Story of a cat’s tail

I had a neighbor, easy going type guy, who dearly loved cats. One day, one of his cats darted across the street in front of me and, wham, I hit it and killed it instantly. I felt bad, should I just hide it or tell him?

Well, I picked up the cat and carried it to his front door, rang the bell, he opened it, and there I stood with his favorite cat lying dead in my hands. I was at a loss for words and finally just said, "I'm sorry that I hit your cat, he just came out of nowhere and......" He looked at me, looked at the cat and said, "I knew it had to happen one of these times, and what's done is done."

I offered to bury the animal, I even offered to find him another cat. He said, "No, this cat could never be replaced." I told him that I was sick to my stomach, and he told me to just go my way and not think about it, what is done is behind us now, just get on with your life and I will do the same.

I left, and after getting home, I watched as my neighbor took the cat, carried it out into the backyard, tenderly laid it on the grass, dug a little grave and carefully buried it, .....all except the tail???!!! He returned to the house and that was that. Days went by, weeks went by,a month went by, and when I would look over into his yard, there was that cat's tail on top of the ground, just as when he buried it.

Finally, I went over and knocked on his door and asked, "I see you buried your cat in the backyard. Is everything going ok for you since his death?" "Yes, everything is fine. Life goes on you know." I then continued with, "May I ask you a very personal question?" "Sure, I don't mind." "Well, I noticed that you buried everything except the cat's tail. Is that a small reminder for you of your dear cat?" "Yes, it is. Here, let me show you why I did that."

He and I walked out to where the cat was buried. He then looked me square in the eyes and said, "The next time you come over here and complain about some problem you have with me or the way that I live my life, I am going to reach down and grab that cat's tail and pull him up out of

Story of a cat’s tail

the ground and hold it up and say back to you, 'Do you remember when you killed my cat'?!"

MORAL OF THE STORY: "Doesn't this present a most disgusting picture in your mind, brothers and sisters? Well, this is what it is like every time we 'dig up the past' and then wave it in the face of our brother or sister, husband, wife, child, or whoever. What is done is done, it is buried, leave it in the ground, all of it! Don't dig up the past, it hurts everyone, including the person digging it up, because it kindles old wounds."Yes....bury the tail as well.....all of it....!!!!!!!!!!!