The Hugs and Purrs Festival

by BugBug Milliken

Little Mim jumped out of bed at the crack of dawn. It was summer and this was the first day of the Annual Hugs and Purrs Festival. Ah, the Hugs and Purrs Festival. Of course, Little Mim knew all about the many Festivals like the Mookrah Festival and the Catnip Festival, and the Hugs and Purrs Festival. She had studied them ever since she was in Kittengarten. But this year was different. For Little Mim was a three year old, and and was now old enough to purrtipate in all the festivities. It was said that the Hugs and Purrs Festival had originated on Makreel, ancient home of her race. The Makreela herself had begun the first Festival when all of the ships had come home after the Great War, carrying her Beloved, and the many brave ones who had fought the horrible Blights in order to save their Kingdom. She had declared that once each year, all would lay down their weapons and great their fellow beings with Hugs and Purrs. Little Mim loved studying about the old days, and wondered how that first Festival had really been celebrated. Here on Terra it was a three day event. The first day was the big Family Picnic and Chunknip Melon Throwing Contest. Little Mim hurriedly dressed and raced downstairs to eat her breakfast and help her mewm pack their basket full of goodies. Here cousins, the Millikitts alwasys brought Sugared Mouse Tails, of which Little Mim was especially fond. Her own Mewm was famous fur her Catnip Crème Pies. This year she had baked 20 pies, and they were all carefully packed in their own special cooler. Little Mim helped finish packing the other things her mewm had purrpared. There were Salmon Cakes, and Tuna Tortes, and whole baked Chickens filled with catnip dressing. There were salads of fresh catnip greens, and fruity Chunknip melon baskets. Soon all was ready, and Little Mim, and her Mewm and Pawp set off fur the great field by Golden Lake, where the Picnic was held. When they arrived, many cats were already there, setting out feasts on the long tables. Little Mim’s mouth was watering, and she just knew she was hungrier than she had efur been before, even though she had had a large breakfast. Little Mim spied some of her school furriends, and ran off to play while the adults got things ready. They watched as some of the older cats purriticipated in Three-Pawed Sack Races, and Wheelbarrow Races. Finally all the food was set out, and the Prince and Princess declared the Picnic officially open. Oh yum. Long lines of cats flowed toward the laden tables, plates were filled and soon every cat was trying to sample every dish, and eat as much as possible of all the delicious food. Before long the piles of food dwindled, and the cats sat back, ready to relax. Then came the Chunknip Melon Throwing Contest. Little Mim’s Pawp took his place among the mighty cats of the Kingdom, and each threw his melon. The Prince easily won. And afterwards all the cats who should have been too stuffed to waddle, raced out on the field and fell to eating up the yummy melons. Then they licked and cleaned themselves and each other, and most cats settled down fur a nice little nap. Just as the sun was setting a band started playing in the Gazebo. Cats woke up and stretched from their little cat naps, and soon couples young and old were dancing to lively or dreamy tunes. Little Mim and her furriends watched. There was her cousin Daenida, in a lovely yellow sun-dress, dancing with her handsome winkwink, Cookie. And there was her Auntie Shibui, in a lovely turqoise chiffon creation, which set off her beautiful eyes, and her cousin BugBug, dressed in a dainty pink frock. Oh, they all looked so lovely. Little Mim sighed. She wished she was all grown up, and had a lovely dress and a handsome wink-wink with which to dance the night away. Little did she know that she was quite a beautifur young kitt, and that the lavender patches in her fur showed that she was descended from the royal house of Makreel. Her Mewm and Pawp nefur said anything to her, because they were only distant cousins of the Princess, and they didn’t want it all to go to Little Mim’s head. She still needed time to be a kitten, and to grow up in a wonderfur and carefree world. The next day Little Mim went to the Carnival, which was set up on the shore of Golden Lake. She watched the Awards Ceremony of the teams who had purrticipated in the Fishing Derby. She spied her cousin SnowLing, and her furriends, who had been on one team. They were being awarded the Prize fur the most Unusual Catch. Kitty the Great had caught an old tyre, and two old boots. Kitty the Great laughed as they handed him the award, which was really the Booby prize. Then he announced that his catch would be donated to the City Council, who would use it to make a swing in the new Playground. All the cats clapped and laughed along with Kitty, who bowed low. Little Mim wandered on until she came to a ticket booth. There she bought tickets fur the rides. She rode on the Merry-Go-Round, and then she slid down the Giant Slide. Last of all she rode on her favfurite, the Ferris Wheel. It was a huge Wheel, and it went up, up, up into the sky until Little Mim could see to the far side of Golden Lake. Oh, mew, she thought, what fun it would be to be a bird and to be able to fly up so high. Afterwards, Little Mim wandered around looking at all the neat things. She only had a few toonas left, and she couldn’t decide whether to try a game or buy Cottnip Candy. Then she saw her cousin