Cats, cats, cats...

Mrs. Amin (not her real name) is very fond of cats. She takes care of as many as 62 of these four-footed creatures, much to the annoyance of her daughter who simply hates cats. However, out of respect for her mother, she dares not speak her mind openly.

Fortunately, the house has spacious premises, otherwise it would not be hygienic with the presence of all those lovely pets because they relieve themselves wherever they please.

One day, when the mother had to spend a day out of town, the daughter summoned all the servants -- and there were many -- and instructed them to catch the cats, put them in plastic or gunny bags and dump them in the marketplace where they could still survive on the scraps of meat or rice in the market dustbins.

And the servants, who did their job well, got Rp 500 as a bonus for each cat. When the mother returned home, she got a strange feeling that most of her beloved cats had disappeared. She summoned all the servants and promised Rp 2,500 for each cat lured back from the marketplace.

A. DJUANA

Jakarta