Fritz the Feline Philosopher


Fritz was no ordinary alley cat. His sleek black fur gave him a regal air, but his most prized possession was his mind—a curious and ever-questioning one. While other cats were content to lounge in the sun or stalk the occasional mouse, Fritz roamed the neighborhood with a singular mission: to liberate his fellow felines from the tyranny of dogma.


One sunny morning, Fritz found Marmalade, a chubby orange tabby, staring intently at a wall.


"What's the fascination, Marmalade?" Fritz asked, tilting his head.


"There's a shadow," Marmalade replied, tail flicking. "I'm certain it's the ghost of Whiskerclaw, the Great Mouser."


Fritz sighed. "Marmalade, my dear friend, dogma will only leave you barking up the wrong tree. Why don't you step back and examine the evidence? That shadow's probably just a bush swaying in the wind."


Marmalade blinked. "But... what if it is Whiskerclaw?"


"And what if it's just a squirrel-shaped cloud? Isn't it better to investigate than to assume?" Fritz purred, circling Marmalade. "Dogma will have you running around in circles, making a fool of yourself."


Marmalade hesitated, then padded closer to the wall. As the wind shifted, the shadow disappeared. "Huh," he muttered. "You might be onto something, Fritz."


Later that day, Fritz found Tabitha, a prim Persian, perched atop a fence, preaching to a group of kittens.


"You must always eat the tuna first," she declared. "Tuna is the superior food. Everything else is inferior."


Fritz bounded up the fence with the grace of a seasoned acrobat. "Tabitha, why impose such rigid rules? What about the joy of chicken? The delight of cream? Or the unexpected crunch of kibble?"


Tabitha sniffed. "Tuna is tradition."


"Ah," Fritz said with a knowing look. "But don't you see? Tradition can be like chasing your tail—it feels productive but gets you nowhere. Open your palate, Tabitha, and the world will open to you."


By evening, Fritz had gathered a small crowd of cats in the park. Standing on a tree stump, he began his sermon.


"Friends, cats, country-purrs. Lend me your folded-back ears. Dogma binds us, while curiosity frees us. Must we all swear by the Great Yarn Ball in the Sky? Or can we explore the unknown, climb new fences, and knock over vases we've never knocked before?"


A gray tabby named Smokey raised a paw. "But what if we're wrong?"


"Better to be wrong and grow," Fritz replied, "than to be right and stagnant. After all, what's the worst that happens? A missed nap?"


The crowd erupted in purring applause. That night, Fritz stretched out on his favorite rooftop, gazing at the stars. He wasn't sure if he'd changed any minds, but he knew one thing: life was too short for closed minds and empty food bowls.


(This writing is donated to the public domain.)


--
--
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com
https://pairsmathgame.com
https://philshapirochatgptexplorations.blogspot.com/
https://bsky.app/profile/philshapiro.bsky.social

He/Him/His

"Wisdom begins with wonder." - Socrates
"Learning happens thru gentleness."
"We must reinvent a future free of blinders so that we can choose from real options."  David Suzuki

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