The Lizard  Robert P. Herbst © Copyright 2001 by Robert P. Herbst

Anyhow, the lizard appeared to be near death. I like animals and decided to rescue the lizard rather than let the cat heap further abuse on the poor creature. In case you didn't know, cats take a rather dim view of having their food taken from them. I hasten to point out the poor lizard was just about at the point where it reverted from being a living toy to a food item. Kitty was not amused and resisted my efforts.

It was a mercifully short but bloody battle, but I did manage to rescue the poor little lizard. I had an old fish tank in the back room and I converted it into a lizard hospital. I worked tirelessly for the rest of the day with anti-biotic remedies, gauze, tape and plaster for the little splints needed to hold all those little broken bones in place, after I had set them. Then I turned to the repair of the various cuts, scratches and bite marks I sustained while rescuing the lizard from the cat.

Fortunately I had a copy of the book titled "Home Surgery And Organ Transplant Procedures For The Beginner" written by the world famous Mount Perry surgeon Dr. Hesa Hacksitoff. The doctor who's efforts were heralded through out the world, when he graft the front of an alligator to the rear of a crocodile, creating the worlds first Crocagator, --- or was it an Allidile? Anyhow, the effort was considered legendary by those who's opinions counted.

I guess no one will ever know which it was. The lights failed and the resultant creature revived itself shortly after the last stitch joining the two halves was tied off. The beast escaped in the dark and now lives a secluded life somewhere in the vast swamp surrounding Mount Perry.

With the book as my guide, I was able to repair the lizard and nurse it back to health in the fish tank. Kitty was not at all pleased with the situation. It spent hours next to the tank staring at the recovering lizard, trying to get at it through the glass. Each time, the lizard would move slowly to the opposite side of the tank exhibiting great pain as it moved.

Gradually the lizard healed and successfully recovered from all of its wounds, save its injured pride. It remembered what the kitty had done to it and it still cowered at the far side of the tank each time the kitty approached. I did my best to keep the two apart but it was a losing fight. I had a business to run and all kitty had to do was to wait until I was busy before it leapt to the table top and terrorized the poor little lizard.

With proper care and feeding, the little lizard began to grow. All signs of it's near death experience with the cat seem to have gone away, except the strange look in the lizard's eye when it saw the cat coming. I, however, was well satisfied in saving the lizards life. I thought no more about it.

When the lizard had grown to about a foot in length I took it out behind the shop and released it back into the wild. As it departed up a nearby wall, the lizard looked back at me as if to say, "Thank You". Then it continued up the wall and out of sight.

Well, the lizard returned this spring. It marched proudly in the side door of the shop with the shop cat, Cat, dangling from it's mouth. The poor cat was near death. It dropped the cat at my feet with a "Revenge is sweet!" look on it's reptilian face.

Now it's the lizard, at seven feet in length, who sits outside the fish tank, while the kitty cowers on the opposite side of the tank from it.
 
 

Robert's Story List and Biography

Book Case

Home Page

Top of Page

The Preservation Foundation, Inc., A Nonprofit Book Publisher