A long time ago, a big tall cat lived in a little forest. Every day, all the bugs, reptiles, and rodents gathered in a small clearing by the lake for school. The cat attended, too; she was lonely. She sat in the back and as she listened to the lessons, she studied and admired the group of three mice in the front. They wore pretty leaf dresses and fancy berry lipstick.
“They are so beautiful,” the cat thought.
The next day, she raced eagerly to class. She wore a pretty leaf dress and fancy berry lipstick. The mice swarmed around her.
“You look just like us! Hey, I’m throwing a party Saturday night at my house on Leaf Avenue. You should most definitely come!” said the gray mouse. “But my front door is eight inches high…hope to see you there!”
On Friday night, the cat fashioned a magic leaf blanket. At bedtime, she jumped up into her high tree and pulled her blanket tightly around her. She closed her eyes tight and prayed, “Please make me small.” That night, her wish came true. As she slept, the magic blanket squeezed her. When she awoke, she was relieved to find her legs one inch shorter. She squealed in delight.
That night, the cat raced eagerly through the forest to Leaf Avenue, preparing herself for the time of her life – a chance to dance, laugh, and gossip with her best friends. But when she arrived, she stopped in her tracks. She was too tall. The gray mouse suddenly appeared in the open doorway, flanked on either side by the black and brown mice.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was only seven inches high. Let’s hang out another time,” said the gray mouse. The cat turned away slowly, whiskers drooping, and began the long walk back home. The gray mouse called out, “Hey! Nice to see you.” The cat’s head whipped back around towards the mouse. Suddenly a wave of white mice, lizards, and ladybugs from behind her rushed past and flooded through the open door.
“Silly me, she wasn’t talking to me,” thought the cat.
The following Monday at school, the group of mice approached her at lunch. The black mouse spoke. “I’m throwing a party tomorrow night at my house on Wood Lane. My front door is seven inches high, too. You should most definitely come!” The cat’s ears perked up.
“Of course, I’ll be there!” said the cat.
At bedtime, she jumped up into her high tree and pulled her magic blanket tightly around her. She closed her eyes tight and prayed and prayed, “Please make me small. Please make me small.” That night, her wish came true. As she slept, the magic blanket squeezed and squeezed. When she awoke, she was relieved to find her legs one inch shorter. She was ecstatic.
That night, the cat raced eagerly to Wood Lane. But when she arrived, she stopped in her tracks. Again, she was too tall. The black mouse suddenly appeared in the open doorway, flanked on either side by the brown and gray mice. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was only six inches high. Let’s hang out another time,” said the black mouse. The cat turned away slowly, tail tucked between her legs, and headed back home.
The next day at school, the group of mice approached her at brunch. The brown mouse spoke. “I’m throwing a party tomorrow night at my house on Willow Court. My front door is six inches high, too. You should most definitely come!” The cat’s face lit up.
“Of course, I’ll be there!” said the cat.
At bedtime, she jumped up into her tree and pulled her magic blanket tightly around her. She closed her eyes tight and prayed and prayed and prayed, “Please make me small. Please make me small. Please make me small.” That night, her wish came true. As she slept, the magic blanket squeezed and squeezed and squeezed. When she awoke, she was relieved to find her legs one inch shorter. A tear slipped down her cheek. “Finally,” she thought.
That night, the cat raced eagerly to Willow Court. When she arrived, she stopped in her tracks. For the third time, she was too tall. The brown mouse suddenly appeared in the open doorway, flanked on either side by the black and gray mice.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was only five inches high. Let’s hang out another time,” said the brown mouse. The cat turned away slowly, head sagging low, and dragged herself back to her tree.
At bedtime, she fashioned a double-strength, mega-powerful magic blanket. Holding it with one paw, she leaped off the ground and…fell back onto the hard-packed soil. “My tree…I can’t jump high enough to reach even the lowest branch,” she wailed. In the dirty, wet leaves, she crumpled up into a tight ball, and hours later, she finally fell asleep.
The cat arrived late to school that morning. Her under-eyes were dark. Her stomach grumbled; her breakfast outran her.
During class, she looked over across the clearing at the mice and to her surprise, they looked back. And then they whispered to each other. And then they giggled. And then they laughed and laughed and laughed. In a flurry of rage, she leaped out of her seat and sprinted full speed toward them. They dashed around a log and into the nearest cluster of trees. She followed. She chased them as fast as she could, but they were out of sight in a flash. Catching them? She couldn’t even do that.
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