How KittyGirl Lost Her Meow

A children’s story, written for a friend’s child. All I need now is an illustrator.

How KittyGirl Lost Her Meow

By Christian Jacobsen

“It was terrible!” said KittyGirl.

“What happened?” said Mousy.

“Well, I was hungry so I went to tell my owner.” She said. “She was working hard on her computer, so I walked up behind her and opened my mouth to meow and tell her I was hungry.”

“Yes? Then what happened?” said Mousy.

“Nothing came out!” exclaimed KittyGirl.

Mousy was confused. “What do you mean?”

“I opened my mouth to meow, and there was no sound! My meow was gone!” cried KittyGirl.

“Oh no!” cried Mousy.

“Oh yes!” cried KittyGirl.

“You lost your meow?”

“Yes! And I am so sad! I am hungry! And without my meow I can’t ask my owner to feed me!” KittyGirl was very upset. A kitty that can’t meow is in big trouble, indeed.

Mousy had never heard of a kitty losing her meow, so he decided to have a look for himself.

Mousy told KittyGirl, “Open your mouth. Let me see.”

KittyGirl did as she was told, and opened her mouth wide.

Mousy didn’t know exactly where the meow should be, so he looked everywhere. He looked under her tongue. He looked behind her teeth. He looked so far down KittyGirl’s throat that he almost fell in!

But there was no meow in there. He was sure of that.

“I’m not a doctor,” said Mousy, “but I don’t see your meow anywhere in there.”

“A doctor!” exclaimed KittyGirl. “That is a great idea! We will go see Doctor Owl. He is very smart. He will know what to do.”

So KittyGirl and Mousy went out into the forest behind the house to find Doctor Owl. They could hear him, but they couldn’t see him anywhere.

“Hoo hoo!” called Doctor Owl. “Hoo hoo!”

“Hello? Doctor Owl? Where are you?” called KittyGirl and Mousy together. “Doctor Owl? Hello?”

There was a whoosh of wind, and KittyGirl felt her fur move. Suddenly there was a great WHOOF WHOOF WHOOF noise of big wings, and Doctor Owl landed next to KittyGirl and Mousy, covering both of them in dry leaves.

“Hoo called me?” said Doctor Owl, looking around.

KittyGirl and Mousy brushed the leaves off their heads and said, “We did, Doctor Owl!”

Doctor Owl turned around and saw the little kitty and the mouse standing together. He adjusted his big glasses and looked closely at the two little animals.

“Hoo yes! I see you now!” said Doctor Owl. “I was afraid my ears were tricking me. I had never heard leaves talk before!”

Mousy was very small and nervous next to the big owl, but he spoke first. “KittyGirl has lost her meow!” Mousy cried, and pointed at KittyGirl’s mouth.

“Oh really?” said Doctor Owl. “Now that is very interesting!”

“Yes!” said KittyGirl. “I tried to tell my owner that I was hungry, but no sound came out! Mousy looked inside and said he couldn’t see my meow anywhere!”

Doctor Owl looked wisely at the two little animals. “Well I am the doctor here, so why don’t I have a look?”

KittyGirl opened her mouth wide for Doctor Owl.

Doctor Owl adjusted his huge glasses and looked into KittyGirl’s mouth.

“Hmmm” said Doctor Owl.

“Ahum” said Doctor Owl.

“Yes” said Doctor Owl.

“Very interesting” said Doctor Owl.

Doctor Owl stood up straight and tapped his nose. “Well.”

Doctor Owl looked up at the sky and scratched his head. “Hmmm.”

Doctor Owl looked down at the ground and pulled his ear. “Amazing.”

Mousy was so excited he squeaked, “So what is it, Doctor Owl? What is it?”

Doctor Owl looked very sternly at KittyGirl and said, “Well KittyGirl, I am afraid it is true – you have lost your meow,”

“Oh no!” cried KittyGirl and Mousy together.

“What will I do without my meow? Can you fix it Doctor Owl?” cried KittyGirl.

“Yes, I believe I can. Let’s try this.” Doctor Owl put something small into KittyGirl’s mouth. “How is that?”

“WOOF WOOF!” said KittyGirl. Her eyes popped open wide, “Oh no! That is a dog’s bark!”

