“Wash your face and dirty paws“ meowed Mommy Cat to her kittens one night. “It is time for bed” “I’m too tired,” said Timmie. “I’m so sleepy I can’t even wash a whisker” “Me too” mewed Tammie and Tommy

“I don’t know why you kittens are so tired,“ said Mommy Cat. “Tomorrow I am going to find out. I will do everything that you do. We will play together all day long. Then perhaps I will see what makes you so tired at night “You will have lots of fun!“ said Tammy.

The kittens curled up in the basket. Mommy Cat poked out her pink tongue and washed the kittens, one by one. She licked Tammie until she was white and fluffy. She scrubbed Tommie until his black fur was clean and shiny. Mommy Cat rested her tongue, then washed yellow Timmy, who was the dirtiest of all. Then Mommy Cat curled up around her kittens and they all went to sleep.

The kittens awakened early next morning. After breakfast, scampered to the barn. Mommy Cat followed them. “Up into the hayloft!” said Timmy; so up into the hayloft they all went. They tumbled about in the hay, playing hide and seek. Mommy Cat tried to hide, but the hay tickled her nose and she would sneeze. It was easy to find Mommy Cat. The kittens just listened for sneezes and found her right away! “Now lets play tag,” said Timmy. “You’re ‘ IT ‘ Mommy Cat!”

Away went the kittens, out of the hayloft. Away went Mommy Cat, after the kittens. Mommy Cat ran and ran. She chased Tommie in and out of the meadow, but she couldn’t catch him. She chased Timmie around and around the barn, but she couldn’t catch him. Mommy Cat was getting tired. She went into the woods and sat down behind a tree to rest. Just then, Tammie crept quietly past the tree. “ You’re ‘IT’ yowled Mommy Cat, and pounced out and tagged Tammie on the tail.

“Let’s all rest for awhile“, said Mommy Cat. “Time for a nap!” “All right’ said the kittens, and they curled up and went to sleep. Mommy cat sighed as she closed her tired eyes. In less than five minutes the three kittens were wide-awake. “Nap time is over,“ said Tommie. “Time to play again!“ “That wasn’t a cat nap at all,“ said Mommy Cat sleepily. “that was just a wee kitten nap!”

All afternoon, Mommy Cat and the kittens played together. They climbed trees in the orchard. They chased a yellow butterfly and a squirmy black bug. They ran after pigs and made them go “OINK“ They chased the lambs and made them say “Baa-baaaa.” They chased the chickens and made them say “Cluck-cluck-cluck.”

The Kittens turned somersaults and flip-flops and rolled in the grass. They batted one another with their soft, furry paws.

Everything the kittens did, Mommy Cat did too. She pounced and pounced and leaped and tumbled. She turned somersaults and flip-flops and rolled in the grass. She batted at the kittens with her soft, furry paws.

Mommy Cat moved more and more slowly. At last she lay down and sighed a tired sigh. “Let’s race to the house and see if supper is ready,” said Tammie. Away ran the kittens. Mommy Cat followed slowly behind. She was so tired that her tummy touched the ground as she dragged herself along. As soon as supper was over, she crawled into the basket.

“Time to wash your paws and faces” said Mommy Cat with a yawn. “We aren’t sleepy,” said Tommie ”We want to play some more”. “NO!” said Mommy Cat. “Wash yourselves and get right to sleep!”

Mommy Cat looked so cross that the kittens started washing as fast as they could. Mommy Cat sat with her eyes half closed, rocking back and forth. “You better wash too,” said Tammie. “You’re as dirty as can be!“ “I’m too tired,” said Mommy Cat, as she closed her eyes and slid down to the bottom of the basket.

“Mommy Cat always washes us when we are tired,” said Timmie. “We can’t have Mommy Cat going to bed dirty,” said Tommy. “There is just one thing to do,” said Tammie. The little kittens poked out their pink tongues and started to work.

They washed Mommy Cats dear, dirty face. They scrubbed her tired, dirty paws. They crawled around on top of Mommy Cat, washing as they went. Their tongues got so tired they could hardly move them, but they kept on scrubbing. They washed and wiped and licked and scrubbed until Mommy Cat was clean and fluffy and yellow as butter…… And sound asleep all over.

And so were the three little kittens.

All work on my sites holds a copyright either by myself, designers I use, or other authors . Please honor all copyright laws. This page by mom, was found in a box in colored chalk & pencil. Drawn by my mom and dated 1938, Elsie Ostebe, commercial artist, Beaumont, Tx. If ever an issue, I will remove this page. I thank you for the visit and return soon