The vicious pit bull growled as he chased the two stray cats down the alleyway. Freda and Tommy ran for their lives.
“It’s a dead end!” cried Tommy. “We’re trapped.”
A tall stockade fence blocked the end of the alley.
“Just keep moving,” said Freda.
The pit bull was only a dozen yards behind when the cats reached the fence. Tommy leaped as high as he could, but his claws would not stick into the fence. “It’s too high to climb,” he watched with horror as the dog closed in on him and his friend.
“This way!” Freda called before scrambling under a narrow gap in the fence.
Tommy dove after his friend. He pushed his way through a second before the pit bull arrived. The dog barked and pawed at the fence but was much too large to fit under it.
“That was close,” said Tommy. “How did you know there was a way out of the alley?”
“If you are going to survive on the streets, you need to know these things”
“Very funny. I’ve lived on the streets just as long as you.”
“Whatever. Let’s go.” Freda led the way around the corner and down a side street, leaving the dog far behind.
“I’m hungry,” said Tommy.
“Me too. But we’re in luck, the restaurants are closing. Follow me.” At the next intersection, Freda peeked around the corner. With no one in sight, she snuck down another alley. This one ran behind a row of popular restaurants. The alley was lined with garbage cans.
Freda made sure no one was around, then pawed at a can. The lid popped off and hit the street with a loud clang.
The hungry cats leaped up on top of the can and dug at the trash bags inside. The thin plastic was no match for their sharp claws, and soon they were feasting on leftover scraps.
A door swung open only a few feet from the cats. A large man with a broom stepped into the alley.
“Get out of here you mangy pests!” the man shouted and swung he broom at the cats.
Freda and Tommy ducked past the man and scampered away.
“That was close,” said Freda
“Yes, but I’m still hungry,” Tommy protested.
“You’ll have to wait. Besides, I want to show you something.”
Freda trotted to the end of the alley, and then zigzagged through the city streets until she reached an abandoned building.
“What is this place?” Tommy asked.
“You’ll see. Follow me.”
Freda squeezed through a partially open door, then bounded up a stairway. Tommy followed his friend through the dark building. Not a single light bulb was lit. The cats climbed up one floor after another.
Freda finally reached the top of the stairs, “this way.”
She led Tommy onto the roof of the old building.
“This is great. You can see the whole city, and beyond.,” Tommy went to the edge of the roof for a better look.
“It’s my favorite place.”
“What’s that on the other side of the river?” Tommy pointed to an enormous mansion set atop the distant hill. The house and neat rows of yard lights sparkled in the darkness.
“I don’t know. It must be a rich person’s home.”
“I guess.”
“I wonder what it would be like to live there,” said Freda.
“I’m happy right here,” Tommy sneered.
“Do you ever get tired of eating scraps from a stinky garbage can?”
“If you lived there, I bet you’d have to follow lots of rules. Here I can do whatever I feel like doing.”
Freda nodded. “You’re right. We are free to do anything we want.”
The next day, while Freda and Tommy relaxed in the park, their friend Addison trotted down the sidewalk. Addison was a long haired calico who liked to keep up on the news in the cat community.
“Hi Addison,” Freda greeted her friend.
“Hi Freda, Hi Tommy. What’s up?”
“Not much. What new?” Tommy asked.
“Did you hear about the boy who’s been coming around?”
“No, I haven’t,” said Freda.
“The word is, he has been trying to lure cats off the streets.”
“That sounds like trouble. Do you think he’s dangerous?” Tommy asked.
“I don’t know. Rumor has it he lives on the other side of the river.”
Tommy crouched down. “Well, he’s not going to take me without a fight.”
“Me neither,” Freda nodded in agreement.
“I suggest you be on the lookout for this kid. Let me know if you see anything suspicious,” Addison turned and walked away.
Even with winter around the corner, the autumn sun still warmed the city pavement. Several days later, Freda enjoyed an afternoon nap on the heat of the sidewalk until she felt a sharp nudge.
“Freda, Freda wake up,” Tommy pawed at his friend.
“What is it?” she grumbled.
“There is a strange boy coming this way. I’ve never seen him before.”
Freda rubbed her eyes. Even with all the people in the busy city, the cats knew when someone looked out of place. The boy seemed to be watching Tommy and her. She got to her feet as the boy approached. The strange boy stopped a short distance from the cats.
“It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” The boy squatted down and held up his hands.
Freda and Tommy watched him carefully. Even though the boy kept his distance, Freda hissed to warned him not to come closer.
“Here, I have something for you.” The boy pulled something from his pocket and dropped it on the ground, and then backed away. “Go ahead. Take it.”
Freda grew curious. She sniffed the air. No one in the city ever gave her food. She had to take whatever she could find.
“Be careful. It could be a trick,” Tommy whispered under his breath.
The boy took another step back. When Freda felt it was safe, she crept up to the treats on the sidewalk and gulped one down. Tommy followed a few seconds later.
The boy smiled. He dropped more food on the ground but this time he didn’t back away. “Have more.”
The cats watched and waited.
“I thought you would like that,” the boy continued. “I live in the house across the river. You are welcome to come and live with me. You don’t have to live on the streets. I have warm beds and a big yard where you can run and play. My father told me to invite all the stray cats I find.”
“Let’s go,” said Tommy. “There’s no way I’m going with him.”
Freda started following Tommy, then turned and ran up to the boy. She rubbed herself against his leg as if to say, “I’ll take your offer.”
[Other stories you might enjoy]
***
Read John 14:1-2
Who does Jesus invite to his Father’s house
In the story, what are each of these a picture of:
The cats?
The city?
The boy?
The boy’s father?
The mansion?
How to we get a room in The Father’s house? (verse 6)