The Birthday Kitten

The Birthday Kitten

It was Peter's birthday ー and will you believe it, all he had was one card, and one present !
Peter lived with his Aunt Sally, and she wasn't very fond of small boy, and didn't really know what they liked.
So Peter's one present was a new pair of socks ー and socks aren't at all exciting, are they, for a birthday ?

" I did so want that big book of adventure stories in the bookshop, " thought poor Peter, as he pulled on his new socks.
Peter went to school as usual, and because it was his birthday the children clapped their hands eight times for him ー he was eight, you see ー and he liked that very much.
On the way home he saw something under a hedge, and he looked to see what it was.
At first he thought it was a big grey mouse.

But it wasn't.
It was a tiny tabby kitten !
Peter couldn't think how it had come there, for there was no house near.
It was mewing, for the weather was cold, and the kitten was hungry.

Peter was kind and he bent over the tiny creature.
" You poor little thing ! " he said.
" I can't leave you here. I shall take you home under my coat. "
So he popped the tiny creature inside his coat ー it did feel nice there ー and ran home with it.

Aunt Sally was not pleased to see it.
She said Peter could only keep it if it lived outside in the shed.

So Peter made it a warm bed there, and fed it every day himself.
The kitten grew and grew. It became fat and sleek. it purred loudly.
It loved Peter very much and always ran to welcome him home from school.

One morning the schoolteacher said that, for a treat, the children should have a pet show.
They could each bring their pets, and she would look at them all, and see which was the best care-for.
So, of course, Peter brought his cat along, too.
It was still a kitten, but big and fat, and its striped fur was as soft as silk.

It was fun that day at school.
Ellen brought her canary in its cage. John brought his dog and so did George.
Mary took her white rabbit and Doris had a tortoise, but it was asleep in its cage, for the winter, and they didn't wake it.
Henry had a cat and so had Nellie. And, of course, Peter had his kitten, which he said was his birthday kitten because he had found it on his birthday.

The teacher looked hard at every animal and bird.
She said they all looked well-cared-for and happy.
But when she came to Peter's tabby kitten, purring loudly and looking so fat and silky and sleek, she really couldn't help picking it up to stroke it.

" Pete, your kitten wins the prize ! " she said.
" she is simply beautiful ー quite perfect ! I can see you love her and look after her well. Go and fetch the prize from the table. "

And what do you think the prize was ?
Guess !
Yes ー it was the big book of adventure stories !
Peter was so delighted ー he had got what he wanted after all.

" You are real birthday kitten ! " he said to his cat.
" You have brought me the birthday present I so badly wanted ! "

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