In a small village on the edge of a forest there once lived a cat named Murka. She was grey with bright stripes on her sides and white paws, as if she were wearing slippers.
Murka had five kittens. Four were just as grey and beautiful as she was, but the fifth 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 mew pitifully:
Meow, Mum, meow, how will I live? I'm so ugly and nobody needs me. I'm so unhappy…
The cat comforted her little one as best she could. She licked his fur, saying:
Happiness doesn't lie in beauty, little one. Grow up to be kind, hardworking, brave, and do good deeds. Then happiness and joy will come to you of their own accord.
But how should I work, what should I do? I can't do anything.
Murka answered her kitten affectionately but with expert knowledge:
We cats are needed in the village to protect homes from mice. If you do these simple duties well, you will always be needed by everyone.
Then Blackie said very firmly and with unusual confidence for his age:
Meow, Mum! 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 back barely audibly:
We shall see. Sleep, little one. You need to build up your strength. You're still very small.
Blackie would talk about many things with his mum in the evenings, but he always remembered the promise he had made to her.
Almost a year passed, and no one had taken Blackie. During this time he had grown and become stronger, and had learned to catch mice. Blackie's owner, Aunt Masha, liked this very much. She increasingly poured milk into his bowl and gave him tasty treats.
Blackie had already grown used to being different from the others, but the way people treated him upset him greatly. Whoever met him would try to chase him away or hurry past him, not letting him go first. Some even spat in his direction, muttering something.
One evening Blackie decided to take a walk through the village. Some mischievous boys saw the cat and chased after him. Blackie had no choice but to jump into someone else's yard. He burrowed into the hay in the cowshed 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 of the window and waiting for the evening milking. Noticing that Blackie had crawled out of the haystack, the cow lowed:
Moo-moo-moo, I haven't seen you here before. Where are you from, looking so frightened?
Blackie realised that no one would hurt him here and, becoming braver, told her about the reason for his unexpected visit.
Moo-moo-moo, ― lowed Rusty, ― I've known those boys for a long time, they frighten all the animals around 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 a nuisance, the rascals! They don't let us sleep at night, they get everywhere, looking for something. They've gnawed 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'll get them out of here in one night!
Rusty looked at Blackie in surprise and lowed at length:
Mooooo! You, kitten, seem to be quite a boaster! But if you really do drive 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 warm milk every day. Come on, I'll pour some into your bowl, try it.
No, Rusty, I must do the job first, ― answered Blackie, ― and then I won't refuse the milk. I do love warm milk. But now I must go home. Mum is waiting for me. I'll definitely come back towards evening. Watch out, mice!
Blackie ran home to his mum and began eagerly telling her about his adventure and the promise he had made to Rusty. Mum scolded him for praising himself before doing the deed and gave him advice:
When you catch the mice, don't think about the milk. And if you think about the reward, the mice won't run away anywhere, they'll outwit you. Mice must be afraid of us cats. Remember that!
It grew dark, and Blackie set off to hunt. He chased mice all night so cleverly and swiftly 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 cowshed 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 I'll pour you some milk, have a bite. You've earned it! Well done!
Blackie shyly approached the bowl. The owner stroked him and looked into his eyes:
Would you like to stay with us, green-eyed one? We'd be delighted!
Purrrrr… Thank you for the treat and the invitation. I'll go home to my mum, but I'll definitely come to visit you. There won't be a single mouse here!
…With a feeling of enormous joy and happiness, Blackie ran towards his home.
Illustration design: Marchenko Margarita Sergeevna.