“Oh! That won’t do at all” said Doctor Owl. “Let’s try this one.” He put a new one into KittyGirl’s mouth. “How does that one work?” he asked.

“Bok Bok!” said KittyGirl. “Now I sound like a chicken! My owner will feed me dry corn and seeds – yuck!”

Doctor Owl searched through his bag some more, but there was nothing left inside. “I am sorry” he said. “I’m afraid that I am all out of meows right now. You will have to find your own meow, wherever you lost it.”

KittyGirl was still a little worried. “But how will I find it?”

“When was the last time you used it?” asked Doctor Owl.

“Oh! It must have been last night when you asked for dinner, KittyGirl!” said Mousy.

“Yes! You are right. That was the last time I had it.” Agreed KittyGirl.

“Well then,” said Doctor Owl, “all you need to do is go to all the places you were since last night, and you will find your meow.”

“We will do it!” shouted KittyGirl and Mousy. “We will go look for it right now!”

“Thank you Doctor Owl” called KittyGirl as he flew away.

The two friends walked back to the house from the forest, thinking about what KittyGirl had done during the night.

“So after dinner, what did you do?” asked Mousy.

KittyGirl thought for a moment. “That was so long ago! I can’t remember.”

Mousy had a good idea. “Let’s go to your food dish and see if you can remember there.”

“Great idea!” said KittyGirl.

The two of them ran into the house, and then to the kitchen where KittyGirl’s food bowl was sitting.

“Ok, do you remember anything now?” asked Mousy.

“Oh yes!” said KittyGirl. “My owner was in the living room watching TV. I went in there and laid next to her on the couch.”

Mousy was excited, “Maybe that is where you left your meow!”

They raced into the living room, and jumped up on the couch. They searched everywhere. They searched behind the seats, between the cushions, around the armrests, and even on the back of the couch.

“I don’t see it anywhere” said KittyGirl.

“I don’t either” said Mousy sadly. “What did you do after that?”

“Well, let me think. My owner and I watched TV for a while. I fell asleep, and then – oh yes! – my owner went into the bathroom to brush her teeth!” said KittyGirl. “Let’s check in the bathroom!”

They jumped down off the couch and ran down the hallway into the bathroom. Since Mousy was smaller, he was able to stop quickly on the slippery bathroom floor. KittyGirl was much bigger, so she slid right into Mousy! BANG!

“Hey! Careful KittyGirl! You know the floor is slippery in here!” said Mousy as he crawled out from under KittyGirl’s tail.

“Oof. I always forget that.” Said KittyGirl. “Did I squish you?”

“No, I am fine.” Said Mousy. “So what did you do when your owner brushed her teeth?”

KittyGirl thought for a long time. Kitties are always doing something, so it takes a lot of work to remember all the things they did!

“Every night, I sit on the lid of the toilet while my owner brushes her teeth.” Said KittyGirl. “She likes to talk to me but it is very hard to understand her with the toothbrush in her mouth. So I watch her.”

KittyGirl jumped up on the toilet lid and looked for her meow. “But I don’t see my meow here, either!”

Mousy was searching the floor under the sink and behind the door. “I don’t see it here, either” said Mousy.

KittyGirl was standing on top of the toilet lid and rubbing her tummy. “I am really getting hungry now. I hope we find my meow soon!”

“So what did you do next?” asked Mousy.

“Oh that is easy!” said KittyGirl. “That is when I get to climb up on the bed! Let’s go!”

The two friends ran off down the hall to the bedroom. The big soft bed was easy for KittyGirl to jump up on. She practices every night. But Mousy had to stay on the floor because mice can’t jump very well.

“Can you see anything up there?” called Mousy.

“Hmm? What?” asked KittyGirl sleepily. She was curled up on the bed in her usual place.

“Hey! Wake up! We have to find your meow!” scolded Mousy.

“Oh!” KittyGirl sat up on the bed. “I almost forgot! Now let me see…” She searched around the bed, while Mousy searched on the floor.

“I don’t see it down here!” called Mousy.

“I don’t see it up here!” called KittyGirl.

KittyGirl jumped down on the floor. “I’m scared, Mousy. What if I don’t find my meow again? How will I ever tell my owner that I am hungry?”

