An Urchin at Large in The Great Forest

 

            Well, as you know, Ralph has set a perimeter around the Great Forest. It works on wandering humans, and other creature that he has specifically banned for cause. However, it does not stop animals from wandering in. Obviously, deer, bears, foxes, coyotes, wolves, turkeys, and every bird of the air have free passage into or out of the Great Forest.
            One foggy morning in the fall of Cherry’s 8^th year, Ramona and Cherry went over to the Silver River to wash some bowls and to get some clean water. Ramona carried the bucket of dirty bowls and Cherry carried a clean bucket. It was totally routine.
            While the girls were busy, Ralph took the opportunity to visit his office, so to speak, for a period of contemplating the Cosmos. Things were just getting good, and he was nearly asleep when he heard a strange little sound. A ripple passed through the Cosmos.
            The sound was pretty close, and rather unfamiliar, though it sounded like an animal of some kind in distress. He sighed and sat up, looking all around himself.
            Nobody could do any contemplating with that little despairing call nearby.
            Ralph threw his feet down to the forest floor and stood up. The sound became louder and seemed to come from very nearby. In fact, so near that he looked at his own feet, and there it sat. It was a small striped animal of the cat variety. The only domestic lions Ralph had ever met was Thaga’s Harold, or Twigg's family of cats. This one was much smaller, maybe the size of a potato, but with legs and tail, and ears and so on.
            Wandering immature kittens are always a mystery. They appear randomly sometimes. And they don’t indicate their origin in any way.
            “Where did you come from?” said Ralph, bending over and picking the tiny mewling thing up in his very large hand. He brought the little thing up to his face to examine it. Small green eyes looked into his very large brown eyes confidently.
            Obviously, this was a situation for Ramona to deal with. She would know what to do with this baby.
            When he got back down to the fire, Ramona and Cherry were sitting there singing songs in the old language together. Two pairs of eyes watched him approach.
            “Look who woke me up a few minutes ago,” said Ralph.
            “Let me see,” said Ramona. “Is it a cat? It’s awfully small.”
            “Yeah, I think so. It is awfully small,” agreed Ralph, as he handed the baby over to her to inspect.
            Cherry looked from face to face, and said, “Is it for us?”
            “I’m not sure,” said Ramona as she held the baby to herself and stroked his little head with one forefinger. “I suppose he’s hungry,” she said. "He's a boy."
            She didn’t have any milk or cream, but they did have some leftover fish, so she minced up a little serving of cooked fish and put it in a bowl with a little water, just in case the little thing was thirsty.
            “Twigg already has a family of cats,” said Ralph.
            “I know. Who else could use a kitty, Baby?”
            “I have Blue,” said Cherry. “And Thaga has Harold.”
            “I think I’ll take him to see Rick. Maybe he needs a ranger station cat!” said Ralph.
            So, after the tiny guy was full of fish and sleepy, Ralph picked him up and cradled him in his left elbow and took off to find Rick.
            When he got to where he could see the station door, he looked around and decided the coast was clear and slipped over to the door, knocked, and went on into Rick’s office.
            “Hey, Rick, are you in here?” said Ralph because he didn’t see him.
            “Yup. I’m in here,” Rick said, coming out of the storage room with a can of Safeway store brand coffee. “Whatcha got there, Ralph, old buddy?”
            Ralph held the little guy out to Rick. “Seems to be a small tomcat, Rick. Do you need a station cat? This guy woke me up when I was thinking. He’s loud!”
            Rick was just holding the little stripey guy and trying to figure out how to say he didn’t need a station cat, not really, when Dexter popped in the door.
            “Oh!” said Dexter. “Is it up for grabs? Does it have a home?”
            “He,” said Ralph and Rick at the same time.
            “He doesn’t have a home yet! He found me when I was thinking, and woke me up a few minutes ago,” said Ralph. “I completely don’t know where he came from!”
            “Can I take him to Hannah? Unless you want him, Rick?” said Dexter, eyes wide.
            “Sure, I bet Hannah would like a kitten,” said Rick. “We have two cats at home, and this one is free to go to you and Hannah! That’s just fine!”
            Dexter took the little thing from Rick, grinned like a ten-year-old, and took off at a run, banging the door and vanishing up into the campground.
            “Well,” said Ralph, grinning himself.
            “There ya go!” said Rick. “Success! Care for coffee, Ralph?”
            “Don’t mind if I do!” said Ralph, settling down in the special big chair in front of Rick’s desk.

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