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Today's Paper | December 23, 2024

Published 25 Mar, 2023 09:00am

Din Din has an admirer

Din Din was digging flower beds in his garden to prepare the soil for fresh seeds to be planted. The sweet scent of the damp soil was soothing; the morning sun was balmy and a gentle breeze made the day pleasant.

Din Din loved spending time in his garden patch which he had lovingly nurtured over the last few years. Gardening was his passion and hobby. As he pulled out tiresome weeds from the edge of the beds he felt something soft brush past his large, green legs.

“Eeps!” he yelped and jumped up in alarm, dropping his spade with a clatter. Din Din looked down to see a fluffy kitten entwined in his legs looking up at him adoringly.

“Shoo,” cried Din Din waving the creature away. But the kitten would not budge.

Din Din did his best to continue his sowing but the kitten kept getting in his way.

“Will you please atleast stand on the side,” Din Din grimaced.

The kitten seemed to understand this and crept upto the nearby elm tree and sat down under its copious shade. It continued to look at Din Din in awe.

When evening came, it was time for Din Din to meet his best friends Dazel and Delma at the lakeside.

When he reached the lake bank, Delma greeted him with a grin. “Who’s your companion Din Din?”

Din Din looked around puzzled and saw the kitten right behind him.

“You again?!” he cried.

The kitten purred and snuggled against his legs again. “Let’s call her Kit,” Delma suggested. Kit was eager to be welcomed by the three friends but she made sure she stayed close to Din Din.

When Din Din made his way back home, sure enough, the kitten followed like a shadow.

At home when dinner was served and Din Din’s parents, grandparents and three brothers joined him at the dining table, the kitten sat under Din Din’s stool.

“What’s this cat doing inside our cave?” asked Mr. D, Din Din’s father. When Din Din explained the chain of events Mr. D tried to hide his amusement.

“But you know Derek is allergic to cat hair,” Mrs. Dee reminded them. “There is also no place to keep it in our cave. We are eight creatures living together. You will have to detach yourself from this kitten, dear. “So Din Din told the kitten firmly, “I’m sorry Kit. You can’t stay with us. Now go and find your own family. I’m sure they’re looking for you.”

The kitten looked crestfallen. It seemed too young and hadn’t learnt how to talk yet. It turned away and disappeared into a clump of berry bushes nearby.

“I wonder where Kit’s family is?” wondered Din Din as he fell asleep.

The next morning when Din Din and his brothers left home to go towards Terrestrial School they saw Kit huddled in the bushes, shivering from the cold.

It had been raining the previous night and the kitten was drenched to the bone. Din Din was aghast! “Derek, Dave and Don, you go ahead to school. I must take Kit to Dr. Trish the triceratops. He might have caught a cold in the rain last night, “said Din Din. “Oh! Why did I leave her outside?”

Picking the tiny kitten up Din Din put her soaked body on top of his back and hurried towards Dr. Trish’s clinic.

The doctor immediately dried the kitten and placed Kit in a bed of soft moss. Given some warm milk mixed with herbs, the tiny creature soon fell asleep.

“Where did you find this kitten, Din Din,” inquired the doctor. “The cats live in their own colony down south. I wonder how this little creature found its way here. Do you know this kitten is just a week old? It probably hasn’t eaten anything. “

Din Din told her how Kit had followed her home. “Maybe she mistakes me for her family,” the dinosaur mused.

“She is too young to look after herself.” Dr. Trish said. “Will you be able to take her home?”

“I’m afraid not,” Din Din explained the situation at home.

“So this new born kitten is homeless! That’s really sad,” said Dr. Trish shaking her head.

“I can ask Dazel if she can live at the pond with her,” Din Din wondered. Din Din stayed by the kitten’s side all day. When Kit was feeling better that evening, Din Din took her to the pond where Dazel lived.

“Would you like to live here, Kit?” Din Din asked her kindly. Kit’s small mouthtrembled and she began to whimper softly.

“She wants to stay with you, Din Din,” said Dazel softly, her heart breaking for the poor kitten.

Din Din carried her back home. Outside his cave, he sat with Kit, feeding her some orange slices and stroking her soft white fur. “Kit, what should I do with you? I can’t keep you with me and you can’t stay without me.

Just then Din Din’s grandfather walked out from the cave. “Oh! It’s your admirer again, Din Din.”

“Grandpa, what shall I do? Please help me find a home for Kit,” blurted out Din Din. Grandpa listened to Din Din’s story. “I can’t burden my parents with another mouth to feed, but I feel responsible for Kit. She doesn’t have anyone.”

“I have an idea, dear. If Kit cannot stay here at the cave with us, let’s build a small home for Kit in your garden. You go there daily in the afternoon after school so you can look after her and she will also have a shelter,” suggested Grandpa. “I’ll help you make thehouse.”

Din Din jumped up in delight.

In a matter of days, a tiny cozy wooden shack was built by Grandpa and Din Din under the elm tree in his garden patch. Soon Kit was settled in.

“You can have any kind of fruit and veggies growing in my garden, Kit. I will come everyday to meet you. Infact you can be my garden keeper.”

Kit purred with pleasure and hugged Din Din’s legs. “She finally has a home,” Din Din sighed contentedly.

“Thank you Grandpa! You’re the best!”


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