An Ex-purr-iment

I'm going to post the first part of a children's story and ask you, my readers, to comment on it. I'll post the next bit if you want to read more, otherwise I will go back to my usual cat/writer meditations.

Gaya, The Cat Who Wanted To Save The Earth

It was a day, like any other day, and Gaya, a little marmalade cat, was coming home from school. She had received a gold star in grooming and was very happy.

Gaya tripped along the street, singing a song and crunching leaves with her paws. She saw a large pile of golden red leaves and dived into it, a big smile on her face. Suddenly she heard a voice shout:

"Can't a body take some rest
And not be troubled by a pest?"

Gaya was frightened for it seemed to her the voice came from right under her paws. Her tail stood up straight in the air, and her eyes grew wide with alarm.

"I'm really not a pest dear sir,
I'm just a cat with orange fur."

Gaya moved away from the moving leaves and waited to see what body would show itself.

Laser the snake unwound himself from the leaves, long, lithe, and shaking with laughter. He had known it was Gaya because snakes have the ability of matching any movement to the body that makes it. He had deliberately changed his voice to trick her.

"Laser, you truly are a snake
To change your voice and make me shake."

Laser stopped laughing and neatly coiled himself next to Gaya.

"It's just a joke for April one
I only did it for some fun."

Gaya, who had forgotten it was April 1st, laughed and said,

"You're very cold so let us run
And go and find some April sun."

Gaya was a clever cat. She knew snakes are cold-blooded creatures and need the hot rays of the sun to warm their blood.

In fact, whenever she saw Laser, he was usually sunning himself. But to her surprise he shook his head.

"I may be cold but that's nicer
Than ending up with skin cancer.
I've just been told a while ago
The ozone layer's really low,
Which means the sun's rays come on strong
- I hope I haven't got this wrong.
I think I'm far too young to die
So now in shady spots I'll lie."

Gaya looked puzzled. She did not understand all that Laser had said.

"There's one part I just don't know
What makes the ozone layer low?"

Laser pointed to the clouds and said:

"It's somewhere way up in the sky
But you can't see it with your eye.
The chemicals that humans use
Have done the layer much abuse.
It's now so thin that cancer rays
Come down to earth on sunny days."

Gaya nodded. Now she understood why Laser was hiding under the leaves. She looked at the tall tree and said:

"Mr. Elm you're very nice
To keep my friend as cool as ice.
What shall he do in winter, though,
When you are bare and full of snow?"