The little snow leopard morph steps from the park out onto East Cougar
Boulevard, where the graven likeness of Ken Cougar holds the passing furs
eternally under its benign, spectacled gaze. The cracked cobbles and trees -
well, the trees aren't cracked - lend the perfect atmosphere to the morph's
intentions. This is, in short, a splendid place for a public reading.

The little snow leopard plants his furry butt at the foot of the statue, and
lays down the cumbersome suitcase he'd been carrying. Here in the shadow of
greatness, he is going to make one of his own tiny contributions to furrydom.
Plonq unsnaps the catches on the case and flips back the top. To his
chagrin, a well-pawed copy of "Playlion" magazine slips out of the case, and
the wind rifles its pages open to the Ms Furbruary centrefold. With lightning
feline reflexes, he snatches up the errant magazine and stuffs it
unceremoniously back into the suitcase. He looks around nervously to see if
anyfur noticed, but if they did they aren't showing it.

With a sigh, he kneels over the large case and begins rooting through its
copious contents. As he digs, he begins humming his favourite song by Tool,
tapping his tail in time with the tune. Finally, with a mewl of triumph, he
extracts an awkward-looking metal contraption from the disaster area within
the suitcase and deftly unfolds it into a sign stand. Plonq attaches a
placard atop the stand, bearing the bold, hand-written lettering, "Public
Reading today." The morph then turns and sits with his back to the statue,
hands clasped in anticipation as he waits for the crowds to come rolling in.

For a long while there is no response, and his whiskers begin to droop in
disappointment, but finally by ones and twos - perhaps taking pity on the
desolate-looking little morph - a few furs begin to gather around the statue.
Plonq sits demurely, tapping his fingers together while he waits for the
crowd to gather. It doesn't take long, as nothing attracts a crowd like a
crowd does, and soon he has enough audience to begin. He reaches into the
case and removes a large, hardcover book.

"Today's reading," he says, with a polite cough, "Is from the book A Tail of
Two Kitties, by Charles Kittens." The little morph settles into a comfortable
cross-legged position, with his long tail stretched straight out behind. He
places the tome in his lap, adjusts his reading glasses, and begins aloud.

"It was the best of times, it was the wurst of times - mmmmm, wurst! I like
wurst!" he says, looking up from the book dreamily. "I especially like when
it's cut into small pieces and served on toothpicks so that you can dip it in
malt vinegar - but don't use the pointy toothpicks because you might stick
your tongue with them if you eat too fast." He grimaces, as if he speaks from
personal experience, then continues enthusiastically. "Of course, you also
have to serve a nice garlic sausage, and a couple of kinds of cheese along
with it..."

<blort>

Something wet lands in the middle of the page. Plonq glances down in
puzzlement, and then up. Above his head, the statue of Ken Cougar stands
immutable, and above that is only the sky with its scattering of clouds. Well
what...

<blort>

Another droplet hits the page, and Plonq suddenly realises that he is
drooling.

"Maybe I should have eaten before I came here," thinks the rather abashed
morph as he wipes his slobbery muzzle with one furry arm, and the page of the
book with the other. "Well, maybe I'll read quick so that I can finish the
chapter and go eat. Hrm. Where was I?"

"Itwastheageofwisdomitwastheageoffurishnessitwastheepochofbeliefitwastheepoch
ofincredulityitwastheseasonofMicheleLightitwastheseasonofDarkness" he blurts
out, before he stops to pant for breath. Hrm. Well that's not going to work -
may as well just plod through it and try not to think about the protests of
his snow leopard stomach.

"It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of distemper," he continues at
a more sedate pace. "It was - eep!" The little morph slams the book shut and
his tail gives a big twitch of disbelief. No wonder they were giving these
things away outside the Nurple! He opens the cover again and peeks at the
next line, just in case he'd misread it the first time, but he hadn't.

"Is that even anatomically possible?" he muses. He looks around at the
expectant, and in many cases confused, faces of his audience. There are a
fair number of cubs, kits and hatchlings in amongst the crowd. Maybe best not
to read this one after all.

"Urm," he says, stuffing the book back into the case. "There's been a small
change in venue. I believe that I shall read from the book Great
Expectorations instead." He holds up the new book and shows it to the crowd.
The cover bears a picture of a well-groomed snow leopard morph. Plonq opens
the book and begins to read aloud,

"Congratulations on your purchase of the Hairball Commando power vacu-brush
with Tangle-Teaser (tm) technology. Regular use of this appliance has been
clinically shown to reduce embarrassing public hairballs by up to eighty
percent... hrm?" A fox kit near the front of the crowd giggles.

"Mommy, he's reading an owner manual," snickers the kit in a childish voice
loud enough for everyfur present to hear. Plonq's tail is thrashing
furiously with mortification as he quickly drops the manual and grabs another
book at random out of his case. Oh delight - it's one that he's actually
read! He gives the book a big wet smooch and holds it up for all to see.

"It's War and Fleas!" he announces. "I'm going to read from War and Fleas
today! It's a good book - really! I've read this one twice!"

The little morph places the book in his lap and opens it to the first page.
To his relief, no embarrassing inserts fall out. With a sigh, he draws a deep
breath and prepares to begin reading... and that's when the rain starts.

Plonq