Catch the Cat

Once upon a time, Long long ago there was a girl so beautiful That all the boys wanted to marry her desperately. She had no interest in being married, she did not want to be trapped, she wanted to be free and happy. Everyday, all the boys of her town would gather outside her house, making a ruckus, begging her to marry them. Each day she would chase them away, banging pots and pans. They always came back though. Finally, the girl was desperate. She told the crowd of boys that she would marry the one who could give her the bell that hung on her cat's neck. So off the boys went, they ran through the town in a mad pack, chasing after the small black cat, but they could never catch her. The cat was just too smart and quick. After a while, the boys gave up trying to catch the cat, although they would still swipe at her as she passed by them. She would hop nimbly out of the way, and some of the boys would even say they could hear her laugh. Meanwhile, every morning the cat would visit the baker's daughter, she would always give the cat some fresh bread and milk, and a scratch behind the ears. The cat would pur, and rub against her. One day the cat never came, concerned, the baker's daughter set off to look for her. Finally, she heard a noise coming from a tall tree, She looked up to see the cat, her bell was stuck on a tree branch, and despite her struggles, she could not get free. Quickly, the baker’s daughter climbed up the tree, and removed the bell from the cat’s neck. The moment she did, the cat leaped from the tree, changing mid air into a beautiful girl who landed nimbly on her feet. The baker's daughter stared at her in shock. The girl smiled a wide grin, she said, “You have taken the bell off the cat, I am yours and you are mine, not because you have caught me, but because I have given myself to you willingly and happily.” And happy they were. The End.