As you know, Charlie and Polly furnished the most clues to the whereabouts of Inspector Leopod and Sergeant Pussnagel, and in gratitude the Queen is making good her promise of a reward and a position on the Castle Purrlice Furce. They are here today for their swearing-in ceremony. The Queen sits quietly in the background, holding the reward money. Commissioner Billy-Bub Chester, in full-dress uniform, presides. Let's listen.

Billy-Bub: I supposes you knows that this is a furry sollum occasion, an tha oaf you sware here is not to be taken litely. I will tell ya what ta say, an you repeat it after me. Are you ready ta sware?

Polly: (thinking: If my daddy hadn't told me it wasn't nice, I would be swearing right now. I wish he would hurry and get it over with so I can go to dinner.)

Charlie: (thinking: My, this is such an honor--I just know I am blushing all over.)Yes, Commissioner, I am quite ready.

Bitsy: Never mind the frilly chatter, Billy-Bub, get on with it! (thinking: If he doesn't hurry I shall starve! And I also need to use the facilities!)

Billy-Bub: Jis let me take anuther bite of this donut--(chomp chomp, gulp!) Emily, one of tha girlkitties at Madame Alto's made these fur me. (Yum, gobble!)

Bitsy: Those donuts look exactly like the ones Daisy used to make! Are you sure Emily made them, or did she get them from someone else?

Billy-Bub: She musta used Daisy's recipee. They iz sure good!

Bitsy: A likely story! I wish I had been a fly on the wall when she "made" them!

Polly: (thinking: Bad manners or not, if they don't stop talking about them I'm going to jump up and grab one.And speaking of flies on the wall, I wish someone would swat her.)

Billy-Bub: (gulp!) Well, I seems ta be ready ta sware youse in. Repeat after me, " I, Polly an Charlie--ya don't hafta say both names, jist yer own--swears ta uphold an enforce tha laws of Catdom whenever I hafta. (pause for repeats) An I will do my duty to tha fullest extent, no matter what it entales, seeking no reward but tha approval of Her Royal Majesty, Queen Bitsy..."

Bitsy: Hear, hear!

Billy-Bub: Wait, there's sum more here. (Cawfee--gotta wash down tha crumbs--gulllp!!!) ...an furthermore, I will suppurrt my fella officers no matter what they does--an I hope it ain't nothin bad. Youse dont hafta repeat that last part.

Polly and Charlie repeat all, including the last part.

Billy-Bub: Well, I guess that's all of it--at lease all I kin remember--so I now purrnounces youse mail an feemail officers!

Charlie: My goodness, that was so uplifting I could cry. Sniff sniff!

Billy-Bub: That's them fish-jelly donuts yer smellin! Makes yer eyes water.

Polly: Purrdon me for asking, but about the reward...I see Her Highness is holding some money.

Bitsy: Yes I am, you lucky kitties! Here are fifty Samoleons fur each of you!

Polly: Fifty! But the ad said 100,000. Then it went down to 50,000, of which we each were to get 25,000. Did I do all that work for nothing?

Bitsy: Fifty Samoleons is hardly nothing! And you shall receive fifty Samoleons a year for as long as you live or the 25,000 are gone! I am not made of tunas, you know, and simply cannot afford to pay it all at once.

Charlie: My dear Queen, your generosity is well-known all over Catdom. I am more than satisfied with the arrangement.

Polly: I had planned to go shopping today, but now I'm just going home.

Bitsy: And so you should, dear child! You should not waste your money on frivolous things like clothing and jewelry. Remember, a tuna saved is a tuna earned!

Polly and Charlie leave, having first been reminded by the Commissioner to repurrt for duty tomorrow morning. Later we'll look in on them and see how they're doing.

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