Jerry slowed to a stop underneath one of the apple trees in the orchard. He peeked around the trunk, looking this way and that for the pursuing Tom. The blueish-grey cat was nowhere in sight.
With a sigh of relief, Jerry slumped against the base of the tree and slid to the ground, fanning himself with one hand. He panted as he began to take in his surroundings. Jerry didn’t recognize the orchard, nor the forest he had been in, and he wondered—
Jerry let out a startled squeak and leapt to his feet and the sudden bark right next to him.
He whirled around to find Winona standing there, eyes fixated on him. Her tail wagged excitedly at her new discovery, and she panted happily.
Cautiously, Jerry stepped forward and patted Winona on the tip of her muzzle. Winona let out another happy bark and rolled over on her back. Jerry’s shoulders relaxed as he watched the farm dog, walking over to give her a tiny belly rub.
The respite was brief as Jerry was tossed aside when Winona abruptly rolled to her paws, growling at something nearby. Jerry picked himself up and dusted himself off, peering around the tree to see what had caught her attention.
There was Tom, panting from the chase and looking around for that darn mouse. He leaned against one of the apple trees with one hand – and that slight motion was enough for a ripe red apple to dislodge and conk him on the head.
Tom let out a yelp and grumbled as he rubbed the sore spot, bending down to pick up the apple. Seeing as he lacked a mouse to eat, or anything else for that matter, Tom shrugged and polished the apple with his forearm.
Winona growled louder, bounding over and barking at the cat – who, unlike other cats, stood twice her size at least. Tom raised an eyebrow at the barking dog, holding a hand just over his head and then comparatively holding it over Winona’s, laughing at the size difference. Not caring, he went to bite the apple…
And there were two audible chomps – Tom bit the apple, and Winona bit his tail.
At the surge of pain, Tom let out a painful howl, tossing aside the apple to try and dislodge the belligerent canine.
Jerry, meanwhile, doubled over with laughter at the spectacle.
Tom overcame his pain enough to realize his nemesis was close at hand. Finally wrenching Winona off his tail, he made a beeline straight for the cackling mouse.
Jerry stopped laughing long enough to see Tom’s hateful glare bearing down on him. With a squeak of surprise, Jerry took off, with Tom close behind him and a still barking Winona close behind Tom.
The chase led towards the Apple’s barn, where Jerry saw a rake leaning up against the side. Knocking it over, Jerry rounded the corner and ducked inside the barn. Tom, taking his focus off Jerry to keep an eye on Winona, stepped on the rake’s stakes and crashed headlong into the pole.
Briefly stunned, he was just able to shake the blow off and pull his tail out of Winona’s chomping jaws before fleeing. He took a hard turn and ducked into the barn, hiding flat against the wall by the door. Winona went racing past, barking up a storm until it faded off into the distance.
Tom wiped his brow, before scowling as he scanned the barn. He swore he’d seen that mouse run in here – now where was he hiding?
Spotting a haystack nearby, Tom went over to investigate. Jerry poked his head out from under an overturned bucket. He was about to sneak out while Tom was distracted, but a tantalizing scent crossed his nose.
Nearby was a mousetrap, its trigger laden with a small chunk of cheese. Jerry smirked devilishly back towards Tom, rubbing his hands together.
After carefully plucking the cheese from the trap’s trigger and popping it into his mouth, Jerry picked up one end of the trap and dragged it over to Tom. Jerry lined up the trap with the end of Tom’s tail.
It didn’t take long before there was a resounding smack – punctuated by another howl of agony.
Tom pulled his twice-sore tail out of the mousetrap’s steely grip, growling at the giggling mouse fleeing the scene. Flaring his nostrils and clenching his fists, Tom once again chased the little cheese thief.
As they raced from the barn, they passed by Applejack and Winona – the latter barking at the retreating cat.
“Easy there, Winona,” Applejack said, tipping her hat up to better observe the chase. “Huh… how strange.”
“I wonder if Applejack has seen anything,” Pinkie remarked as she bounced up the path to Sweet Apple Acres. Fluttershy followed close behind. “Might as well start outside town and work our way in.”
Applejack was petting Winona by the fence line when she noticed the two approaching. “Howdy Pinkie, Fluttershy!” she called with a wave.
“Howdy!” Pinkie chirped.
“Hey Applejack,” Fluttershy replied. “Pinkie and I are on a Friendship Mission in town and we were wondering if you’d seen anything.”
“Especially anything friendship-y related,” Pinkie added.
Applejack scratched her head under her hat with a forehoof. “Enope, not that I can think of. Just a cat chasin’ a mouse. Maybe try in town?”
“Great idea, Applejack! We’ll check there next. C’mon Fluttershy!” Pinkie waved to Applejack as she turned about-face and bounced back towards town. Fluttershy gave a briefer wave before rushing to catch up to Pinkie.
Applejack waved after them until they were out of sight, then hummed in thought. “Was that cat walkin’ upright or was I seein’ things?”
Looking to Winona, her faithful dog only barked in reply.