MILLIONS-OF-CATS

Onceuponatimetherewasaveryoldmanandaveryoldwoman.Theylivedinanicecleanhousewhichhadowersallaroundit,exceptwherethedoorwas.Buttheycouldn'tbehappybecausetheyweresoverylonely.“Ifonlywehadacat!”sighedtheveryoldwoman.“Acat?”askedtheveryoldman.“Yes,asweetlittleuffycat,”saidtheveryoldwoman.“Iwillgetyouacat,mydear,”saidtheveryoldman.Andhesetoutoverthehillstolookforone.Heclimbedoverthesunnyhills.Hetrudgedthroughthecoolvalleys.Hewalkedalong,longtimeandatlasthecametoahillwhichwasquitecoveredwithcats.Catshere,catsthere.Catsandkittens,everywhere.Hundredsofcats,Thousandofcats,Millionsandbillionsandtrillionsofcats.“Oh,”criedtheoldmanjoyfully,“NowIcanchoosetheprettiestcatandtakeithomewithme!”Sohechoseone.Itwaswhite.Butjustashewasabouttoleave,hesawanotheroneallblackandwhiteanditseemedjustasprettyastherst.Sohetookthisonealso.Butthenhesawafuzzygraykittenwayoverherewhichwaseverybitasprettyastheotherssohetookittoo.Andnowhesawonewaydowninacorner,whichhethoughttoolovelytoleavesohetookthistoo.Andjustthen,overhere,theveryoldmanfoundakitten,whichwasblackandverybeautiful.“Itwouldbeashametoleavethatone,”saidtheveryoldman.Sohetookit.Andnow,overthere,hesawacat,whichhadbrownandyellowstripeslikeababytiger.“Isimplymusttakeit!”criedtheveryoldman,andhedid.Soithappenedthateverytimetheveryoldmanlookedup,hesawanothercatwhichwassoprettyhecouldnotbeartoleaveit,andbeforeheknewit,hehadchosenthemall.Andsohewentbackoverthesunnyhillsanddownthroughthecoolvalleys,toshowallhisprettykittenstotheveryoldwoman.Itwasveryfunnytoseethosehundredsandthousandsandmillionsandbillionsandtrillionsofcatsfollowinghim.Theycametoapond.“Mew,mew!Wearethirsty!”criedtheHundredsofcats,Thousandsofcats,Millionsandbillionsandtrillionsofcats.“Well,hereisagreatdealofwater,”saidtheveryoldman.Eachcattookasipofwater,andthepondwasgone!“Mew,mew!Nowwearehungry!”saidtheHundredsofcats,Thousandsofcats,Millionsandbillionsandtrillionsofcats.“Thereismuchgrassonthehills,”saidtheveryoldman.Eachcatateamouthfulofgrassandnotabladewasleft!Prettysoontheveryoldwomansawthemcoming.“Mydear!”shecried,“Whatareyoudoing?Iaskedforonelittlecat,andwhatdoIsee?–“Catshere,catsthere,Catsandkittenseverywhere,Hundredsofcats,Thousandsofcats,Millionsandbillionsandtrillionsofcats.“Butwecanneverfeedthemall,”saidtheveryoldwoman,“Theywilleatusoutofhouseandhome.”“Ineverthoughtofthat,'saidtheveryoldman,“Whatshallwedo?”Theveryoldwomanthoughtforawhileandthenshesaid,“Iknow!Iwillletthecatsdecidewhichoneweshouldkeep.”“Ohyes,”saidtheveryoldman,andhecalledtothecats,“Whichoneofyouistheprettiest?”“Iam!”“Iam!”“No,Iam!”“No,Iamtheprettiest!”“Iam!”“No,Iam!Iam!Iam!”criedhundredsandthousandsandmillionsandbillionsandtrillionsofvoices,foreachcatthoughtitselftheprettiest.Andtheybegantoquarrel.Theybitandscratchedandclawedeachotherandmadesuchagreatnoisethattheveryoldmanandtheveryoldwomanranintothehouseasfastastheycould.Theydidnotlikesuchquarrelling.Butafterawhilethenoisestoppedandtheveryoldmanandtheveryoldwomanpeepedoutofthewindowtoseewhathadhappened.Theycouldnotseeasinglecat!“Ithinktheymusthaveeateneachotherallup,”saidtheveryoldwoman,“It'stoobad!”“Butlook!”saidtheveryoldman,andhepointedtoabunchofhighgrass.Initsatonelittlefrightenedkitten.Theywentoutandpickeditup.Itwasthinandscraggly.“Poorlittlekitty,”saidtheveryoldwoman.“Dearlittlekitty,”saidtheveryoldman,“howdoesithappenthatyouwerenoteatenupwithallthosehundredsandthousandsandmillionsandbillionsandtrillionsofcats?”“Oh,I'mjustaveryhomelylittlecat,”saidthekitten,“Sowhenyouaskedwhowastheprettiest,Ididn'tsayanything.Sonobodybotheredaboutme.Theytookthekittenintothehouse,wheretheveryoldwomangaveitawarmbathandbrusheditsfuruntilitwassoftandshiny.Everydaytheygaveitplentyofmilk––andsoonitgrewniceandplump.“Anditisaveryprettycat,afterall!”saidtheveryoldwoman.“Itisthemostbeautifulcatinthewholeworld,”saidtheveryoldman.“Ioughttoknow,forI'veseen–Hundredsofcats,Thousandsofcats,Millionsandbillionsandtrillionsofcats-andnotonewasasprettyasthisone.”