In a small village at the edge of a dense forest there lived a little kitten. None of the household animals showed him any interest, no one wanted to play with him: neither the puppy, nor the geese, nor 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 bundle, or they would steal a bone or take away his favourite toy.
Time went on. One cold winter's day, the kitten made the decision to leave for the forest so he wouldn't have to see or hear from those who had hurt him. Packing the bare essentials into his rucksack, the fluffy little bundle set off into the unknown.
Whether he wandered through the forest for a long time or a short time, he spotted a hollow in a tree and decided to make it his home. Fortunately for him, one of the forest creatures had stored food there. So he lived there for some time, trembling with fear of the darkness and various unfamiliar sounds.
But one day, overcoming his fear, he climbed out of his dwelling and came face to face with 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 the fact that it was night. Making his way deeper into the forest, he saw a brightly glowing decorated fir tree. Memories came flooding back, and he longed so much 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 knows; he lost track of time. Suddenly he heard cries—someone was calling for help. Without hesitation, he rushed towards the sound.
Arriving at a clearing, the kitten saw his old acquaintances: the puppy, the goose and the calf. They had huddled together, pressed against one another and were looking fearfully at an enormous grey animal. The kitten had already seen it near his dwelling. Assuming a defensive posture, his fur standing on end, the kitten hissed. He rushed to protect his long-time tormentors. The frightening animal bolted into the bushes and fled.
The kitten approached his frightened former bullies, and they didn't recognise him at first, for the small, clumsy and plain-looking kitten whom they had constantly hurt and humiliated had transformed into a real beauty. Now he could stand up not only for himself, but for others as well.
Please forgive us! We are 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.
