Uncle Wiggly and the Rich Cat

Once upon a time there was a very rich

Once upon a time there was a very rich

cat. And I don't mean just comfortable

cat. And I don't mean just comfortable

or doing well. I mean rich rich cream

or doing well. I mean rich rich cream

delivered fresh to your doorstep. Rich

delivered fresh to your doorstep. Rich

automobile with its own personal rat

automobile with its own personal rat

chauffeur. Rich. So rich she had a mouse

chauffeur. Rich. So rich she had a mouse

servant who folded her napkins. And

servant who folded her napkins. And

despite all of this, she was utterly

despite all of this, she was utterly

profoundly miserable. Every morning

profoundly miserable. Every morning

she'd lap the thickest cream from

she'd lap the thickest cream from

delicate crystal dishes. dab her perfect

delicate crystal dishes. dab her perfect

whiskers with embroidered linen napkins

whiskers with embroidered linen napkins

and let out a sigh that sounded like a

and let out a sigh that sounded like a

ghost haunting a Victorian mansion.

ghost haunting a Victorian mansion.

"Hi-ho!" she'd purr. "I am so

"Hi-ho!" she'd purr. "I am so

exhausted." "Exhausted from what?" The

exhausted." "Exhausted from what?" The

little mouse servant would squeak

little mouse servant would squeak

nervously carrying in a silver tray of

nervously carrying in a silver tray of

afternoon treats. "From nothing," the

afternoon treats. "From nothing," the

cat would reply, her voice a low, sad

cat would reply, her voice a low, sad

rumble. I am tired of having everything

rumble. I am tired of having everything

and feeling absolutely nothing. You see,

and feeling absolutely nothing. You see,

that's the real danger of a life of pure

that's the real danger of a life of pure

luxury, a life without any friction. It

luxury, a life without any friction. It

can start to rot your spirit from the

can start to rot your spirit from the

inside out. Her daily schedule was a

inside out. Her daily schedule was a

suffocating cycle of velvet boredom. She

suffocating cycle of velvet boredom. She

would dress to go out, then undress to

would dress to go out, then undress to

eat her meal, redress to be seen at some

eat her meal, redress to be seen at some

social function, then undress again to

social function, then undress again to

sleep. over and over the same pointless

sleep. over and over the same pointless

routine. One day she'd had enough. "I

routine. One day she'd had enough. "I

want an adventure," she declared with a

want an adventure," she declared with a

sudden fire in her eyes. The mouse

sudden fire in her eyes. The mouse

nearly fainted on the spot. "Adventure

nearly fainted on the spot. "Adventure

in this economy," he stammered. "Yes,"

in this economy," he stammered. "Yes,"

she insisted. "I overheard a dog, a one

she insisted. "I overheard a dog, a one

spore dog, speaking of an experience he

spore dog, speaking of an experience he

had in the woods. He met an old rabbit

had in the woods. He met an old rabbit

gentleman named Uncle Wiggley. The way

gentleman named Uncle Wiggley. The way

he described it, dot dot dot, he sounded

he described it, dot dot dot, he sounded

so alive. I would trade half my fortune

so alive. I would trade half my fortune

for just one single pulse of that

for just one single pulse of that

feeling. And so she ordered her

feeling. And so she ordered her

automobile.

automobile.

The old rat gentleman took his place

The old rat gentleman took his place

behind the wheel. The mouse clutched the

behind the wheel. The mouse clutched the

plush leather seat as if he were signing

plush leather seat as if he were signing

his own resignation letter. They drove

his own resignation letter. They drove

out of the pristine city and into the

out of the pristine city and into the

untamed forest. As they went deeper, the

untamed forest. As they went deeper, the

smooth road turned wild and the gentle

smooth road turned wild and the gentle

ride grew rough. For the first time in a

ride grew rough. For the first time in a

long time, the rich cat began to feel

long time, the rich cat began to feel

something unfamiliar stirring inside

something unfamiliar stirring inside

her. It wasn't boredom or emptiness. It

her. It wasn't boredom or emptiness. It

was a mix of hunger and dot dot dot

was a mix of hunger and dot dot dot

excitement. Then there was a loud crack.

excitement. Then there was a loud crack.

The automobile had shattered a wheel on

The automobile had shattered a wheel on

a hidden rock. The chauffeur, ever the

a hidden rock. The chauffeur, ever the

professional, announced he would go for

professional, announced he would go for

help.

help.

The mouse, terrified of being left

The mouse, terrified of being left

alone, scured after him. And just like

alone, scured after him. And just like

that, the rich cat was completely by

that, the rich cat was completely by

herself, alone in the middle of the

herself, alone in the middle of the

woods. A rustle in the undergrowth broke

woods. A rustle in the undergrowth broke

the silence. Two stray dogs, wild with a

the silence. Two stray dogs, wild with a

sense of purpose she'd never known,

sense of purpose she'd never known,

burst from the brush. A strange cat. One

burst from the brush. A strange cat. One

of them barked excitedly. Let's tree

of them barked excitedly. Let's tree

her. She didn't hesitate or stand on

her. She didn't hesitate or stand on

ceremony. She just acted.

ceremony. She just acted.

She scrambled up the nearest tree, her

She scrambled up the nearest tree, her

claws shredding her dignity and her

claws shredding her dignity and her

designer clothes with equal disregard.

designer clothes with equal disregard.