Daenida, and her handsome wink-wink Cookie, and waved to them. "Hugs and Purrs, Little Mim," they called. "Are you having fun?" "Hugs and Purrs," answered Little Mim. "Yes. I am having ever so much fun." Little Mim felt a little shy, and she stood and stared with wide eyes at the huge Teddy Bear which Cookie had won fur Daenida. Cookie punched her lightly in the arm. "Come on kiddo, I will win something fur you too." "Oh, Thank mew. Oh, mew," Little Mim said in a tiny, breathless voice. And before she knew it, they were standing in front of one of the game booths, and Cookie was throwing balls at Milk Bottles. One, two , three, he threw in quick succession, and all the milk bottles were on the ground. Cookie was quite an expert at the game. Little Mim picked a small lavender kitt with a crown, who was supposed to represent the Makreela. "Thank mew so much Cookie", she said. "No problem, kiddo", he replied. "Mew better run along now, and find your Mewm and Pawp. The Fireworks will be starting soon." Little Mim hugged her new doll close and ran off, smiling. She found her Mewm and Pawp, and they all sat together in the stands and watched the spectacular fireworks show. There were Rockets, and Candles, and Wheels and Sparklers which soared over the crowd and burst in patterns of colorful flowers, or rained down like lovely fountains. And last there was a Great Green Blight Dragon, which was chased away by a rain of purple cats that fell in fountains. The crowd clapped uproarously when the huge dragon appeared, then let out a long sigh as the last purple cat fell. Then tired, but happy, the crowd headed fur home. The last day of the Festival, Little Mim slept late. When she finally woke up, it was to the smell of sizzling sausages and pancakes. This was the most important day of the Festival. Tonight all the cats would gather at Golden Lake to watch the annual Meteor Shower. It was said that the Meteors represented their ancestors. As the cats sat in family groups and watched them fall, they quietly named loved ones who had crossed the Rainbow Bridge. And most special of all, one of the three to six year olds would be chosen to preside over the end of the Festival. Little Mim hoped ever so much that it would be her, but it was usually one of the six year olds. After breakfast, Little Mim helped her Mewm clean up. Then the three of them carefully swept and dusted the little house so that all would be in order fur the visit of their ancestors. Mewm set out dishes of special food on the table. Salmon cakes made with special catnip, and lovely slices of Chunknip Melon. Then it was time to get ready to go. Little Mim carefully brushed her fur, then put on the lovely new lavender dress which Mewm and Pawp had bought her. She wanted to look her very best. Then she picked up her new Makreela doll and hugged it close. Purrhaps it would bring her good luck. She tucked it in the pocket of her new dress and went downstairs. Pawp was getting grey around the ears, but he looked quite handsome in his lavender shirt, and Mewm looked lovely in a dress covered in tiny lavender flowers. When they arrived at Golden Lake, Little Mim took her place with the other three to six year olds, and her Mewm and Pawp picked out a lovely grassy little knoll on which to sit. There was an expectant hush and an electric feeling of excitement in the crowd. Finally the Prince and Princess arrived in their pink Cadillac, and took their places in their box, which over-looked the lake. Little Mim loved the Prince and Princess, because they were nefur pretentious. The Princess wore a beautifur long pale pink chiffon dress, embroidered with tiny pink roses and shot through with silver threads which sparkled in the moonlight. She was a vision of loveliness. The Prince looked so dashing in a Maroon waistcoat and tales. After they were seated, the Princess raised her paw and said "Hugs and Purrs." Then she opened the door of a large bird cage, and many lovely flutterbyes flew out. Most of them flew away, but one flew toward the crowd and over the heads of the waiting three to six year olds. It flitted here and there, and at last it came gently to rest on Little Mim’s shoulder. Little Mim was stunned. There were butterflies in her stomach, and she stood rooted to the spot like stone. Then she took a deep breath, and thought to herself, "I can do this. I know I can." She raised her head high, and walked slowly and carefully down to the box where the Prince and Princess sat waiting. The Princess slipped her paw into Little Mim’s paw and squeezed it tight. Little Mim stood tall, and looked out ofur the crowd, and said "This is the end of the Hugs and Purrs Festival, and the beginning of a New Year. Remember to always greet your neighbor with Hugs and Purrs, and long live our ancestors." Then she walked sedately back to her Memw and Pawp and sat down to watch as the stars began to fall. Oh, it was a lovely evening, with a quarter moon in the sky, and the Magic Star Kitten constellation gleaming high overhead. Suddenly, meteorites started streaming across the sky, some quickly , and some leaving long, bright tails. It was a beautiful starfall, and the crowd watched in awed silence long into the night. At last it was all over, and Little Mim smiled as her heavy eyelids dropped, and she fell asleep. Pawp picked her up, and Mewm smiled a loving smile at him as she laid her paw on his arm. "She is a very special little kitten, isn’t she," Mewm said. And Pawp smiled back. Then they walked slowly home.