The Gardener and his wife had gone away for several days and, as they usually did when traveling, left the cats in charge. Which, of course, meant tuna-salad sandwiches for dinner every night, and knitting parties with Squirrel.

But the cats were divided on what sort of other party to host while their humans were away: a “proper” one, with birdsong, conversation, cheese-and-cracker snacks, and tiny glasses of sherry … or a rather quieter, bookish affair (also featuring sherry).

In the end, they decided on a quiet reading party, mainly so they wouldn’t have to clean up after the birds.

(Early April 2024)

Story © Jennifer Singleton / Read+Purr

This is another cozy Tiny Garden Story in my ongoing series: peaceful 100-word tales that let you read like a kid again. Click one of the first two buttons below to go to (or back to, if that’s where you fell down the rabbit hole) either the “Public Garden” archive page or (if you’re a Story Club member) to the members-only “Private Garden” page. Or click the third button to learn more about my Tiny Garden Stories.

If you’re new to Tiny Garden Story-land and would like 10 days’ worth of stories from our first year, visit ReadPurrNewsletter.com.