Storytelling Week Two: The Quarrel of the Cat and Dog

Throughout the course of one’s live, there will be many relationships that any given individual will encounter.  Friendships, love interests, acquaintances, enemies, frenemies, the list can go on and on.  Sometimes the role another person may play will change; relationships are a scale that people continuously flow in and out of. 

In a hypothetical scenario let’s outline a situation in which Derrick and Cassie are a beautiful and lovely couple.  All is right in the world for Derrick and Cassie and they could not be happier.  They are loved by all their mutual friends, none more so than Andy.  Andy helped to construct the two of them into the lovely couple that they became and watched their friendship blossom into a lovely relationship.

However, when times got hard for Derrick and Cassie, they got really hard.  The pair was struggling to find happiness together and simply couldn’t find the light they once had.  So, being logical Cassie suggested they break up and find their own happiness again.  Derrick wanted to whine and complain about Cassie’s suggestion claiming, “he could change,” but many a woman has heard that line, many a time.  So Derrick and Cassie were no more.

Cassie, being the logical of the two went to her trusted friend Andy for advice on the break-up.  Cassie wanted to continue on with her life in a positive direction and thought the help of her friends would be a good influence on her happiness.  Derrick however was still in his moan and complain phase.  In his infinite knowledge he decided to find his happiness out at the clubs and bars.  The clubs and bars where he spent many a drunken night making a fool of himself and getting thrown out by the bigger and bulkier bouncers. 

Finally, Derrick was dirt poor having spent all his money going out just to get thrown out.  So he returned to Andy’s house to finally seek guidance on what to do with his life.  When he knocked on the door Andy let him in, being the good guy that Andy was.  Cassie was already there spending time with Andy. When Derrick walked in and saw her he thought it was a sign that they were meant to get back together.  Cassie regretfully informed him that she had found her own inner happiness and was in a place comfortable without a relationship. 

Derrick continuously hounds Cassie for reconsideration and attempts to change her mind.  So much so that Cassie is at the point of a hissy fit every time Derrick comes around.  Sometimes, break-ups are for good, and this is a fact that should just be accepted.    

Author’s Note:  This story is a loose rewrite of the Jewish Fairy Tale The Quarrel of the Cat and Dog.  In the originally story the cat and dog begin as good friends.  However, when winter rolls in the cat and dog begin to struggle and the cat being ever so cunning decides to go live with Adam.  The cat details that their split should be like a business pact and they must never see one another again.  When the dog shows up at Adam’s unsuspectingly it becomes clear that they will quarrel endlessly.  I decided to re-write this fairy tale because I felt the original made the cat out to be entirely at fault and being a cat person I wanted some kind of reconciliation for the clear “dog person” writing that was contained in the original piece.  I changed the story from animals to people, and changed the friendship into a relationship.  These changes were made in order to illustrate that sometimes relationships simply don’t last and that sometimes things will fall apart. The change from animals to people hopefully makes this story more relatable and the message can be more apparent to the average reader, that is if the message I conveyed was the intended message.

Difference in Persona
Photo taken from: furrytalk.com

The Quarrel of the Cat and Dog comes from the book Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends by Gertrude Landa, published in 1919, accessed via Sacred Text Archives