There she was, perched high on a branch,

There she was, perched high on a branch,

her heart pounding like an alarm clock

her heart pounding like an alarm clock

in a haunted house. This, she whispered

in a haunted house. This, she whispered

to herself, a strange smile on her face.

to herself, a strange smile on her face.

This is either complete humiliation or

This is either complete humiliation or

it's the beginning of something new.

it's the beginning of something new.

Hey, the dogs,

Hey, the dogs,

>> not ones to give up, started barking for

>> not ones to give up, started barking for

backup. And soon, emerging from the

backup. And soon, emerging from the

trees was a figure straight out of a

trees was a figure straight out of a

story book. An elderly rabbit in a tall

story book. An elderly rabbit in a tall

silk hat with spectacles perched on his

silk hat with spectacles perched on his

pink, twitching nose, leaning on a red,

pink, twitching nose, leaning on a red,

white, and blue rheumatism crutch. It

white, and blue rheumatism crutch. It

was him. It was Uncle Wiggly. At first,

was him. It was Uncle Wiggly. At first,

the dogs were suspicious.

the dogs were suspicious.

They thought he might be a wolf in

They thought he might be a wolf in

disguise. Or maybe a fox in fancy

disguise. Or maybe a fox in fancy

clothes. But the cat introduced herself

clothes. But the cat introduced herself

plainly, just a wealthy cat with a

plainly, just a wealthy cat with a

broken down car and absolutely no

broken down car and absolutely no

appetite for rabbit flesh. Uncle

appetite for rabbit flesh. Uncle

Wiggley, ever the gentleman, apologized

Wiggley, ever the gentleman, apologized

for the over-the-top enthusiasm of his

for the over-the-top enthusiasm of his

canine security team. She climbed down

canine security team. She climbed down

from the tree, her fur ruffled, her ego

from the tree, her fur ruffled, her ego

completely rearranged.

completely rearranged.

And in that moment, she learned

And in that moment, she learned

something that would change her life.

something that would change her life.

Uncle Wiggley wasn't just out for a

Uncle Wiggley wasn't just out for a

stroll. He was on his way to help a poor

stroll. He was on his way to help a poor

cat family. The father had lost his job.

cat family. The father had lost his job.

The mother was ill and the kittens were

The mother was ill and the kittens were

hungry. Without a second thought, the

hungry. Without a second thought, the

rich cat reached into her purse. Gold

rich cat reached into her purse. Gold

coins spilled out like leaves in autumn.

coins spilled out like leaves in autumn.

"Give them my automobile," she said, her

"Give them my automobile," she said, her

voice clear and firm. Let the father

voice clear and firm. Let the father

turn it into a taxi a jity. Let him

turn it into a taxi a jity. Let him

work. I am finished with riding in

work. I am finished with riding in

circles. Uncle Wiggly blinked

circles. Uncle Wiggly blinked

astonished. You're You're just giving it

astonished. You're You're just giving it

away. I climbed a tree today, she said,

away. I climbed a tree today, she said,

looking around at the forest as if

looking around at the forest as if

seeing for the first time, and I felt

seeing for the first time, and I felt

more alive in that single moment of

more alive in that single moment of

panic than I have in years of drinking

panic than I have in years of drinking

cream from crystal bowls. She chose to

cream from crystal bowls. She chose to

stay in the woods.

stay in the woods.

She built herself a cozy little bungalow

She built herself a cozy little bungalow

inside a hollow tree stump right near

inside a hollow tree stump right near

Uncle Wiggly's home. She traded her

Uncle Wiggly's home. She traded her

crystal chandeliers for the soft glow of

crystal chandeliers for the soft glow of

moonlight. She swapped her servants for

moonlight. She swapped her servants for

neighbors who became friends.

neighbors who became friends.

She exchanged a life of performance for

She exchanged a life of performance for

a life of purpose. When her rat

a life of purpose. When her rat

chauffeur and mouse servant finally

chauffeur and mouse servant finally

returned with a rescue vehicle, they

returned with a rescue vehicle, they

were utterly scandalized. You're going

were utterly scandalized. You're going

to live here. You're going to live dot

to live here. You're going to live dot

dot dot poor. Okay, they asked

dot dot poor. Okay, they asked

horrified.

horrified.

No, she corrected them gently. I am

No, she corrected them gently. I am

going to live and she did. The poor cat

going to live and she did. The poor cat

family thrived. The father's jity

family thrived. The father's jity

business was a success. The kitten's

business was a success. The kitten's

laughter filled their home and the once

laughter filled their home and the once

rich cat discovered something truly

rich cat discovered something truly

priceless. Adventure isn't found in

priceless. Adventure isn't found in

comfort. meaning isn't something that

comfort. meaning isn't something that

can be delivered to your doorstep. And

can be delivered to your doorstep. And

sometimes you have to climb a tree just

sometimes you have to climb a tree just

to climb back into yourself. So if you

to climb back into yourself. So if you

ever find yourself surrounded by luxury

ever find yourself surrounded by luxury

but starving for life, maybe it's not

but starving for life, maybe it's not

your wealth that's broken. Maybe it's

your wealth that's broken. Maybe it's

just your wheel. And when something in

just your wheel. And when something in

your life leaks, you have to mend it.

your life leaks, you have to mend it.

When something calls to you, you have to

When something calls to you, you have to

answer. And if the monkey steals the

answer. And if the monkey steals the

squeak from the rubber ball again, well,

squeak from the rubber ball again, well,

that's a story for another time. Thanks

that's a story for another time. Thanks

for watching. This story resonated with

for watching. This story resonated with

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