Peeing upon a lamp-post is a dog’s job. It means he leaves his scent behind and adopts a new one.

‘Is this the why of people’s wearing perfume,’ asks small cat.

His people-mama laughs, for this is indeed amusing.

Small cat says, ‘I rub bottom on ground because worms.’

Possum from far distant past thinks,’ I rub bottom along ground because scent glands. I mark my spaces too.’

‘Ah,’ says small cat. ‘I rub my face on things for same reason, and do wee directly at people face for this reason too.’

 There is much face pulling from the crowd of poppies. They are vastly amused, but not surprised at all.

This is the truth of a cat, whether he be large or small. Children must cover their faces sometimes, for a cat is an animal and this is not pleasant, even in a zoo.

‘Do not come too close to a cat when he or she is in this mood. It means he or she is coming back this way again soon, and must remember the places he or she has been.’

‘Like a goldfish,’ a small child demands, and stamps their foot.

‘Not like a goldfish, no. Like something else entirely.’

Great cat yawns and shows its teeth. None of them are missing. ‘Not false either,’ says Great Cat. He is proud of his teeth, including the wisdom that remains. ‘She of wisdom one has a small cat, I of wisdom four have a big cat. I like to think I am a cat in need, but I am a cat in sorrow.’

Small cat, if small cat could, wrinkles his whitened brow. ‘Huh?’ He does not understand.

‘Too late, I have pulled one teeth.’

‘One tooth,’ says the small cat’s mother.

‘Bugger me dead,’ cries a laughing dog, and they have scored another wicker basket.

‘Let Moses be in this one and be found,’ whispered a commentator to himself.

‘Oi,’ says cat friend. ‘Oi oi. You are cheeky baskets.’