Eight-year-old Gracie Trent had a cat of her own, and so she had a question when 87-year-old Horace Lee had finished telling his story to her siblings and their friends and his great-great-nieces and nephews, the Ludlow grandchildren.
“So, if that cougar didn't care about the food you were using for it not being refrigerated, Pappa Horace, is that why my cat will bring me fish that … well, doesn't smell too good after being out for a while?”
“Yes,” the old Lee patriarch said. “The smell of decay just smells to many animals like more tender meat for them – they can eat things in states that we cannot as human beings.”
“So, if Goldie really loves me,” Gracie said, “she is willing to share the tuna from the dumpster where the fish fry was up the road?”
“Yes,” said Sgt. Lee, “but that tells me there may be a bigger problem. If your housecat can bring you back treats--.”
“Ewwwwwwwwww!” said Gracie's eleven-year-old sister Velma and their three friends eleven-year-old Eleanor, eight-year-old Edwina, and seven-year-old Amanda Ludlow.
“Excuse y'all!” five-year-old Lil' Robert said. “I'm trying to hear this!”
“As loud as you usually are, and now you want people to be quiet – the nerve!” Edwina said.
“Look, Edwina,” Lil' Robert said. “How many times are we ever going to hear about how to lure a cougar to anywhere? We might want to have a cat someday too!”
“The bigger problem is that your neighbor may be attracting bears with that poorly secured trash,” Sgt. Lee said.
“Now that's what I call an upgrade!” Gracie's nine-year-old brother Milton said.
“Yeah!” George said. “I'm too old for a teddy bear – get me a live one!”
“Oh, great!” Gracie said. “You want some bear taking you to somebody else's home for a snack?”
Milton stopped and George passed his hands over his eyes.
“Forgot about that part,” Milton said. “We are a little small yet for all that, George.”
“How long ago did Goldie bring you this fish?” Sgt. Lee asked Gracie.
“Oh, just this morning,” she said.
“Go tell your father what you have told me, little one – it may save a life, or at least a great deal of trouble here at the Lodge.”