Ollie Mae's Litter (for the kiddies)

OLLIE MAE, THE CAT, GOT MARRIED

(YOU SEE, CATS CAN GET MARRIED, TOO);

SHE MARRIED A CAT NAMED “CURTIS”

IN THE TOWN OF CATTAMAZOO.

THEIR MISTRESS, THE WIDOW KELLEY,

PROVIDED THEM A COMFY DEN;

THEY EVEN HAD A KITTY DOOR

TO GO OUT OF AND COME BACK IN.

A GENEROUS SUPPLY OF FOOD

WAS PROVIDED BY MS. KELLEY;

SO NEVER WERE THE TWO FELINES

LEFT WITH AN EMPTY BELLY.

THEY HAD A WARM AND COZY BED,

WATER AND LOTS OF KITTY TREATS;

THE WIDOW EVEN SHARED AT TIMES

THE KINDS OF FOODS THAT PEOPLE EAT.

THEY LOVED EACH OTHER VERY MUCH,

AND THEIR DEAR MISTRESS LOVED THEM, TOO;

THEY WERE THE HAPPIEST FELINES

IN THE TOWN OF CATTAMAZOO.

THE HAPPY FELINE BRIDE AND GROOM

SHARED A KIZILLION PURRS A DAY;

LIFE SEEMED QUITE COMPLETE, NO DOUBT,

FOR BOTH CURTIS AND OLLIE MAE.

BUT SOON OLLIE MAE SEEMED TIRED;

SHE BEGAN TO GET QUITE CHUBBY;

SHE DIDN’T WANT TO POUNCE AND PLAY

WITH HER HANDSOME FELINE HUBBY.

HER TUMMY WAS GETTING FATTER;

SHE WAS SUCH A MOODY CRITTER;

THEN ONE DAY THE WIDOW ANNOUNCED

THAT OLLIE WOULD HAVE A LITTER.

NOW CURTIS WAS A BIT CONFUSED;

HE WASN’T SURE HE UNDERSTOOD;

BUT SHE SAID IT WITH EXCITEMENT,

IT MUST MEAN SOMETHING VERY GOOD!

NOW CURTIS JUST WATCHED AND WAITED

EVERY DAY PASSED SLOWLY BY;

HE BEGAN TO GROW IMPATIENT;

AND SOON HIS PURR BECAME A SIGH.

HE STEPPED OUTSIDE THE KITTY DOOR,

HE WAS FEELING A LITTLE WEIRD;

AND LATER WHEN HE CAME BACK IN,

FOUR  TINY KITTENS HAD APPEARED.

OLLIE MAE’S EYES SPARKLED SO BRIGHT

AS SHE KISSED EACH TINY CRITTER;

SO THIS IS WHAT THE WIDOW MEANT

WHEN SHE SAID THAT STRANGE WORD “LITTER”!

FOUR WONDERFUL LITTLE TOMCATS

AT LAST HAD JOINED THE HAPPY PAIR;

AND ONLY A FLEETING TIME PASSED,

TILL THEY WERE RUNNING EVERYWHERE!

ONE WAS LONG AND A SLIGHT BIT THIN;

HE HAD HUMONGOUS EARS ON HIM;

THEY CHRISTENED HIM “CURTIS, JR.”,

OF COURSE, HIS NICKNAME WOULD BE “JIM”.

THERE WAS ONE THAT THEY NAMED “JERRY”,

A ROUGH AND ROWDY LITTLE RUNT;

HE LOVED TO JUMP AND POUNCE ABOUT,

AND CHASE THE BALL AND CROUCH AND HUNT.

THE THIRD THEY CALLED “HOMER GILBERT”;

HE WAS A LITTLE CALICO;

WHEN OTHER KITTENS RACED OUTSIDE,

H.G. WOULD BE THE LAST TO GO.

THE FOURTH ONE WAS FAT AND FLUFFY,

HE HADTHE GREENEST EYES THEY’D SEEN,

HE LOOKED MUCH LIKE OLLIE’S BROTHER,

SO THEY NAMED HIM “CLANCY EUGENE”.

THEIR LOVE HAD MADE A FAMILY;

THEIR HEARTS WERE FILLED WITH LOVE AND JOY;

OLLIE MAE AND HER DEAR CURTIS

WERE SO THANKFUL THEY HAD EACH BOY.

THE WIDOW’S FAIR HOME WAS BURSTING

WITH LOTS OF MEOWS AND HISSES,

THERE WERE TONS OF JUMPS AND POUNCES,

AND PLENTY OF PURRS AND KISSES.

THEY’D RUN AND PLAY AND LEAP AND SLIDE;

THEY SCURRIED BOTH INSIDE AND OUT;

GROWING KITTENS WERE EVERYWHERE,

THEY WERE SCAMPERING ALL ABOUT.

THE WIDOW KELLEY’S HUMBLE HOME

IS NEVER GLOOMY OR BITTER,

JUST AS LONG AS SHE HAS CURTIS

AND OLLIE MAE’S PLAYFUL LITTER.

SIX FINE FELINES TODAY RESIDE

WHERE ONCE WERE NO MORE THAN TWO;

LIVING HAPPY EVER AFTER,

IN THE TOWN OF CATTAMAZOO.

THE END

Katrina Estes Hill