Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: CAT (11/08/18)
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TITLE: Fear Not | Previous Challenge Entry
By Bonnie Kronberger
11/14/18 -
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But now she had a problem too big to handle. She wasn’t alone anymore. She had babies to care for, to feed, to protect,
Suddenly, the sound of voices made her hair stand on end. Laughter and chatter let her know that people were heading her way.
“Grandma, let’s look in the barn and see if the chickens laid any eggs on the hay bales.”
“Okay Brooklyn. Look in the corners because the chickens like a dark, quiet spot. JP, you look over here.”
The voices told her this place was no longer safe. Crouched down, her eyes looked up toward the top of the haystack, preparing for flight or fight. She sensed movement from above and decided it was now or never. With a glance at her babies, she leaped through a broken wooden board in the barn wall and disappeared from sight.
Brooklyn screamed as she tumbled down the haystack. “Oh Grandma. That cat sure scared me when it jump up and ran off.”
Grandma struggled to not burst out laughing at the sight of Brooklyn’s big eyes. “That was a surprise. Let’s take a look.”
They climbed up the small haystack. Looking down, slight movement of a small pile of fur and soft squeaking sounds gave a clue to what they had found.
“My word!” Grandma exclaimed. “Someone dumped another cat off and it looks like she had kittens. Poor things. Let’s take a closer look.”
They scrambled down. It didn’t take long to pull boards loose and closely observe the babies. A mound of white and gray stirred, heads searching for the comfort of Mama. Closer examination revealed their eyes were partially crusted shut.
“They look a couple of weeks old. Let’s go get a box and towels and see what we can do.”
Before long, the three kittens were being held and cuddled, as Grandma, Brooklyn, and JP snuggled them against their warm bodies. They talked in soft cooing voices to their new charges. The kitten’s eyes had been gently cleaned, and now the task was to let these babies know someone cared for them and they didn’t need to be afraid.
The family built an enclosure near the corner of the barn. Window screens and boxes were taped together with the top opened. This allowed Mama cat to return to feed her babies, but she was unable to lift them over the enclosure to hide them away. She was much too wild and afraid to hang around, but her mothering instinct brought her back for regular feedings, as long as no one was around.
The grandkids came as often as possible to hold and love on the kittens. They would take them to the porch and let them crawl all over them. There was lots of laughter and oohhs and aahhs as the kittens climbed and tumbled over each other.
“Can we name them? Please.”
“Sure.” Grandma said. “What do you have the in mind.”
JP and Brooklyn glanced at each other with a knowing look. Brooklyn pointed to the gray kitten. “This one is Love.”
JP placed his hand on the smaller white kitten. “This one is Peace.”
Brooklyn scooped up the larger white kitten that had six toes and in unison with JP shouted, “This one is Joy.”
Everyone clapped and laughed with delight at the perfect names for the three little kittens.
Mama Cat was an invisible presence throughout the weeks. Her babies were always ready to eat when she came to feed them. Once they were full, they would snuggle together and sleep. As time went by and the kittens grew stronger, Mama Cat knew they didn’t need her anymore. She was too afraid to let down her guard and trust these people for her own safety, but sensed her babies were safe with them. With a last glance, she headed off to the fields, never to return.
God, looking down from heaven, was pleased to see His children caring for His creatures.
Psalms 50:10-11 “For every beast of the forest is mine…..and everything that moves in the field is mine.”
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