A Little Golden Book

When I was little, my mom used to read aloud stories to me. She used a lot of expressions, intonations and gestures to make the stories come alive. I'd memorize every single word and the routine had to be perfect... if she skipped/altered a single word or forgot to make the right sounds at the right places, I'd throw a tantrum :p

One of my favorites was Four Little Kittens. It was part of the Little Golden Books series and I adored the pictures. It was the story of a mother cat with four little kittens (Tuff, Luff, Ruff and Muff) telling them what they could be when they grow up. Tuff chooses to be an alley cat (a tough life), Luff decides to be a ship's cat (a life of adventure), Ruff wants to live on a farm (responsible and useful) and Muff simply can't make up her mind. In the end after her siblings leave, Muff has a revelation, "I'm a cushion and cream cat, a purring cat, a cuddlesome cat, a playful cat, a little girl's cat, - I'm a house cat!"

Muff was my favorite, the sweet one who'd stay at home and bring joy to a little girl... I guess I turned out more like Tuff, Luff and Ruff...