Henry and Hilda
Henry the hamster led a simple life. He was a hamster of few wants and fewer needs. A treadmill to tread on and a water tube to drink from met most of life's requirements. A pellet dispenser for food and a handy corner for later and the list was pretty much over.

There was something missing, Henry knew, and it involved lady hamsters, but he'd led a secluded life, and didn't really mind that much. Besides, there was the special food pellet just one step away on the treadmill. Only, someone he couldn't see was moving the pellet, so that every time Henry took one step forward, the pellet also moved one step forward, keeping it one step away all the time.

It was very frustrating, but a hamster's brain is really quite tiny, so Henry didn't really mind that much either, and just kept taking life one step at a time, which didn't seem to be getting him anywhere.

One day though, Henry's life changed forever. His human came up to the cage, and held his hand over the lid. Lifting it, the human said, "Well Henry, I've got a friend for you, her name is Hilda, I hope you like her!"

Henry looked at the human's hand blankly as it lowered something into the cage, wondering briefly if he should bite it, then turned his attention back to the pellet, running furiously. Just then, he heard a squeak behind him. He turned to look, and that's when he realised that Hilda was a lady hamster. Finally, he'd be able to get the missing thing in his life.

He turned and said to her, "So you're Hilda huh?" She smiled encouragingly, well as encouragingly as hamsters can anyway, and cheeped a yes. She said, "What's your name then?" Henry shuffled his feet, and having four of them, this took a bit of time.

Finally he said, "Hilda, I've been alone as long as I can remember. There's something that I really want to do, that I need your help for. But you'll like it too, I promise. Will you help me Hilda?" She smiled knowingly, and said, "Of course Henry, tell me what you want me to do for you. I'll do anything." Feeling a little shy, Henry said, "Well, if you stand over there, and then I get on top of you..." he hesitated, and Hilda smiled reassuringly. "Then I'll finally be able to reach that special feed pellet over there, because whenever I try to reach it from the treadmill it keeps just out of my reach," he finished.

Hilda stared at him, slack jawed, and then said, "What sort of an idiot are you anyway?" Stung, Henry shuffled back to the treadmill and kept walking again. Hilda snorted contemptuously, then started sipping at the water.

Nervous because of Hilda, Henry started walking faster, hoping to impress her enough to make her less derisive of his plan. He ran faster and faster, until his little hamster heart burst. His body slipped off the wheel, and slumped off to one side. Hilda looked at him, and cried.

"We could've been so good together," she said through the tears.