Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Sherpa Kitty



HOW SHERPA KITTY GOT HER HOODIE

Once and not so long ago, upon an ageless time there lived a lonely kitty near a frozen lake in a large valley nestled below the Himalayan Mountains. The little kitty was far too poor for Birkenstocks or warm lederhosen, nor did she even have a traditional Chuba-Robe to wear in the cold. She was often seen however, wearing a blue lambskin hoodie made of fur and silk thread, which came to her possession thanks to the lazy little girl who lived in a nearby village. Often neighboring animals would call her little Hoodie Cat but she would always exclaim "but I am Sherpa Kitty!" And so Sherpa Kitty is how everyone in the valley knew her.

This is the story of how Sherpa Kitty came upon her blue thread hoodie.

One day a lazy little girl who lived in a nearby village gave Sherpa Kitty a basket with some cakes and warm goats milk packed away inside and asked Sherpa Kitty to walk to the other side of the valley across the frozen lake to where Grandma Porter lay sick in her bed.

"Remember not to talk to strangers!" the little girl said.

On the way to Grandma Porter's cottage of stone and bamboo, Sherpa Kitty met a fierce Yeti.

"Is that you, Sherpa Kitty?" Asked the big bad looking Yeti.

"It is I, Sherpa Kitty," she replied "and who might you be Yeti?"

"I am the mighty Yeti Yeshe." He boldly replied "And where might you be going this frightfully cold day?"

"I am off to Grandma Porter's cottage far across the valley to the other side of the frozen lake to deliver this basket of goodies for the lazy little girl who warned me not to talk to strangers." said Sherpa Kitty.

"It is good we met then, Sherpa Kitty for now we are not strangers and I would be no gentleman if I did not offer to escort you on your long journey to the far side of the valley beyond the frozen lake." said the great Yeti Yeshe.

"Oh no, Mr. Yeshe I have promised the lazy little girl that I would not trust in strangers and must make hast around the lake if I am to make it to Grandma Porter's cottage before dark."

"I respect your wishes Sherpa Kitty although I worry about the wisdom of your choice." said the Yeti Yeshe. "But I will leave you to your journey and wish you well."

At that very moment the great Yeti turned away and blended into the snowy background as he dashed out of Sherpa Kitty's sight and far from Sherpa Kitty's thoughts.

"I must quickly be away." thought Sherpa Kitty for I have many hours of travel before me.

It was not long until she encountered Ounce, a snow leopard known throughout the valley to be of low regard and who smelled Grandma Porter’s basket from more than a mile away then tracked and stalked Sherpa Kitty for the longest time before presenting himself.

"Hello Sherpa Kitty, where are you going this fine frozen day?"

"I am going to Grandma Porter's cottage to deliver this basket of cakes and goat's milk for Grandma Porter feels not well this day." replied Sherpa Kitty.

"And why must you perform this thankless deed Sherpa Kitty?" asked the hungry snow leopard who was no leopard at all but a mean panther dressed all in white leopard fur with gentle tawny spots to blend into the countryside when he stalked his prey. "Why don't you just sit down and take a break, you look weary and hungry. Perhaps we could share what is in the basket?

"Oh no! Ounce, this is for Grandma Porter who lives across the valley beyond the frozen lake and I must hurry to reach her before the dark night falls."

"It is too bad you will not share your basket Sherpa Kitty, I could take it from you had I a mind too" thought Ounce ready to pounce, but at that very moment he detected a movement of shadow just so, in the snow bank behind and beyond Sherpa Kitty that brought to mind a juicy snow hare. A much better treat than stale cakes and goats milk for a hungry panther dressed as a snow leopard, so he bound off without so much as a goodbye to Sherpa Kitty in pursuit of possible prey.

Sherpa Kitty continued her trek across the white wilderness of the vast valley below the Himalayan peaks and hours passed while the sun slowly fell to earth ready to slide behind the tall mountains when suddenly, before her eyes emerged the site of Grandma Porter's stone and bamboo cottage.

Very excited to be concluding her journey and anxious to share her basket with sickly Grandma Porter, Sherpa Kitty rushed to the cottage, and knocked loudly on the door; for she knew Grandma Porter was deaf beyond her years and a heavy sleeper as well. If she were asleep in her sickbed, Sherpa Kitty knew not how she would raise grandma Porter's attention, but her fears were set aside when a low growl came from inside the house.

