The Tale of Peter-Pounce (Part 1)

Once upon a time there were four little kittens, and their names were—Flopsy-Fur, Mopsy-Mew, Cotton-Tail-Kit, and Peter-Pounce. 🐾 They lived with their mother, Old Mrs. Tabby-Cat, in a very comfortable hollow under the roots of a very large, very old armchair in the Library. 🏠📚🛋️

"Now, my dears," said old Mrs. Tabby-Cat one morning, "you may go into the hallway or down the Great Indoor River, but do not go into the Sun-Room Garden. It is a place of great Brightness and even greater Danger. Your father had an accident there; he was caught in the 'Closed-Blind-Tangle' and had to be rescued by the Resident Staff with a pair of very scary scissors." 🚫☀️✂️🙀

Flopsy-Fur, Mopsy-Mew, and Cotton-Tail-Kit, who were good little kittens, went down the hallway to hunt for stray pieces of blue lint. 🐭👗 They were very aesthetic kittens, and they knew that lint-hunting was a very dignified pursuit for a young feline. 💅✨

But Peter-Pounce, who was very naughty, ran straight away to the Sun-Room Garden, and squeezed under the heavy oak door! ⚡️🚀🚪

First he found some loose potting soil, and he dug a very impressive (but very messy) hole. 🪴🐾 Then he found some spider-plants, and he gave them a very thorough "nibble-audit." He felt very grand indeed. He was a cat of adventure! He was a kitten of the wild! 🦁🌿✨

And then, feeling a little bit peckish, he looked for some cat-grass. 🌱🥘

But round the end of a large terracotta pot, whom should he meet but the Resident Staff! 😱 The Staff was on their hands and knees, planting new succulents, but they jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a spray-bottle and calling out, "Stop thief! Stop pouncer!" 📢💦🏃‍♂️💨

Peter-Pounce was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the door. 🙀🌀 He lost one of his velvet paw-pads (which was actually just a bit of stuck-on fluff) among the ferns, and the other paw-pad among the cacti. 🌵🐾

After losing them, he ran on four paws and went faster, so that I think he might have got away altogether if he had not unfortunately run into a **Floral Garden Perch** and got caught by the decorative vines! 🏰🌿🧗‍♂️

It was a very beautiful perch, decorated with faux cat-safe greenery to give an "outdoor garden" feel indoors. 🌸🌿 Peter-Pounce gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by some friendly House-Flies, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself. 🪰🎙️💪

Just then, the Resident Staff came up with a soft micro-fiber towel which they intended to pop upon the top of Peter-Pounce; but Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his little blue bowtie behind him. 🎀 wriggle-wriggle!

He rushed into the laundry room, and jumped into a basket. It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not had so much damp laundry in it. 🧺💦

The Resident Staff was quite sure that Peter-Pounce was somewhere in the laundry room, perhaps hidden underneath a tea-towel. They began to turn them over carefully, looking under each one. 🧺🕵️‍♂️

Presently Peter-Pounce sneezed—'Kertyschoo!' The Resident Staff was after him in no time. 🤧💨🏃‍♂️

Ready for the next chapter? How will Peter escape the damp laundry room? Find out in Part 2! 🐾✨