When Theodor Geisel wrote the Cat in the Hat he was already a well-established children’s author. Several of his books had been made into animated cartoons.

His publisher asked him to do what he could to reduce the literacy problem in the United States by writing a book that could be used as a reading primer. He was given a list of 225 words (There’s dispute on the actual number.) and told to make a story out of those words.

I didn’t learn to read by reading The Cat in the Hat. It didn’t come out until 1957 when I was nine and probably on to The Bobbsey Twins. I do remember reading The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins in the first grade, and being enthralled.

I can’t even estimate the number of hours I’ve spent with my children and grandchildren on my lap reading his wonderful “Dr. Seuss” books. In his honor, I made a list of the words used in The Cat in the Hat and devised a TG poem using only those words.

The sun would not shine.
I was too sad to play.
So we sat in the house
On that sad, sad, bad day.

The One in the Know
By Angela Rasch

The sun would not shine.
I was too sad to play.
So we sat in the house
On that sad, sad, bad day.

I sat there with Sally.
We sat there, we two.
I said, “How I wish
I could be . . . like you.”

My mother had said,
“Put my gown away, dear.”
Then Mother had gone out.
And left nothing but fear.

So all we could do was to
Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!
And we did not like it.
Not one little bit

And then
Something went THUMP!
How that thump made us jump!

We looked!
Then we saw him with his red red red bow!
We looked!
And we saw him!
The One in the Know!
And he said to us.
“Why do you sit there like so?”

“I know you are sad
And your day is not sunny.
But we can have
Lots of good fun that is funny
“I know some good games that we could play,”
Said the One.

“I know some new tricks,”
Said the One in the Know.
I will show them to you.
Your mother
Will not mind at all if I do.”

Then Sally and I
Did not know what to say.
Our mother was out of the house
For the day.

But our fish said, “No! No!
Make that One go away!
Tell that One in the Know
You do not want to play.

He should not be here.
He should not be about.
He should not be here.
When your mother is out.”

“Now! Now! Have no fear.
Have no fear,” said the One.
“My tricks are all fun,”
Said the One in the Know.

“Why, we can have
Lots of good fun, if you wish,
With a game that I call
We-will-make-him-a-dish.”

“He is bad!” said the fish.
“Do not play his bad game!
He is bad!” said the fish.
“He will make you have shame!”

“Have no fear!” said the One.
“I will not let you down.
There are things that you want.
Like your mother’s new gown.

And a bow in your fall!
But that is not all I can do,
Not at all . . .
Look at you!

Look at you now!” said the One.
“You put on a red bow
And a little pink hat!
You can be who you want!
You can do what you wish!
It is not a trick!
That has made you a dish!”

“Look at me!
Look at me!
Look at me now!
It is fun to have fun
But you have to know how.

I can put on the bow
And the hat and the gown!
I can look like a dear!
I am up and not down!

I can look like my mother
And not her little man.
And look!
I can have an a-cup!
Like you know that I can,

As I play in my fall!
But that is not all.
Oh no,
That is not all. . ..”

And this is what the One said . . .
About the fall that he had put on my head!

“I am down with your fall
You look like a fun fox.”
And Sally and I,
We saw out of the box.

Now look what you did!”
Said the fish to the One.
“Now look at this he!
Look! This is not fun!

You should not be here
When our mother is not.
You get out of this house!”
Said the fish in the pot.

“But I like to be here.
Oh, I like it a lot!”
Said the One in the Know.
To the fish in the pot.

“I will not go away.
I do not wish to go!
And so,” said the One in the Know,
“So, so . . . so.
I will show you
Another good game that I know!”

And then he ran out.
And then, fast as a fox,
The One in the Know
Came back with a box.

A big red wood box.
It was shut with a hook.
“Now look at this trick,”
Said the One.
“Take a look!”

Then he got up on top
With a tip of his bow.
“I call this game fun-in-a-box.”
He would know.

“In this box are two things
I will show to you now.
You will like these two things,”
Said the One with a bow.

I will pick up the hook.
You will see something new.
Two things. And I call them
Bump One and Bump Two.

These things will not bite you.
They are good for fun.”
Then out of the box
Came Bump Two and Bump One!

And Sally and I
Did not know what to do.
But, Sally had bumps
And I wanted them too.

I had bumps in the gown.
But our fish said, “No! No!
Those bumps should not be
In this house! Make them go!”

“They should not be here
When your mother is not!
Put them out! Put them out!
Said the fish in the pot.

“Have no fear, little fish,”
Said the One in the Know.
“These Bumps are Good Things.”
And he gave them a pat.

“They are good. Oh so good!
They have come here to play.
They will give you some fun
On this wet, wet, wet day.”

“No! Not in the house!”
Said the fish in the pot.
“They should not be here
In a house! They should not.

Oh, those things make you high!
On your top they have lit!
Oh, I do not like it!
Not one little bit!”

And I said,
“I do not like the way that we play!
If mother could see this,
Oh, what would she say!”

Then our fish said, “Look! look!”
And our fish shook with fear.
“Your mother is on her way home!
Do you hear?

Oh, what will she do to us?
What will she say?
Oh she will not like it
To find you this way!”

“So, do something! Fast!” said the fish.
“Do you hear!
I saw her. Your mother!
Your mother is near!

So, as fast as you can,
Think of something to do!
You will have to get rid of
Bump One and Bump Two!”

So as fast as I could,
I picked up those bumps.

Then I said to the One,
“Now you do as I say.
You pack up those bumps
And you take them away.”

“Oh, dear!” said the One.
“You did not like our game . . .
Oh dear.
What a shame.
What a shame.
What a shame.”

Then he shut up the bumps
In the box with the hook.
And the One went away
With a sad kind of look.

“That is good,” said the fish
“But I have this one fear.
That your mother will come.
And see you my dear.”

And your gown is so pink
And your bow and your fall,
We can not let her see.
There is no way at all.

And then!
Who was back in the house!
Why, the One!

“Have no fear of this mess,”
Said the One in the Know.
“I always pick up all my playthings
And, so. . ..
I will show you another
Good trick that I know!”

Then I saw him pick up
All the things that were down.
He picked up the bow.
And the fall, and the gown.

And he put them away.
Then he said, “That is so.”
And then he was gone
With a tip of his bow.

Then our mother came in
And said to us two,
“Did you have any fun?
Tell me. What did you do?”

And Sally and I did not know
What to say.
Should we tell her
The things that went on that day?

Should we tell her about it?
Now what should we do?
Well . . .
What would you do
If your mother asked you?

The End

If you’ve enjoyed this story, please leave a kudos and a comment. They mean a lot to me.

Thanks to Gabi for the review and help.

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Stories available through Doppler Press on Amazon:
Shannon’s Course
Peaches
Sky
The Novitiate
Ma Cherie Amour
Molly
Texas Two-Step
All Those Things You Always Pined For
Uncivil
Swifter, Higher, Stronger
Basketball Is Life
Baseball Annie
The Girl Who Saved Aunt T’s
Her
She Like Me
How You Play the Game
Hair Soup
Perfectionists
Imperfect Futures
The Handshake That Hides the Snake