"Come in!" said the low gravelly voice from behind the door. "uh hummm, come in deary" came a higher strained voice welcoming Sherpa Kitty into the cottage.

Dashing in from the cold, Sherpa Kitty was happy to find Grandma Porter in bed with a roaring fire warming the gray stone walls of the cottage. Sherpa Kitty took a moment to appreciate the cozy hearth and shake off the snow from her fur in the doorway.

"Come here little Sherpa Kitty, and bring me that basket." Said the strained high pitch voice from Grandma Porter's bed. "Come sit beside me if you will and tell me of the goodies you brought me."

"How do you know who I am?" asked Sherpa Kitty.

"Everyone in the valley has heard of Sherpa Kitty!" growled the voice from the bed. "Now bring me my basket!"

The creature in the bed looked odd to Sherpa Kitty and she declared "My what white fur you have grandma!"

"All the better to keep warm my pretties" came the answer.

"And my, what big eyes you have grandma!" said Sherpa Kitty.

"All the better to see one so itty bitties." was the reply.

"And oh, my! What big teeth you have!" exclaimed Sherpa Kitty.

"All the better to eats the little kitties!" roared Ounce as he pounced from the bed.

It was once and not so long ago, upon an ageless time that there lived a lonely kitty near a frozen lake in a large valley nestled below the Himalayan mountains.

The young cat, known far and wide as Sherpa Kitty was talking to the lazy little girl who lived in a near bye village.

"And what happened next?" begged the lazy little girl.

"There is much to tell and I am weary and cold." said Sherpa Kitty.

"Oh my, Sherpa Kitty, please take this blue hoodie to cover your cold ears." Offered the lazy little girl. "You may keep it, I have a red one at home that matches my cape any ways."

"Thank you," replied Sherpa Kitty, "I will wear it always."

"Now tell me please! What happened after Ounce pounced on you?"

Now old Ounce was quite angry when he discovered there was no snow hare to be found, and after carefully searching the area, Sherpa Kitty was long gone as well. That is when the sinister mind of Ounce created a plan to steal Grandma Porter's basket from Sherpa Kitty.

Ounce knew of a shortcut to Grandma Porter's cottage and dashed away across the frozen lake dodging and leaping over dangerous thin ice patches and reached Grandma Porter's cottage just moments before Sherpa Kitty. He snuck up on Grandma Porter as she slept and whisked her away into a broom closet, as there was no time to do anything else when Sherpa Kitty knocked loudly on the front door. Ounce quickly crawled under the covers of Grandma Porter's bed, pulling them up tightly to his chin.

"Come in!" Ounce called out in a low gravelly voice from beneath the covers. "uh hummm, come in deary" he said with a higher strained voice after clearing his throat.

Sherpa Kitty burst through the door so fast it startled Ounce making him believe that she already knew what was amiss, but then as Sherpa Kitty shook the snow off of her fur, he realized she was merely eager to get in out of the cold.

"Come here little Sherpa Kitty, and bring me that basket." Ounce spoke with a strained high pitch voice from Grandma Porter's bed. "Come sit beside me if you will and tell me of the goodies you brought me."

"How do you know who I am?" asked a wary Sherpa Kitty.

"Everyone in the valley has heard of Sherpa Kitty!" Ounce said after thinking hard and fast. "Now bring me my basket!"

Sherpa Kitty looked puzzled and a little frightened and declared "My what white fur you have grandma!"

"All the better to keep warm my pretties" Ounce replied.

"And my, what big eyes you have grandma!" said Sherpa Kitty.

"All the better to see one so itty bitties." Ounce growled.

"And oh, my! What big teeth you have!" exclaimed Sherpa Kitty.

"All the better to eats the little kitties!" roared Ounce as he pounced from the bed.

Just at that moment the door burst open and the great white Yeti named Yeshe grabbed Ounce by the gruff of his neck, dragging the fiercely indignant snow leopard outside and then flung Ounce far over the lake bed where the sound of ice cracking and water splashing could be heard upon his descent.

Grandma Porter then came stumbling out of the closet so Yeshe and Sherpa Kitty put her back to bed and they all had cakes and goats milk and laughed at poor Ounce soaked to the bone and learning how to swim at his age.

Upon reflecting on the question posed by the lazy little girl from the nearby village, Sherpa Kitty replied; "Let's just say a wise friend knew when to not be a stranger."

The End

1 comment:

sue said...

Now, this has the taste of Lil' Red Riding Hood... maybe too close?