Mousy had not thought of this. He was so excited about looking for KittyGirl’s lost meow, that he never thought that they wouldn’t find it.

Now Mousy was worried.

KittyGirl was worried.

“You could always get one of the other sounds from Doctor Owl” he offered helpfully.

KittyGirl was even more worried now. “But I don’t want to sound like a dog, or a chicken, or a moose, or anything other than a kitty!” she cried. “If I walked up to my owner and said ‘BOK BOK’, she would expect me to lay an egg. Or if I said ‘WOOF WOOF’ she would expect me to go outside and fetch the newspaper for her.”

Mousy laughed at the thought of little KittyGirl trying to carry a big heavy newspaper in her mouth.

“So we must find your meow.” Said Mousy with determination. “Nothing else will do for a kitty like you.”

“But I don’t know what I did after falling asleep on the bed!” said KittyGirl.

“Well,” said Mousy, “when I saw you last night, you were in the front window watching the tree in the front yard.”

“That’s right! That squirrel was out there making noise again, and I told him to be quiet and not wake up my owner! Let’s go!”

Mousy was tired of all this running around the house, because he has little short mouse legs, but KittyGirl has long, fast, kitty legs. So Mousy jumped up on KittyGirl’s back.

“Hold on!” called out KittyGirl.

Then ZOOM! KittyGirl raced out of the bedroom, down the hallway to the front door. She was going so fast that Mousy couldn’t keep his little eyes open.

“Woah!” Mousy’s stomach felt like it had just fallen out. He opened his eyes. KittyGirl was going too fast down the hallway so when she got to the wood floor and tried to turn into the front room, she slid sideways. Mousy was holding on with all his strength, as KittyGirl tried to stop before hitting the front door.

SCREEEEECH! KittyGirl managed to stop just before hitting the door, and then, before Mousy could even take a breath, she zoomed off into the living room.

“Uh oh!” cried Mousy. KittyGirl was about to jump up into the window. Mousy had never jumped before, and was scared.

Suddenly all of KittyGirl’s muscles went tight, and then BOING! She jumped up onto the windowsill with Mousy still on her back.

Mousy finally let go and fell onto the windowsill. He sat breathing hard for a moment.

“Wow.” Said Mousy. “Wow, wow, wow.”

KittyGirl was looking on the windowsill for her meow when she saw Mousy laying there with his eyes closed tight, and breathing hard.

“What’s the matter, Mousy?” asked KittyGirl.

Mousy said, “I have never gone so fast in my whole life! I was scared! And then FOOM! We jumped up into the window.”

“Well, you can open your eyes now, silly.” She said.

Mousy carefully opened one eye. Then he opened his other eye. Then he opened his mouth, and let it hang open.

“Oh! It is so beautiful!” Mousy said with amazement.

“What?” asked KittyGirl.

“Outside! I have never seen it before!” said Mousy.

“What do you mean? The curtains are open all day. You can see outside any time you want to!” said KittyGirl.

“Well, yes. But when I look outside, all I can see is the sky.” Explained Mousy. “This is the first time I have been able to get up so high and see so much. I had no idea what grass and trees looked like! They are so beautiful!”

KittyGirl looked outside. The trees were beautiful. And the grass was a lovely shade of green. It really was a pretty day outside.

“Yes, it is very pretty, isn’t it?” said KittyGirl. “But, unfortunately, I can’t eat trees, so we must find my meow!”

“You are right!” said Mousy. “I am sorry. I forgot.”

“That’s ok” said KittyGirl. “I remember now! After I told that squirrel to be quiet, I went around the house and checked that everything was safe and secure.”

Mousy was worried. “But you look everywhere when you do your security check! How will we ever cover all of that space?”

“We don’t need to! We have already checked the couch, the bathroom and the bedroom. That only leaves a few places” explained KittyGirl. “Let’s check under the stereo.”

“Ok,” said Mousy, “but I am going to get down and go there by myself. You are too fast for me!”

KittyGirl laughed and jumped down. Mousy carefully climbed down the curtain and walked over to the stereo, where KittyGirl was standing.

“I am always checking under here” she explained. “There is never anything there, but I always check anyway.

