 The Cat brings in a big red box from outside , from which he releases two identical creatures with blue hair and red suits called Thing One and Thing Two . The Things cause more trouble , such as flying kites in the house , knocking pictures off the wall and picking up the children 's mother 's new polka @-@ dotted gown . All this comes to an end when the fish spots the children 's mother out the window . In response , Sally 's brother catches the Things in a net , and the Cat , apparently ashamed , stores them back in the big red box . He takes it out the front door as the fish and the children survey the mess he has made . But the Cat soon returns , riding a machine that picks everything up and cleans the house , delighting the fish and the children . The Cat leaves just before their mother arrives , and the fish and the children are back where they started at the beginning of the story . As she steps in , the mother asks the children what they did while she was out , but the children are hesitant and do not answer . The story ends with the question , " What would you do if your mother asked you ? " 
