Mr. Johnson took his cat Pickles to the beach in Fort Lauderdale for two weeks at Christmas last year. Pickles really enjoyed the ocean. Cavorting in the waves, chasing the shore birds, picking up dead fish and things, running full speed at the water's edge, and finally leaping and shaking sand all over the oily sun-bather's in their chaise lounges.

You can imagine how surprised Mrs. Johnson was when her husband and Pickles pulled up into the driveway back home a week earlier than originally planned. "You two aren't supposed to be home for another week. What on earth happened?"

To which Mr. Johnson replied, in a rather terse voice, "I never DID believe in Sandy Claws."