Life of a Stray by Rebecca Nufer (the little red hen read aloud .TXT) 📕

A gentle breeze went by, and a large tortoiseshell she-cat was in an alley beside a dumpster. The tortoiseshell sighed. "Where is Flame?" she muttered to herself. "What is taking him so long?

". The tortoiseshell lied back down and squirmed around. She stopped squirming and she laid on her side. The tortoiseshell closed her eyes, and in a few moments, 3 kits were beside her, suckling. She smiled at her kits. The tortoiseshell had given birth. The kits soon finished suckling and a ginger tom with a white left front paw walked down the alley. "Echo!" he cried. "You've given birth to our kits without me?" he meowed dissapointedly. "I'm sorry, my dear Flame, but I couldn't just hold my kits in!" the tortoiseshell spat back. "Anyway, let's get to the naming." she continued. "I name this one Willow." the ginger tom meowed, then he nudged a white she-kit with icy blue eyes. "Great name, Flame. I name this one Raven." Echo meowed, and she nudged a black tomkit with a white chest, belly and right front paw, also with green eyes. "I like that name, dear Echo. I name this final kit Moon." Flame meowed, and he nudged a light gray tomkit with a white left front paw and yellow eyes. Willow let out a quiet mew, and started to suckle Echo again. Raven and Moon smelt the milk that Willow was suckling, so they joined her. Raven felt safe when he was near his mother. He liked the sound of his mother's heartbeat, the warmth of her body, and the milk from her. Raven let out a faint mew, and continued suckling. Flame looked towards his kits, then to Echo. "Echo dear, I'm going to explore. Take good care of the kits." Flame called as he padded out of the alley and turned around the corner. Echo looked across at the cars zooming by. She worried that her kits wouldn't be safe in the alley, but she knew Flame was coming back here, so she didn't move.

Publication Date: 09-21-2012

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Dedication:
To my brother, who inspired me with his creativity.