SUDDENLY a heavy thunderstorm started. Ginger scurried to the barn to take shelter from the rain, but the huge one-eyed cock hissed at Ginger, who ran away in fear!

MOTHER never allowed Farhan to play with the ball in the house. But today, as soon as she left to buy the groceries, the boy hurried to pick his favourite toy.

He knew that he was wrong. But there was an important interclass football match in his school next day, and he absolutely had to master his left-footed shot a couple of times for the event! By hard luck, it was pouring cats and dogs since early morning, and so practising in the playground was out of question.

“I will be cautious,” the fifth-grader decided. “And besides, mum won’t know!”

The kitten, Ginger, sitting at back of the sofa, disapprovingly watched the boy’s actions. Farhan kicked the ball and skilfully caught it. Then he struck again, and again. But the fourth time the ball bounced to the side and hit a crystal vase. The fearful “meow” of Ginger was followed by a loud “Ouch!”, but it was too late. The pieces of the wrecked vase were all over the floor!

At the sound of doorknob turning, Farhan rushed to the entrance.

“Mum … Mummy! Ginger broke the vase!” he yelled.

Mother put the bag on the counter, walked into the room, looked at the pieces scattered on the floor and drawled, “Well…”

The kitten was sitting on a couch, nonchalantly licking his tummy.

“Well then,” she said, picking the shards, “We’ll have to send the cat in the village, to your grandpa.”

“To grandpa? Why?” Farhan whispered. He loved the kitten, loved when he climbed his laps, loved to listen to his catty songs!

“That’s the only way,” Mother sighed. “He brings us only problems.”

Farhan felt sorry for the cat, but he was afraid to tell mum that the animal was not in fact guilty! At night the boy could not sleep. He tossed and turned restlessly in his bed, feeling so ashamed for his lie — a lie for which an innocent creature would suffer!

And when finally he fell asleep, he had a strange dream. He dreamed of a village — the old farmhouse of his grandparents, the yard with flowerbeds and a tube well. On the porch of the house sat Ginger with dirty metal plate filled with food leftovers in front of him.

Suddenly a heavy thunderstorm started. The kitten scratched at the door pleading to be taken in, but grandpa peeped from the window and yelled: “You wretched animal! Your place is outdoors!”

Ginger scurried to the barn to take shelter from the rain, but the huge one-eyed cock (whom Farhan was afraid of too!) hissed at the cat and the poor kitten ran away in fear.

Ginger warily approached the doghouse, but Tiger — shaggy wicked dog — barked so angrily that the kitten got almost knocked off the balance.

The rain was now streaming down in torrents, turning the cat’s soft fluffy fur into dirty huddled mass. Little Ginger was thoroughly soaked and looked so sad and miserable that Farhan’s heart was almost torn apart. Tears filled his eyes and suddenly … he woke up!

He jumped out of the bed and darted to his parents’ room.

“Mum!” he cried, “I had broken the vase, not Ginger! Please, don’t send him to the village!”

But oddly, mother did not scold the boy; on the contrary, she hugged him affectionately and said, “My darling, never put the blame on others for what you’ve done. I hope you will always remember this.”