Eliza Kitten story

There once was a very rude and mischievous kitten called Eliza. She was indeed quite ungrateful, for when Eliza was knitted a beautiful scarf by her grandmother for her first birthday she behaved as a self-indulgent kitten and had no manners.
Eliza did not even thank her grandmother for such a beautiful gift and hurried out of grandmother’s house in search of more gifts.

However as Eliza kitten left her grandmother’s garden, she was kindly greeted by the old leaning willow tree. The old kindly willow tree had never seen such a scarf so beautiful.
Eliza wasn’t so appreciative and in her foul disposition, decided to play a trick on the poor old willow tree.

Eliza snared her beautiful scarf on the willow tree’s branches and then pursued in entangling the yarn around the poor willow tree, causing the willow tree great distress.

Around and around, Eliza spun the thread around the old tree. Faster and faster she giggled in mischief. Until Eliza kitten realised that it was suddenly very dark.
Eliza kitten had accidentally bound herself into the tree. Eliza kitten, mewed and mewed, but to no avail. For Eliza was trapped and the old willow tree was too tied up to help her, not to mention not inclined to do so after such malicious actions.
Although loved ones looked for Eliza, she was never found and naughty Eliza remained within the hollow of the tree, scratching and pawing, attempting to escape, with all her attempts failing.

Eliza can still be heard clawing and mewing, trying to escape her confinement, trying to call out to those that naively pass her by, including her grandmother. But Eliza kitten could never escape. This would be her punishment for being such an ungrateful kitten. With the ruminants of Eliza’s beautiful pink and orange scarf given to the willow tree. For whom truly appreciated its beauty.

As the years pass Eliza kitten’s sadness grows, her tears adorning the willow tree’s branches in small catkins. If you look closely you can see the flecks of the pink and orange of her beautiful scarf. And with a saddened heart the pussy willow branches lean.

story by and copyright of Sapphia Cunningham-Tate