In a small village at the edge of a dense forest lived a little kitten. None of the household animals showed any interest in him, and no one wanted to play with him: not the puppy, not the geese, not the little calf. They all insisted that he was too small, clumsy, and plain-looking, with fur that always stuck out in all directions.
Everyone tried to hurt the kitten: they would secretly lick away the sour cream that the owner sometimes gave his little fluffy ball, or they would steal a bone or take away his favorite toy.
Time went on. One cold winter day, the kitten decided to leave for the forest so he wouldn't see or hear from his tormentors anymore. Packing the bare essentials into a backpack, the fluffy little ball set off into the unknown.
Whether he wandered long or short through the forest, he found a hollow in a tree and decided to live there. Fortunately, one of the forest animals had stored food there. So he lived for some time, trembling from fear of the darkness and various unfamiliar sounds.
But one day, overcoming his fear, he crawled out of his home 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 ran 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 Christmas tree. Memories flooded 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.
How long the kitten wandered is unknown; he lost track of time. Suddenly he heard cries—someone was calling for help. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the sound.
Coming to 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 gray animal. The kitten had already seen it near his home. Assuming a defensive posture with 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 recognize him at first. The small, clumsy, and plain kitten they had constantly hurt and humiliated had transformed into a true 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 did.
The rescued farm animals begged 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 petted him for a long, long time.
