In a city,
not too distant,
stood a building that
had been abandoned.

The place where boys
would run and play,
a place that youngsters
called a hideaway.

But early one day,
something great happened there.
A mother cat made that
place her lair.

The children could not have
been more happy when,
the mother cat gave birth
to five little kittens.

And everyday the
same would repeat:
the kids would come running back
with a small bit of meat.

But then one day
a diaster struck.
And all the kids ran fast,
little feet kicking up dust.

The building was in a cloud
of thick black smoke,
as second by second the
flames arose.

The crowd watched in awe
as the fire grew wings,
and no one said a word until:
"The kittens!"

A young boy lunged
for the door,
but his parents stopped him,
not letting him go any further.

The children clung to their mothers
and began to weep,
all until they all heard a
quiet squeak.

Beneath the door was a little crack,
and out of it came
something fuzzy and black.

"The mother cat!"
The children exclaimed.
And in its mouth she held
one of the little kittens she saved.

Little tear-streaked faces
ran up to the cat,
gently taking the little
kitten that it had.

And into the flaming building
she went again,
to save the other four that
were calling for help.

Seconds later she emerged,
carrying one more,
similar to the other one
that she had before.

In she dove once more,
as the flames licked the building,
determined to save each and every one
of her precious little kittens.

After some time
she again appeared.
Then dropped the kitten
and again disappeared.

And no one saw her
for quite a while.
Thinking that perhaps,
she had perished in the fire.

But then,
through the thick black smoke,
the mother cat had
finally showed.

With all her children
now being safe,
she dropped to the ground
and took her last breath.

But the children weren't
going to let her die.
They picked her up
and brought her inside.

Two months later,
the kittens are unrecognizable.
They live at the fire station,
an example that nothing is impossible.

And inside the station
is the best part of all,
the mother cat wanders
with her head high and tall.

The perfect example
that love does save lives,
and that love, above all,
will always survive.