Through A Little Girl's Eyes

The Cat Got Her Tongue

Hey y’all! Did y’all notice that the switch tree got purple berries on it? They are the same color as the drinking of the wine at church. Yeah, let’s make some wine out of them and have drinking of the wine like at church. No Junior, it is called “communion”. Oooh, I going to tell Momma you sucked your teeth, Rita. Don’t be sticking your tongue at me either. Angie and Rita ya’ll always fussing, Linda said. Come on let’s make our wine. What are we going to use for bread Rita? We are going to make mud pies Angie. We are playing church; you don’t eat or drink it for real. Well alright Rita, who’s going to be the pastor? Junior. Who’s going to be the deacon? Keith. Start singing the song Deacon Keith. Drinking of the wine, wine, wine. Drinking of the wine oh my Lord. You ought to been there ten thousand years. Drinking of the wine. Okay Reverend Junior! Stop being so bossy Rita, I know what to say and when to say it, remember I’m the pastor. On that night Jesus said this is my body. Let us eat the bread. Hey you didn’t say it all. Be quiet Angie, stop interrupting the Pastor. Don’t you know how to act in church! This is my blood let us drink together. Hey Angie you are not supposed to drink it! What was that fell on the ground? Look Linda, Miss McIntyre’s cat got something that looks pink. She is running away with it! Hey what’s the matter with Angie, Rita? Why is she pointing at her mouth? What, you can’t talk? Oh Lord, that cat got Angie’s tongue. Oooh Momma just got off the 25 bus. We are going to get it. Alright, Angie when Momma come, don’t tell her that your tongue fell out and Ms. McIntyre’s cat got your tongue! Hi Momma! Let us take your bags in the house. Why y’all sitting on the step like that? Angie what’s wrong with you? Momma, Rita, I asked Angie, not you! She can’t talk. See we was playing drinking of the wine and Angie drank the wine from the switch tree and her tongue fell out and Miss McIntyre’s cat got her tongue and ran over to her house and we couldn’t catch him to get Angie’s tongue back and we. Girl shut up! Lord this girl! Angie, Angie. Wait a minute let me see, I got some smelling salt in the house. Rubie Lee! Rubie Lee, bring that smelling salt from the bathroom medicine cabinet. Here it is Momma. This will bring her to her senses. Ahhh my nose, my nose is burning! Hey look ya’ll she got her tongue! That cat didn’t take it after all! Come on in this house. Yes Ma’am. Rita, I was trying to tell ya’ll I still had my tongue. You always got to get the last word in Lil Angie, bet you don’t drink any more of that wine! When we woke up Saturday the switch tree was gone!