\u00cen odaie lini\ue000te. Lini\ue000te\ue000i-un miros! Pe poli\ue001a din dreap ta, pe o farfurie, st\ue002 uitat\ue002 o bucat\ue002 de ca\ue000caval. Mirosul de br\u00e2nz\ue002 proasp\ue002t\ue002 a str\ue002b\ue002tut p\u00e2n\ue002 la cel mai \u00eengust col\ue001i\ue000or al casei.\ue003i din gaura lui, din gaura de dup\ue002 sob\ue002,\ue000oricelul nu-\ue000i mai g\ue002se\ue000te locul. Parc\ue002-l trage cineva de musta\ue001\ue002 afar\ue002. S\ue002 ias\ue002, s\ue002 nu ias\ue002! Mai bine s\ue002 se ast\u00e2mpere. S\ue002 se ast\u00e2mpere, u\ue000or de zis; dar ca\ue000cavalul? Vezi, asta-i asta: ca\ue000cavalul. S\ue002-nchid\ue002 ochii. I-a \u00eenchis. Prostul! Dar ce, cu ochii miroase?\ue003i br\u00e2nza-i proasp\ue002t\ue002. Mai m\u00e2ncase a\ue000a bun\ue002tate acum vreun an. Dar parc\ue002 nu-l momise \u00eentr-at\u00e2ta ca aceasta de acuma. S\ue002 \u00eencerce. Face c\u00e2\ue001iva pa\ue000i m\ue002run\ue001i, p\u00e2n\ue002-n marginea ascunz\ue002toarei lui. M\ue002car s-o vad\ue002. Unde-o fi? De unde-l vr\ue002je\ue000te, din ce col\ue001 \u00eel pofte\ue000te cu at\u00e2ta st\ue002ruin\ue001\ue002 la d\u00e2nsa? A! uite-o, colo pe farfurie. Dac\ue002-ar \u00eendr\ue002zni! Dar cum? S\ue002 mearg\ue002 mai \u00eent\u00e2i pe l\u00e2ng\ue002 perete p\u00e2n\ue002 la divan. A\ue000a, bun! Pe urm\ue002... Pe urm\ue002 pe unde s-o ia? Pe l\u00e2n g\ue002 dulap? Nu. Pe dup\ue002 jil\ue001ul cela? Nici a\ue000a. Atunci? P\ue002i, lucrul cel mai bun e s\ue002 se suie de-a dreptul pe perdea\ue000i de acolo s\ue002 treac\ue002, pe marginea l\ue002vicerului din perete, p\u00e2n\ue002 la poli\ue001\ue002.\ue003i-o dat\ue002 la ca\ue000caval, las\ue002, n-are el nevoie s\ue002-l \u00eenve\ue001e al\ue001ii ce s\ue002 fac\ue002 cu d\u00e2nsul. Dar motanul? E-hei! La d\u00e2nsul nu se prea g\u00e2ndise.\ue003i, doamne, mul\ue001i fiori i-a mai v\u00e2r\u00e2t \u00een oase motanul cela. Dar poate nu era \u00een odaie. Ha? Nu era. Nu. Ori\ue000icum s\ue002 mai a\ue000tepte pu\ue001in, s\ue002 vaz\ue002, nu se mi\ue000c\ue002 nimeni, nu-l p\u00e2nde\ue000te cineva?

Cum s\ue002 nu-l p\u00e2ndeasc\ue002! Dar de c\u00e2nd a\ue000teapt\ue002 motanul pri lejul s\ue002 puie laba pe bietul\ue000oricu\ue001. Dac\ue002 nu m\u00e2ncase el ca\ue000cavalul, c\ue002ci mirosul cela \u00eei zb\u00e2rlise\ue000i lui must\ue002\ue001ile, p\ue002i nu-l m\u00e2ncase tocmai pentru asta: s\ue002-l momeasc\ue002 pe laco mul din gaur\ue002. Cu botul adulmec\u00e2nd, cu ochii galbeni\ue000i lucio\ue000i ca sticla, cu must\ue002\ue001ile \u00eentoarse sub\ue001iri\ue000i ascu\ue001ite ca oasele de pe\ue000te, st\ue002 neclintit, dup\ue002 perna de pe divan,\ue000i-a\ue000 teapt\ue002. L-a z\ue002rit. Uite-l, \u00eei vede m\ue002rgelile ochilor. Iese? Iese oare? Da, da; a\ue000a, \u00eenc\ue002 un pas, \u00eenc\ue002 unul, doi, a\ue000aa!

\u00cel pune pe picioare, \u00eel las\ue002 s\ue002 se dezmeticeasc\ue002, s\ue002-n cer ce s\ue002 fug\ue002\ue000i iar vrea s\ue002-l prind\ue002 \u00een cle\ue000tele labelor. Dar ce s-aude? Un dup\ue002it gr\ue002bit pe sal\ue002. Vai, e Corbici, c\u00e2inele! Nu-i vreme de pierdut! Din dou\ue002 s\ue002rituri motanul e \u00een ocni\ue001a sobei, iar\ue000oarecile, mirat c\ue002 scap\ue002, z\ue002p\ue002cit, cum poate, o\ue000terge \u00een gaura lui. Corbici vine, nebun ca-ntotdeauna. \u00cen mijlocul od\ue002ii se opre\ue000te, adulmec\ue002 lacom mirosul de ca\ue000caval, apoi, z\ue002rind motanul, se repede\ue000i latr\ue002 cu \u00eenver\ue000unare. Ar s\ue002ri \u00een ocni\ue001\ue002, dar e prea sus. Se sprijin\ue002 pe labele de dinainte, tremur\ue002, casc\ue002, de nelini\ue000tit ce-i, m\u00e2r\u00e2ie\ue000i latr\ue002. Apoi tace\ue000i, cu ochii

Dar pa\ue000i ap\ue002sa\ue001i cutremur\ue002 sala. Ce! St\ue002p\u00e2nul! Repede atunci: motanul se \u00eenghesuie\ue000te\ue000i mai \u00een fund, iar c\u00e2inele o\ue000terge supt divan; numai\ue000oarecele, mic cum era, r\ue002m\u00e2ne la locul lui. St\ue002p\u00e2nul intr\ue002; obosit de munc\ue002, \u00ee\ue000i arunc\ue002 p\ue002l\ue002ria pe un scaun, apoi, mirosind, i se face foame; se-n dreapt\ue002 spre poli\ue001\ue002, ia felia de ca\ue000caval, taie o bucat\ue002 de p\u00e2ine\ue000i, mu\ue000c\u00e2nd c\u00e2nd dintr-una c\u00e2nd dintr-alta, m\ue002n\u00e2nc\ue002 din plin, cu poft\ue002.