the cat with a white stripe down his back was in love with the cat with no stripe. no matter how many times the no stripe cat told the stripe cat that it just wouldn’t work (she wasn’t attracted to stripes) - he stayed around. one day stripe noticed that no stripe was purring for someone else. it suddenly occurred to him that he cared more for the no stripe, than the no stripe cared for him. realizing this, he turned cold. the chill remained for days, leaving him numb to any feeling, and dim to any light. determined to make better for himself, the stripe stayed away from the cat with no stripe. doubting his actions, he first felt empty, lonely, and sad. as time passed, he slowly began to forget the cat with no stripe. the more he separated himself, the more he gained perspective. feeling liberated, he began reading Cheever, and watching Fellini. finally, one day he saw the cat with no stripe walking through the square, purring. he remembered how he used to purr with her, and out of instinct took one step toward the cat with no stripe to see what was so purry. once his paw hit the pavement, he retracted in fear. didn’t meow. and was paralyzed with memory. watching her for as long as he could - he walked home, and fell into a deep trance. forgetting to take care of himself, he never showered again.

everyone now calls the cat with one stripe, a skunk.