Kitten Kaboodle liked weekends. On Friday, Mr. Trembles would open the shop early in the morning, but then, around lunchtime, he would close up. Just like every other day of the week, Mr. Trembles shooed the customers out. He would dust the shelves, sweep the floors, and then turn off the lights. He would check to make sure everything was locked up. But on Friday, Mr. Trembles did not leave Kitten Kaboodle alone in the shop. He would pick him up and put him on his shoulder, or in a deep pocket, and take him up to his apartment on the third -floor next door. And so, Kitten Kaboodle always made sure to make his rounds early on Fridays. He would warn the mice and the ghosts to behave themselves until he returned and let them know he would be inspecting the shop upon his return.

When they reached Mr. Trembles’ flat, Kitten Kaboodle would run around and inspect all of the rooms, and test all of the furniture for bounciness, and look in all the cabinets for mice, and climb the bookcase to check for ghosts.

After he was satisfied, Kitten Kaboodle would sit on a small end table near the living room window and look outside over the avenue. Occasionally, he would turn to watch Mr. Trembles to see what he was doing. After a while, he would get up and follow Mr. Trembles around, and watch everything he did.

First, Mr. Trembles would busy himself in the kitchen for a few hours. Then, he would go and change his clothes. Next, just before sunset, he would put two candlesticks with candles in them on the table, he would pour a cup of wine, and put a fresh braided loaf of bread on the table, and cover that with an embroidered cloth. Kitten Kaboodle knew that this meant he would eat soon. He would hop up on the chair next to Mr. Trembles’. He had his very own embroidered pillow upon which to sit, so he could see everything that was happening on the table.

First, Mr. Trembles would light the candles. Then, he would cover his eyes and mutter to himself. Then, he picked up his silver cup, muttered to himself again, sang a little song, then he drank from it. (Kitten Kaboodle always sniffed the cup, just in case there was something good to drink in it, like water or milk; but there never was.) After that, Mr. Trembles uncovered the loaf of bread, tore off a piece, mumbled to himself yet again, and then ate it. Sometimes, he gave a small piece to Kitten Kaboodle. After all this, Kitten Kaboodle knew it was time to eat.

Mr. Trembles would go into the kitchen, and bring out a tureen of soup, a roasted chicken (or sometimes, a brisket), and a plate of vegetables. Kitten Kaboodle got his own little plate, and he would get a nice piece of chicken (or brisket), and sometimes even a little broth. He never ate the vegetables.

After they finished eating, Mr. Trembles cleared everything away, singing songs as he did so. Then, he would sit in his armchair by the reading lamp and read a book. Kitten Kaboodle always got to sit in his lap. After a few hours, Mr. Trembles would go to bed, and Kitten Kaboodle always got to sleep in the bed, too.

The next morning, bright and early, Mr. Trembles would rise, carefully wash, and then get dressed. He always wore a plain dark suit and a hat. He would take Kitten Kaboodle’s embroidered dining room pillow, pat him on the head, and then leave. Kitten Kaboodle would wander the apartment for a while, then go to the bedroom, crawl under the blanket, and sleep until Mr. Trembles returned.

Mr. Trembles usually returned just before lunch. He would put Kitten Kaboodle’s pillow back on his chair in the dining room, and then change into the clothes he usually wore each day. He would go to the icebox and have leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, and sometimes he would open a can of tuna for Kitten Kaboodle. After lunch, they would play.

There was a tiny light that Mr. Trembles would shine on the floor and the walls for Kitten Kaboodle to chase. Sometimes, he would dangle a piece of string for Kitten Kaboodle to bat at. And sometimes, he would bring out a little toy mouse and play fetch with Kitten Kaboodle.

Sometimes, Mr. Trembles would put Kitten Kaboodle into a little harness and attach a leash, and they would go out for a walk. They would walk up and down East Passyunk Avenue, occasionally going as far as South Street. And when the weather was nice, they would sit by the Singing Fountain, and watch people go by.

In the evening, Mr. Trembles would have another glass of wine, but he wouldn’t drink it; he would use it to extinguish a blue-and-white braided candle that he seemed to light just so he could put it out. Then, he would sniff a small silver box. He always let Kitten Kaboodle sniff it, too. It had a strange spicy-sweet smell, and always made Kitten Kaboodle sneeze. Then, Mr. Trembles would read books until it was time for bed.

The next morning was Sunday. It was time to return to the bookshop. But before that, Mr. Trembles and Kitten Kaboodle would go to Abe’s Deli. Kitten Kaboodle loved going to Abe’s; it was full of fish and cream cheese. Mr. Trembles would get a bagel with cream cheese and lox. Or, sometimes, he would get a bialy with whitefish salad. Sometimes, he would also get a jar of herring with onions in sour cream for lunch later. Kitten Kaboodle loved herring in sour cream. And whenever they went, Abe himself always gave Kitten Kaboodle a little piece of smoked salmon.

And then, Cornelius Trembles and Kitten Kaboodle would return to the bookshop. Mr. Trembles would open up, and get ready to greet the customers, and Kitten Kaboodle would run off to tell the ghosts and the mice about his weekend.