THE CARE OF HAMSTERS, CHAP. ONE

OK, so i heard Moritz talking to the little doggies. (Originally, i had named him Maurice de Saxe--but the other hamsters at day care would call out "Mooooreeeeece" and laugh, which confused him, so i changed it to Moritz von Saxe, as having a tougher sound. I also taught him to kick them in their little, tiny balls. He's gotten along much better ever since.)

Anyway, he was telling them about a place with endless cozy tunnels and all the greens you can eat. Well, the little doggie girl, Cleo was just rapt, because she likes to have a cave-like place to crawl into, and she just loves greens. So i asked Moritz what the hell he was taling about. He said that The Great Hamster, Creator of the Universes and Eternal Gardener, had this home for us all when we leave here, by and by. Well, it caught me completely by surprise, and i barked out this loud guffaw before i got myself under control. Moritz was wearing this look of surprise--of shock really--as well as dismay, anger and deep, deep pain. He ran off under the sofa, and by the time i got over there and down on my hands and knees he had run off somewhere else. Cleo looked puzzled, then brightened up and inquired if i had anything to eat. Mr. Bailey had dropped off to sleep while Moritz was talking to Cleo.

Well, the long and the short of it is that i didn't see Moritz again until evening, when, apparently, hunger brought him out. I let him out in the back yard so he could get some greens, and i made up a nice bowl of thinly sliced carrots--which he would not eat, however, until i left the kitchen.

So what do i do now? I understand that things will never be the same again, but how can i at least regain his trust, if not his affection?