Alone in the thickening meadow lived an elderly man by the name of Peter Hershing. Peter made a living for himself by gathering dry hay and carrying it to town in his makeshift wheel barrel to be twined together in a bouquet by the spinning wheels and sold for a small profit to the locals. He repeated his routine every day at dawn and returned at sunset, then made his way to his moss coated cabin. Peter wasn't well known in town, either. He'd sell his bouquets and head straight home.
Although Peter could supply for himself, he was a bit troubled. Being all alone has taken a toll on him, physically and mentally. For Peter, being alone was like having an empty cup with no way to fill it, but life soon changed for our dear friend, Peter.
Peter woke up on a bright Tuesday morning, brightest he’s seen for a while, and went on with his daily routine like every other day would be. He made himself a bowl of grits, picked dry hay, put it in his wheel barrel, and made his way to town.
After spinning and selling his hay, Peter made his way home. During his hike, he stopped to take a break on a large stone leaned up against a tree. Peter decided he could continue on after he took a short nap, so he did. All of a sudden, a small, high pitched cry woke him up. He looked left and right for the sound, but it seemed to be coming from every direction. Peter walked around his rest stop, searching for the source of the moans, when something caught his eye. In a thorn bush, he spotted two little eyes staring right at him. Moving carefully closer, he realized it was a small kitten that looked to be the size of a small rock with the mother nowhere in sight. Peter maneuvered his hands through the thorns and managed to rescue the kitten, an orange tabby, from further harm. The kitten looked a bit parched, so Peter took the kitten to a nearby stream, scooped some water in his hand, and let the kitten drink from his hand as if it was a bowl. Peter decided there wasn’t time for a nap. He tore off a piece of his robe and made a small bed for the kitten as he pushed his new friend home.
Weeks went by and the kitten grew fast, to his surprise, and soon was able to walk around and outside of the house, chasing everything that moves. He even decided to name the kitten after his favorite type of dry hay, Robin. Since Peter now has a new responsibility, he knows he must have the kitten fed and happy while he was gone, so he left a small bowl of minced meat and water every time he left for town. On a bright morning, Peter left for work, but this time the kitten followed him. “Stay here, you can’t come with me.” he said. The kitten just proceeded to rub up against his legs, purring as if he wanted to join him. With a hesitant sigh, Peter walked to town with the kitten following him.
Reaching the town, the locals took direct interest to the cat and its mother and duckling like behavior. “How did you get that little kitten to follow you?” asked an elderly woman who looked like she’s seen a miracle. “He just followed me today; I’m not sure why.” responded Peter and continued to work on his dry hay. The kitten sat on the ground next to him as he spun each strand of hay through the spinning wheel, swiping at each one that came in his direction. Peter felt comforted by his new friend and the attention it brought. It made him feel special, as if he became the center of attention just by stepping into town. He gently patted the kitten on the head and continued his work.
Peter sold his bouquets and headed out of town with the local children smiling and walking with the cat. “You seemed to have made some new friends.” He said to the kitten as it responded back with a graceful growl. Peter took the kitten home, ate dinner, and went to bed. The kitten, vibrant and energetic, was right next to him at every moment. He even made the kitten its own little spot on the bed it curled up in when it wanted to sleep.
This was Peter’s new routine. He had his best friend following him to work every day and the town happy to see them. Although it’s more work, it made him happy. Peter was able to fill that cup and a little more.
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