dogcatbird - found in the latest issue of Asiatic

A dog, cat and a bird sat on a pier jutting
out into the clear blue ocean waters.
At times they would argue about who
the pier belonged to, at other times they
were content to partake of
the scraps of food laying on the pier.

One argument involved who had come
to the pier first. The cat, always standing a little proud,
boasted that it had come
before either of the others, and that
really the pier belonged to it. The other
two only remained on the pier due to
the cat’s own good graces.

Often times the dog would bark and
the bird would squawk, that this was not so.
“I and my ancestors were here first” the
dog would say
“No mine were” the bird would interject.
“But, with respect, you both are wrong,
for this has been mine and my ancestor’s
home long before either of you came to
know of it” the cat would say, sometimes
purring its words, sometimes growling
them deep in its throat.

The argument raged on and off until such
a time that the dog fell silent, curled up
and permitted the cat and bird to
verbally wrestle on.

Over time the bird too fell silent,
realising that there was no point in
arguing. All three remained on the pier
watching other animals climb on and off
the pier, still the original three remained.

The cat, now unable to remain silent,
since the dog and bird refused to argue –
argued by itself. Often times it would
scream at the fish in the sea, the planks
of wood on the pier, the rope holding
the pier together.

Long into the humid night the cat would
continue its argument while the dog slept
and the bird watched, curious at the cat’s
need for argument.

One day, when all three had eaten well
of the produce on the pier, the cat too
fell silent. It looked into the far distance,
gazing out to sea, imagining it was alone.
The silent dog and the watchful bird
looked at the cat, then at each other,
shrugged, then looked on.
http://asiatic.iium.edu.my/index.htm
Gradually the cat turned, looked at its
companions, and smiled a weak smile in
the realisation that the pier was only the
pier when all three were on it.
The cat sat, curled its tail around itself,
content to be amongst friends.