Kids Story – Yellow is the Colour of Courage
Photo credit: monosodium from morguefile.com
Once upon a time, there lived a little kitten called Sulfur. She was yellow in colour, with mustard stripes across her back. But her ears and her tail were white. She was a cute little girl and had many friends, and they could often be seen running down the market street or the main town road, playing ‘It’ or ‘Tag’ or one of their various games. Balls of fur streaking along, yowling and meowing loudly as they passed.
They were favourites with the towns-people. Sulfur and her best friend Beryl, named for her green eyes, went daily to the barn -yard where the best milk was bartered for by a stern-looking matron in grey. But a smile from Sulfur and a friendly purr, softened the old lady and she would treat all the youngsters to some fresh milk and a story or two. What a wonderful time that was!!
But one day, a handsome young tan tabby, arrived at the town-square to meet the mayor. He had brought news about the advance of a pack of dogs that were raiding and looting and burning the countryside. The Marshall at once began organizing a force of the town’s best cats and tabbys to mount a retaliation against the dogs, at the same time sending off scouts to gather information and sprinters to ask for reinforcements from the neighbouring towns.
Sulfur came to hear what the excitement was all about. When she heard what was happening, she and her friends immediately volunteered for the town’s defense. But the Marshall told them to go home and hide. Not wanting to stay out of the fight, Sulfur and her friends ran away from the town square, but they went and joined the squads that were in charge of the water supply to make sure that any fires did not spread too much. Not a moment too soon, for a few hours later, news came that they were to go to a farther part of the town where a few dogs had managed to light a fire in the school building.
The rest of the day was a blur for Sulfur and her friends. They became black and sooty and tired and thirsty, but they kept fighting back the flames. Just as the fighting was winding down and their town was winning, a stray dog pounced upon Beryl and tried to make off with her. Quick as a flash, Sulfur jumped on his back and sank her sharp claws into him, trying to hold on tight as the enraged dog tried to shake her off. Eventually, exhausted by his frustrated efforts, he dropped onto his side and surrendered.
The Marshall had seen the whole thing with his heart in his mouth and now he rushed forward with volunteers to try and help the brave kitten. His deputies, meanwhile, shackled the dog and escorted him to the prison. When he got there, he saw a funny sight.
Little Sulfur, having fallen into a small puddle when the dog fell over, was now licking her paws and washing her face, looking for all the world as though she fought angry dogs every day. The towns-people made much of their brave little heroine and from that day on, Sulfur enjoyed a steady supply of milk and cream every day and remained the darling of the people and was a very happy cat indeed.
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