Stray

I've written this a while ago, but only after watching Oz last night that i decided to dig it up back and type it 'down'.By the by,this is not a request.

Once upon a time there was a boy who had a cat, a cat that was very playful and funny that it always make the boy happy.

One day, the boy went for a hike in the mountains with his cat in tow.As he passed a giant mulberry tree,the boy tripped over tree roots and almost fell over the mountain.Upon seeing its master in calamity,the cat jumped and pushed his master away from the edge.The cat however, fell into the ravine.

The boy was sad and cried on his way down the mountains.His tears and sobs were so loud that it woke up an old man who was sleeping under the mulberry tree.

"Why are you crying boy?"Asked the old man.

The boy was surprised,as he didn't notice the old man before.

"I am sad," he managed to answer between his sobs.
"Why are you sad then?"
"My cat fell over," he said pointing to the ravine.

The boy had actually stopped crying as he was perplexed by the appearance of the old man.His clothes changed from brown,the color of the bark, into black velvet, the color of the dark sky at night.
The color however reminded the boy of his cat,making him sad again.He was on the verge of crying when the man asked,

"Would you like to never feel sad again?"

The boy just nodded.Thus slowly the old man pull off the hat that he was wearing,a black pointy one,and put it on the boy's head.True to his words,the boy didn't feel sad anymore,so he started on his way home.

Along the way he met with Farmer Bauer.

"What happened to your cat,boy?"asked Farmer Bauer.
"It fell into the ravine,"said the boy.

Farmer Bauer felt sorry for the boy,so he invited the boy to tea,serving him the best cornbread and honey that the Farmer had.The boy ate silently,thanked the farmer impersonally and was soon on his way home.All the while the boy was sucking a barley mint,a present from the Farmer Bauer.

As the boy crossed the bridge,he met Lukas,the city jester.

"What happened to your cat,boy?" asked the Lukas.
"It fell into the ravine," said the boy.

Lukas pitied the boy so he presented his puppet show,the most famous in the city.The boy watched silently,thanked Lukas in return and was soon on his way home again.

Walking around the street corner,the boy passed Ian the cobbler.

"What happened to your cat,boy?" asked Ian.
"It fell into the ravine," said the boy.

Ian also felt sorry for the boy,that he decided to give the boy a new pair of shoes,one that was fit for a prince,with its tapered sides and silk lining.The boy wore them perfunctorily,thanked Ian the cobbler, and the boy was soon right on his way home.

Along the way the boy also met Shopkeeper Grouch,Carpenter Woody and Tailor Tim,who all felt sorry for the boy.Thus they all accordingly gave him a bags of the best licorice,a new and shiny wooden flute, and a magnificent coat.
The boy thanked all of them perfunctorily and continued on his journey home,steadily carrying all the presents and gifts.
The boy was apparently no longer sad,but he wasn't happy either.

As he arrived home,his mother asked,

"What happened to your cat,son?"
"It fell into the ravine," he replied.

So his mother gave him a new cat,to be exact still a kitten.The cat was with black spots,a very clumsy but adorable one,one that would to be to the liking of anyone that happen to fall eyes on it.The boy thanked his mother and later went for a walk with his new pet.

After a while they came upon the mulberry tree on the mountain when suddenly his pet clumsily and almost fell over.The boy bent over the edge to grab his cat.
The boy managed to save the cat but all of his presents and gifts fell over.His flute and shoes,coats and sweets,all fell over,followed lastly by the hat.The boy suddenly felt all the sadness came rushing back to him.
The boy sat there,feeling greatly sad upon losing his presents,devastatingly sad of losing his black cat, but the most sad of not being to be happy.


The End.


Illustration done by Amir Safwan Shuib