O’Toole and Hank the Tank the wonder dog are really good friends. One thing they really really like is to chase cats. Now, a few days ago O’Toole and Hank the Tank were walking down the sidewalk. O’Toole was whistling things like boys often do and Hank the Tank was sniffing things like dogs often do. Then Hank the Tank looked up and told O’Toole he could smell their friend Miss Kitty the cat.
O’Toole was very happy and asked Hank the Tank – what direction is Miss Kitty the Cat?
Hank the Tank replied – I think Miss Kitty is just around the corner. Come on, follow me.
They both scampered around the corner just in time to see Miss Kitty the cat. Hank the Tank called out and startled Miss Kitty. She jumped on the nearest tree and started climbing.
Now the chase was on. What fun. What now. How can they catch that cat when she’s up in the tree and they’re standing on the ground? O’Toole jumped up on the tree and started climbing. Then Hank the Tank jumped on the tree and started climbing also. Goodness they were having fun. They could see all over the neighborhood. Miss Kitty just got higher and higher in the tree. She was laughing really loud. The cool breeze was very nice. The sun spilled all over their faces. It was so much fun.
When Miss Kitty got to the top of the tree there was no place left for her to go. Hank the Tank and O’Toole were catching up. Miss Kitty would have nothing to do with them catching up with her. Today was her day to be the best climber. So, what do you suppose that cat did?
Well, that cat looked around and there was this beautiful big cloud really close to her. This big cloud was sailing by as carefree as you can imagine. So, Miss Kitty looks back at Hank the Tank, winks her one blue eye, and that cat jumped off the tree and landed right in the middle of that cloud. Miss Kitty sailed away right through the air, sitting on that cloud. Oh my!
Now O’Toole and Hank the Tank were watching this. They were wondering what they were going to do. How are they going to catch that Miss Kitty now?
Just then, another cloud came by and O’Toole said to Hank the Tank — come on, we’re going to get on that cloud.
So, the two of them jumped onto that cloud and they started sailing away after Miss Kitty. But they quickly figured out that their cloud was not moving any faster than Miss Kitty’s cloud.
Well, O’Toole says to Hank the Tank — we are never going to catch the cat this way. O’Toole thinks about it for a bit and makes up a plan. O’Toole says to Hank the Tank — hang your tail over the side of this cloud and wag it like a propeller.
So, Hank the Tank tries it and sure enough, their clouds started moving a little faster and they are getting closer and closer to Miss Kitty. Well, Miss Kitty was worried. What do you think Miss Kitty did? So, Miss Kitty watched them, noticed what they were doing, and decided to do the same thing. Oh my. So, Miss Kitty hung her tail over the side of the cloud and started wagging it like a propeller. Sure enough, she started moving at the same pace that Hank the Tank and O’Toole were moving. Problem solved.
O’Toole said to Hank the Tank — I don’t think we’re ever going to catch Miss Kitty today. She wins. Besides, I’m getting hungry.
Hank the Tank said – me too! And my tail is getting tired, this is hard work.
O’Toole replied to Hank the Tank — well, we’re going to have to get down from this cloud. Do you have any ideas on how to get off this cloud?
So, the two of them are looking around and Hank the Tank sees a kite.
Hank the Tank said — I know, we’re going to use that kite string to get down. When they saw the Kite, the 5:00 factory whistle blew and all the kids in the neighborhood headed home for supper.
Oh gosh! O’Toole steered that cloud towards the kite and latched onto that string. They both just slid right down that string all the way to the ground. Boom!
Then they bumped into the man who is flying the kite. Well guess who it was. Why the Kite flyer was Mister Red-Sea. He lives right next door to O’Toole. So, Hank the Tank and O’Toole talked to Mister Red-Sea about their adventure. Mister Red-Sea thought it was fun to help them find their way from the cloud to their back yard – the promised land of milk and cookies. Then O’Toole and Hank the Tank walked through the door in the fence between Mister Red-Sea’s house and O’Toole’s house. They got home just in time for milk and cookies followed by dinner.
But what are you supposed to happen to Miss Kitty? Well, the cloud that Miss Kitty was riding bumped into a tree and that cat jumped right onto that tree and headed right down to the ground. Wow. Miss Kitty looked over to the left and Miss Kitty looked to the right, she couldn’t see no Hank the Tank and she couldn’t see O’Toole. Just Mister Redsea, her owner. When she got home, she was very happy, there was supper in the kitchen waiting for her.
So, everybody had a real good afternoon, they got home for supper just in time, and they got to see a part of their neighborhood they had never seen before. All was well in the world of Hank the Tank. It was a very good day. The end.
Written by G.Russell Oaks, Published in the Humpty Dumpty Childrens Magazine, April 1953 Adapted for ShalomTalk by Dan, 2024
Shalom Talk 