So the two friends crawled under the cabinet that the stereo was sitting on.

It was dark. There were wires everywhere. Dust was piled up in the corner.

“Be careful of those wires, Mousy!” said KittyGirl. “Those can be very dangerous!”

“Ok, I will” said Mousy. “Doesn’t all this dust down here bother you?”

KittyGirl nodded, “Oh yes. The dust always makes me sneeze. Uh oh…”

KittyGirl closed her eyes, and her mouth opened wide, “Ah…ahh…ahhhh….CHOO!”

Mousy hid his face under his hands as KittyGirl let out the biggest kitty sneeze he had ever seen! The dust flew everywhere.

Then, in the corner, Mousy saw something. “Hey! What is that?” he said, as he went over to look.

“What do you see, Mousy? Remember, be careful of the wires!” warned KittyGirl.

“I found something here. Hey! It is your meow!” Mousy exclaimed.

“You found it!” exclaimed KittyGirl.

“PHOO PHOO!” Mousy blew the dust off of the little meow box. “Yes! I have found it! This is it!”

“Here, put it back in” said KittyGirl, and she opened her mouth very wide.

Mousy reached inside KittyGirl’s mouth. “Umph. Er. Hmm. Oh!” Mousy made funny little mouse noises as he worked inside KittyGirl’s open mouth.

Mousy stepped back and said, “OK. I think that will work. Try it now.”

KittyGirl swallowed hard, licked her lips and said, “MEEEEOOOOWWW!”

“It’s works!” they both cried.

“Oh this is wonderful, Mousy! Thank you so much!” cried KittyGirl, and she kissed him on top of his little mouse head.

“You are welcome, KittyGirl! I am always glad to help a friend!” said Mousy. “Now let’s go see if it works on your owner!”

“OK!” said KittyGirl.

Mousy and KittyGirl walked through the living room together (because Mousy wasn’t going to go for a ride like that again!), down the hallway, and into the office, where KittyGirl’s owner sat working on her computer.

KittyGirl walked up behind her owner, and looked back at Mousy, hiding under the cabinet.

Then KittyGirl opened her mouth and said, “MEOW!”

KittyGirl’s owner stopped working and turned around in her chair. “Well hello, KittyGirl! Where have you been?”

She picked up KittyGirl and started petting her. KittyGirl started to purr.

“Are you hungry, KittyGirl?” asked her owner.

“MEOW” said KittyGirl.

“OK then! Let’s get you some food” said KittyGirl’s owner. She put KittyGirl up on her shoulder, got up from her desk, and walked out the door.

KittyGirl looked over her shoulder at Mousy hiding under the cabinet. He had a big smile on his face. “It worked!” said KittyGirl.

Mousy followed KittyGirl and her owner down the hallway and into the kitchen. When Mousy got there, KittyGirl’s owner was just walking out of the kitchen into the living room. So Mousy snuck into the kitchen.

“How is it?” asked Mousy.

“Oh, it is wonderful!” said KittyGirl. “Try some!”

Mousy stuck his little head over the edge of KittyGirl’s dish, and took a bite of her food.

“EEWWW! That is terrible!” cried Mousy. “It tastes like old fish!”

“Well I like it,” said KittyGirl.

“You can keep it” said Mousy, “I am going to stick to mouse food.”

KittyGirl finished eating, and Mousy saw her eyes were starting to close.

“Now I’m tired,” said KittyGirl. “All this excitement and food has made me sleepy.”

“I’m sleepy too,” said Mousy, yawning.

KittyGirl and Mousy went over to KittyGirl’s bed in the corner of the kitchen. KittyGirl climbed into bed, turned around once, and then curled up with her chin on her paws. Her eyes closed slowly.

Mousy crawled into bed next to KittyGirl, and pulled KittyGirl’s tail over him like a blanket.

“What an adventure we had!” said KittyGirl.

“Yes it was, KittyGirl. Next time be more careful when you sneeze. You don’t want to lose your meow again!” said Mousy.

“I will be more careful” said KittyGirl. “Good night, Mousy.”

“Good night, KittyGirl” said Mousy.

And the two friends fell fast asleep.

THE END

By Christian Jacobsen. All rights reserved.