggles.

Thursday

On Thursday morning, the pigeon watched curiously as Ivy dragged a model airplane out the door onto the balcony. “If I can’t jump there and I can’t climb there, I’ll fly there instead,” Ivy whispered to herself. She harnessed herself to the plane and bounded onto the railing. Just as a gust of wind rushed past her, Ivy stepped off the edge of the railing, expecting the plane to carry her up to the roof where breakfast waited in the form of a plump brown pigeon.

Instead, the plane began to drift gently downwards. Thump! Once again, Ivy landed in the branches of the pink flowered bush. She brushed the dirt from her fur and the flowers out of her ears. Then Ivy took the plane off her back and hid it in the bush. Miss Waite was quite surprised when she heard Ivy meowing at the front door instead of out on the balcony. “Now how did you get there?” She asked as she let Ivy come in. Miss Waite must not have noticed the noise that sounded suspiciously like a pigeon snickering.

Friday

On Friday morning, Ivy snuck out the screen door to the balcony when Miss Waite wasn’t looking. She managed to drag a tall ladder out the door with her. Today, she was bound and determined to feast on the plump brown pigeon.

Ivy tilted the ladder against the railing and pushed with all her strength until the ladder was balancing on the railing. Ivy continued to push the ladder further and further across the wide space toward the roof next door. Just when she thought she couldn’t push the ladder any further, Ivy felt it hit the red tile roof.

At last! Ivy vaulted to the railing. She took the ladder rungs two at a time and finally she was standing on the roof next door. Today, she wouldn’t hear the sounds of pigeon laughter!

Just then, Ivy realized something. The plump brown pigeon wasn’t sitting on her nest. The nest was empty!

In the distance, Ivy thought she heard the sound of someone crying. In fact, it sounded like more than one someone. Ivy walked up to the point on top of the roof and looked down the other side. Instead of one plump brown pigeon, there were five pigeons and four of them were tiny, newly-hatched babies. The four children were crying. “Mommy, please don’t let the kitty eat us,” they sobbed. The plump brown mama pigeon looked at Ivy with a big tear in her eye. “Kitty, I’m sorry for laughing at you. Please, will you let my family live?”

Suddenly, Ivy didn’t want to eat a plump brown pigeon for breakfast. She didn’t want to eat four baby pigeons either. Kitten chow sounded like a very good breakfast after all.

Ivy smiled and waved at the plump brown mama pigeon. Then she turned around, walked down the side of the roof, crossed the ladder, hopped off her balcony railing, and began to pull the ladder back across the open space. Now, if I can just hide this ladder before Miss Waite figures out what I’ve been up to, Ivy thought.