In a small village on the edge of the forest there lived a cat named Murka. She was gray with bright stripes on her sides and white paws, as if wearing slippers.
Murka had five kittens. Four were just as gray and beautiful as she was, but the fifth one was black as coal with green eyes.
Murka's owner named the kitten Blackie. All of his brothers were taken by people, but Blackie didn't appeal to anyone.
One night the kitten couldn't fall asleep for a long time and began to meow sadly:
Meow, mama, meow, how will I live? I'm so ugly and nobody needs me. How unhappy I am...
The cat comforted her baby as best she could. She licked his fur, saying:
Happiness doesn't come from beauty, little one. Grow up to be kind, hardworking, and brave. Do good deeds. Then happiness and joy will come to you on their own.
But how should I work, what should I do? I don't know how to do anything.
Murka answered her kitten kindly but with knowledge:
We cats are needed in the village to protect homes from mice. If you do this simple job well, you will always be needed by everyone.
Then Blackie said very firmly and with unusual confidence for his age:
Meow, mama! I give you my word, meow-word, that I will learn to catch mice better than all the cats in our village. You will never be ashamed of me! I will be your pride!
Murka, already falling asleep and squinting her eyes, purred softly in response:
We'll see. Sleep, little one. You need to build up your strength. You're still too small.
Blackie talked about many things with his mama in the evenings, but he always remembered the promise he made to her.
Almost a year passed, and no one came to take Blackie. During this time he grew and became stronger, and learned to catch mice. His owner, Aunt Masha, liked this very much. She more and more often poured milk into his bowl and gave him tasty treats.
Blackie had gotten used to being different from the others, but the way people treated him upset him greatly. Whoever met him tried to chase him away or quickly run past him. Some even spat in his direction while muttering something.
One evening Blackie decided to take a walk through the village. Some mischievous boys saw the cat and chased him. Blackie had no choice but to jump into someone else's yard. He buried himself in hay in the barn and stayed still. After a while the cat became braver and decided to look around. Next to him stood a familiar cow named Rusty, who returned home from pasture every evening past Aunt Masha's house.
Rusty was looking out the window and waiting for evening milking. Noticing that Blackie had climbed out of the haystack, the cow mooed:
Moo-moo-moo, I haven't seen you here before. Where are you from, looking so frightened?
Blackie understood that no one would hurt him here and, becoming braver, told her about the reason for his unexpected visit.
Moo-moo-moo, ― mooed Rusty, ― I know those boys well. They scare all the animals around here with their stomping, but they don't mean any harm. But I thought it was the mice from the forest again, rustling in the hay. They're such troublemakers! They don't let us sleep at night, they get into everything, looking for something. They've chewed through everything, even the broom! They're nothing but trouble for the owners!
Blackie shook off the straw and declared proudly:
Well, I, by the way, meow, catch mice better than anyone! If I want to, I can get rid of them from here in one night!
Rusty looked at Blackie in surprise and mooed long:
Mooooo! You, little cat, seem to be quite a braggart! But if you really do chase the mice away from our yard, then you and I will be great friends. For such a good deed I will treat you to delicious fresh milk every day. Come on, let me pour some in your bowl, try it.
No, Rusty, I have to do the job first, ― answered Blackie, ― and then I won't refuse the milk. I love fresh milk. But now I need to go home. Mama is waiting for me. I'll definitely come back toward evening. Watch out, mice!
Blackie ran home to his mama and began eagerly telling her about his adventure and the promise he made to Rusty. Mama scolded him for bragging before doing the deed and gave him advice:
When you're catching mice, don't think about the milk. And if you think about the reward, the mice will outsmart you and escape. Mice must fear us cats. Remember that!
It grew dark, and Blackie set off to hunt. He spent the whole night so skillfully and swiftly chasing mice that by morning he didn't have the strength to reach his own yard. The kitten fell asleep on the hay next to Rusty.
In the morning the owner came into the barn to milk Rusty and take her to the herd. She saw Blackie sleeping on the hay and said:
What a good cat! I heard you hunting here. It's early morning and not a single mouse is scratching in the corners. Now let me pour you some milk, have a snack. You earned it! Well done!
Blackie shyly approached the bowl. The owner petted him and looked into his eyes:
Would you like to stay with us, green-eyed one? We'd be so happy!
Mrrrrrrr... Thank you for the treat and the invitation. I'll go home to mama, but I'll definitely come visit you. There won't be a single mouse here!
...With a feeling of enormous joy and happiness, Blackie ran toward his home.
Illustration design: Marchenko Margarita Sergeevna.
