Sunday morning was Tam’s favorite morning of the week. Sunday morning was the time when The News of Stockholm issued its Sunday Edition, a ten-page special that covered arts, events, cartoons, puzzles and such. It was delivered to Oluffsen family 8 a.m. sharp, and Tam was always standing by the front door one minute later. He had a few quiet hours to spend with the paper before the Oluffsen family woke up (nothing is sweeter than sleeping in on a lazy Sunday morning, don’t you think?), and he did not want to waste even a single minute.

This Sunday, as usual, Tam was standing by the front door at 8:01 sharp. The delivery boy just pushed the paper through the tiny door slit, and it still smelled of the street and of the fresh black ink spread across its giant pages. Tam loved this smell and would often dream of living at a press where he could watch curious pictures in papers all day long.

The paper was too heavy for Tam to bring all the way to the living room. Instead, he would spread it open on its front page and would turn page after page carefully, taking time to examine every picture, marveling at the world captured in each image.

The front page of this Sunday’s edition had a picture of the Swedish Queen smiling into the camera. Tam liked to see the Queen, because her eyes had a twinkle and she always looked like she knew what Tam was thinking. “Good morning, Your Majesty”, said Tam and carefully turned the page.

The next page had a picture of a tall tuxedoed gentleman dancing with a pretty lady in a white lace gown. The photographer captured the pair in motion, just as they were finishing their lovely waltz. The lady’s face was away from the camera, but you could guess how beautiful she was by the look in the gentleman’s eyes. Tam noticed how happy the gentleman looked, and how gallantly he wore a pretty black bow around his neck.

Tam looked at the picture for a few more minutes, then jumped up, grabbed a piece of twig that fell from a nearby broom and whirled with it in a skillful pirouette.

“Tam?!”

Tut was standing next to the paper, looking perplexed and hungry. “Are you all right Tam?” he asked. “Yes”, abashedly answered blushing Tam and followed Tut into the kitchen.

After lunch that day, when the Oluffsen family left for their afternoon walk, Tut and Tam were climbing the living room curtain to sit on the window sill and watch the tiny people on the streets below. When they reached the sill (Tam first, weary Tut few moments later), they found they were not alone – cat Marquis was already there, napping in the afternoon sun, his noble coat shining under the warm sun rays.

I must say that Marquis and our heroes had a silent agreement going something like this – “don’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you”. They tried to stay out of each other’s ways, Tut and Tam cautious of the cat’s long sharp claws, Marquis considering dealing with our friends as petty nuisance time that he’d rather spent napping.

That is why, as soon as Tut saw Marquis stretched out on the sill, he turned around and started descending back to the living room floor. Tam, however, was standing still, his eyes glued to a pretty red velvet bow round the cat’s neck.

When Tut realized Tam was not following him, he puffed and panted his way back to the window sill, grumbling that this was the last time he was ever coming back for Tam. As soon as he saw Tam’s intense look, he realized what was about to happen.

“No, Tam! Let’s go back before he wakes up!”

“Tut, you have to help me get it! Quick!”

Tut knew that it was no use talking Tam out of trouble, for trouble and Tam were best friends. Still grumbling, Tut came up to Tam and asked: “So how are we going to get it?”

Tam smiled and pulled out the twig (his dance partner from this morning) that he carried all day tucked away under his caftan belt. He motioned Tut to follow him, tiptoed closer to unsuspecting Marquis, twisted the twig into the bow knot, and untied the knot with one crafty move.

Next thing we know, Tut grabbed the bow, Tam grabbed the twig, and our heroes scurried away and down the curtains faster than the fastest winds. Cat Marquis twisted his left ear, stirred his right whiskers, and rolled over on his other side. The sun was shining.

In their tiny den right behind the living room fireplace, Tut and Tam were reliving their great adventure. Tut was sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching Tam. Tam was waltzing with the courageous twig, red velvet bow wrapped around his caftan like a cape of a gallant prince.