Carrot

Carrot Cat is as orange as a carrot. Like all us readers she has dreams of a different life.

On a visit to the wharf she sees a yacht at the pier. On board is a beautiful white fluffy cat. She sleeps on a pile of pillows nearly 20 feet tall. Surely her parents were a king and a queen.

When Carrot returned to her humdrum life she began to dream of sitting on a throne and wearing a collar of diamonds and pearls, and drinking milk-flavored champagne.

But Carrot began to realize it would be hard on her fur and no real mice would be available for her to chase. Carrot's dream of becoming a luxury cat began to unravel. Her own real life family would miss her.

It might be nice for a day, but to live her whole life that way? Absolutely not!

In the pattern of life it is always greener on the other side of the fence, the reader and Carrot come to appreciate naps, playing outside with friends, a house not too big, not too small.

Besides if Carrot was not there, who would take soup to a mouse with the flu?

Kristin Blackwood's illustrations are dedicated to all the cats she knows. Any orange cat would be proud of being depicted so gigantic and colorful.