Salamander: (startled out of sleep) Grr! It's that obnoxious morning noise again!

Miette: Why does this always happen?

Salamander: It's to let me know that it's time to wake up Jenny. And the sooner we can wake her up, the sooner she will make the noise stop. (He climbs over the mountains of quilt and looks down at Jenny's slumbering face.)

Miette: How do we wake her up?

Salamander: Well, sometimes the playing method works. I just take one of my toys, here, and drop it next to her head, like this, and then ATTACK it, (he demonstrates) and get a good battle going, and sometimes that does the trick. I notice that it seems especially effective if I happen to accidentally scrape her just a little bit - just barely, you understand - with my claws, while I am playing. (they pause to observe the result)

Miette: She's still sleeping. I don't think the playing method is working today.

Salamander: OK, I guess it'll have to be the nose-rubs then. (He starts purring and rubbing against Jenny's face.)

Jenny: (blearily) Oh, sweet kiddy... nice good kiddy...(pets him with eyes closed)

Miette: Hey, she's petting you! I want to be petted too!

Salamander: (swiping at her) Back off! She's mine, and she's petting ME!

Miette: Since when is she all yours? She feeds me delicious canned food! She pets me and talks to me! She's mine, too!

Salamander: Hey, we're just being NICE, you know, letting you stay here. This is MY room, and the canned food is MINE, and Jenny is MINE! Maybe I'll let her pet you and maybe I won't!

Miette: No fair! I didn't ASK to come here, you know! I was someplace else before, where everything was familiar, and then suddenly I showed up here, and everything was scary and strange, and you growled at me for two days straight. And I, I had FRIENDS before... and-and-and my MOTHER was there... my own darling mother... woooowowowow…

Jenny: (blearily) Miette? Wha's wrong, sweetie? Why're you crying? (fumbles around blindly, trying to find Miette to pet)

Miette: (Jumping, startled) Oh! Something moved! Oh! It's Jenny! Why is she moving in that abrupt, alarming way? I'd better hide!

Salamander: Why are you getting spooked at nothing in that abrupt, alarming way?

Miette: She startled me! But maybe now she wants to pet me! I'd like that—I'll go back over to her. (suddenly hesitates) But what if she wants to grab me and, oh, I don't know, put me in the carrier or something? How frightening! But I do really want to be petted! So maybe I won't go DIRECTLY over to her, I'll sidle back and forth anxiously like this first, to make sure that it's safe...

Salamander: (crouching) And while you're trying to decide, maybe the TERRIFYING MOUNTAIN PANTHER will leap from above! (leaps on her and she rolls over to fight him off)

Miette: You big cheater! I wasn't watching!

Salamander: Feeble excuses aren't going to save you from the TERRIFYING MOUNTAIN PANTHER! The panther stalks his prey, he claims it with a mighty pounce, and whining won't save the pathetic alpine marmot now! (they wrestle)

Miette: Ooh, pathetic alpine MARMOT, am I? I don't think so! (chases him around the room and leaps on him) How does the "terrifying mountain panther" like THAT?

Salamander: (batting at her and tumbling her over) The pathetic marmot is no match for the mighty panther! Observe his amazing hunting prowess! The pathetic marmot trembles in fear! (they chase and wrestle some more, knocking over small objects on the bed-table and hurling themselves across the bed, and end up grappling next to Jenny's head.)

Jenny: (mumbling, eyes closed) Nice kiddies... (tries to pet them)

Miette: (startled but hopeful) Is she waking up now?

Salamander: Hard to tell. (he rubs against Jenny's face again)

Jenny: (half asleep) Sa'mander... l'il sweetie... (being well-trained, Jenny automatically lifts up the quilt so he can crawl under. He curls up next to her chest, and she pets him for a moment or two with eyes closed, then falls back to sleep.)

Salamander: (from under the quilt) Prrrrrrrrrrrrrr....... Prrrrrrrrrrrrrr....... Prrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......

Miette: I can hear you! You're purring! I want to get petted too!

Salamander: Go away! This is my special spot.

Miette: But it's so warm and cozy under there, I can tell. Don't be such a big selfish meanie. (she shoves her way under the quilt.)

Salamander: Oh, alright, fine. But I get to lie next to Jenny. You can lie on my other side.

Miette: Okay. (she curls up next to him and starts washing sleepily.)

Salamander: (yawning) I think it's time for a nap now.

Miette: Yes—waking Jenny up sure is hard work!

Everyone sleeps peacefully, and the clock radio blares on unheard.