In a small village at the edge of a dense forest there once lived a little kitten. None of the household animals showed him any interest, and no one wanted to play with him: not the puppy, not the geese, not the little calf. They all insisted that he was far too small, clumsy and plain-looking, with his fur always sticking up in all directions.
Everyone tried to upset the kitten: they would secretly lick away his sour cream, which the owner sometimes gave to his little fluffy ball, or they would steal a bone or take away his favourite toy.
Time went on. One cold winter's day, the kitten decided to leave for the forest so he wouldn't have to see or hear from his tormentors. Packing the bare essentials into a rucksack, the fluffy little ball set off into the woods.
Whether he wandered for a long time or a short time, he eventually spotted a hollow in a tree and decided to make it his home. Luckily, one of the forest animals had stored food there. So he lived there for a while, trembling with fear of the darkness and the various unfamiliar sounds.
But one day, overcoming his fear, he climbed out of his dwelling and bumped into an unfamiliar creature. The stranger seemed enormous to him. The kitten was frightened, tucked his fluffy tail between his legs, pressed himself to the ground, and his fur stood on end. And instead of a quiet meow, out came a confident hiss. At that sound, the unknown creature bolted away, breaking everything in its path.
Curiosity overcame fear, and the kitten decided to continue exploring the surroundings, despite it being nighttime. Making his way deeper into the forest, he spotted a brightly lit decorated Christmas tree. Memories came flooding back, and he longed to see his owner, to feel his hand on his head, to purr a little song for him. Hanging his head, the kitten wandered on, not knowing where he was going.
How long the kitten wandered, no one could say—he'd lost all sense of time. Suddenly he heard cries for help. Without thinking, he rushed towards the sound.
Arriving at a clearing, the kitten saw his old acquaintances: the puppy, the goose and the calf. They huddled together, pressed against each other and looked frightened at an enormous grey animal. The kitten had already seen this creature near his dwelling. Striking a defensive pose, his fur standing on end, the kitten hissed. He rushed to protect his old tormentors. The frightening animal bolted into the bushes and ran away.
The kitten approached his frightened former bullies, and they didn't recognise him at first. The small, clumsy and plain kitten they had constantly bullied and humiliated had transformed into a real beauty. Now he could stand up not only for himself, but for others too.
Please forgive us! We're so ashamed of what we've done.
The rescued farm animals pleaded for forgiveness.
But the kitten had long since forgiven them and held no grudge. Together they all returned home. The owner came out to meet them, picked up the kitten in his arms and stroked him for a long, long time.
