Joshua Wants to be a Cat

One day Joshua looked at his mother. “I want to be a cat,” he said.

His mother looked back at Joshua and said,

“Why do you want to be a cat?”

“I think it would be fun,” said Joshua.

“OK,” said his mother. His mother picked up the magic nickel.

“Cat, cat, cat,” said Joshua’s mother as she held the nickel in her hand.

Poof! Joshua was a cat. He was a black cat.

“Thank you, Mom,” said Joshua. “It is fun to be a cat.” He went about the room swishing his tail and being happy.

As it happens, Joshua’s dog looked into the room and saw Joshua the cat. The dog ran after Joshua.

“Help, help,” said Joshua the cat. “Mom, this dog is going to get me.”

Joshua’s mother could see the dog running after Joshua.

“Joshua, just bark at that dog,” said his mother.

Joshua stopped running. He turned and looked at the dog.

“Bark, bark, bark,” said Joshua. His dog stopped.

It then got scared of the barking cat and ran away.

With the magic nickel still in her hand Joshua’s mother said, “Joshua, Joshua, Joshua.”

Poof! Joshua was Joshua.

“Thanks, Mom,” said Joshua. “It was fun to be a cat when I went about the room, but it was not fun when the dog saw me.”

“You will just need to be a cat when the dog is not near,” said Joshua’s mother.