The cat could see a mouse floating on a piece of wood in the sea. He couldn’t wait to meet this little morsel – a piece of meat was all he could think. “Come here,” he shouted aloud to the little mouse. “Let me save you.” Given his predicament, the mouse allowed that maybe the cat meant no harm. He turned the bow of his little raft towards the shore and peddled as hard as he could. As he drew near, the kitty extended a bough of a tree towards him and he gripped it, but now he could see the cat clearly. The cat’s claws were all too sharp and his mouth was packed full of sharp teeth.
“Remember our pact,” the mouse yelled back. “You are going to save me, not eat me; that was the clause!” The cat, all too hungry, snarled in response and swiped at the mouse, trying to catch him. His claws missed and the mouse peddled backwards. The claws had gotten close – they had caught a bit of his clothes! His feet hit the water and he peddled and splashed, pulling quickly out of reach of the cat’s grasp. The sudden change in attitude put him in a daze; he wondered if he would ever have better days.
He kicked and he kicked until the cat was out of sight – but now so was the beach, and any hope of a landing site!
Depressed and alone, the mouse floated at sea, staring at the horizon, hoping against hope it was land he would see. For hours he drifted, alone on the sea, until finally he fell asleep. When he awoke, a small friendly face peered at him. A little woman with wings – a fairy! She gave him a knowing smile and said, “Let me ferry you to the shore, or you’ll soon be dead.”
She gave him the end of a small vine to hold, and then flew as hard as she could, pulling the little mouse behind. Before long, the shore appeared again, and the mouse breathed a sigh. He couldn’t believe his good luck has arrived.
As the piece of the wood bumped into the sand, he bowed to the fairy and after a pause, he took her hands between his soft, furry paws. “Thank you sweet angel. I will forever pray for your health and good fortune. For you see, sweet angel, without you, I would be the prey of the sea.”
She laughed at him then and flitted away, cautioning him as she went, “Be careful, little mouse. There are many dangers ahead, if you find the right friends, they will always help you succeed. ”
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