Once upon a time, there was a boy named Pedro. Pedro was Abigail's best friend! They loved playing together, especially when they pretended to be mermaids! They would spend hours in the garden, making mermaid sounds and splashing around in the little pond.
One day, Pedro met Abigail in the garden with a sad face. "My father passed away," he said, his voice shaky. "He left the family windmill to my older brother, a pack mule to my middle brother, and only a cat to me."
Abigail gasped! "A cat? How are you going to survive with just a cat?"
Before Pedro could answer, the cat, who had been hiding behind a bush, jumped out. "If you get me a pair of leather boots," he said, "I'll prove to be very useful to Pedro!"
Abigail and Pedro looked at each other. They had saved all their coins in a piggy bank, and they knew just what to do! They broke open their piggy bank and bought the cat a brand new pair of leather boots.
"Do you want to come with us?" the cat asked. Pedro was sad, but he said, "I'll stay with my brothers." Abigail, however, loved adventures, so she smiled and said, "I'm coming with you!"
The cat winked and led Abigail to the enchanted forest near her house in Washington. It was a magical journey! They swam across rivers, climbed over mountains, and Abigail even showed the cat her superpower - she could swim like a mermaid!
The cat told Abigail, "I have a plan, you'll see." They reached the enchanted castle and gave two hens they had caught to one of the king's servants. "These are a gift from a young man who has recently moved to the kingdom," the cat said. The hens were a big hit, and soon, the cat and Abigail were on their way to meet Pedro.
When they found Pedro in the garden, the cat told him what he had done. "What's the plan?" Pedro asked Abigail. But she still didn't know.
They played in the garden for a while, and then Pedro and Abigail decided to swim in the pond. Suddenly, a royal carriage came rushing up. The cat dashed off, saying, "Stay put, it's all part of the plan!"
The cat met the king in the carriage. "Someone has stolen the clothes of my young master and Abigail," the cat said, making a sad face. The king, always kind, invited the cat, Abigail, and Pedro to ride in the carriage. "I'll arrange new clothes for you," he promised. Abigail thanked the king, so happy to be on this exciting adventure!
The cat then asked, "Your Majesty, would you be interested in seeing the lands of my young master Pedro?" The king, eager to explore, agreed!
The cat directed the carriage to the castle of a powerful ogre! Pedro didn't know what was happening, but he and Abigail were excited!
When they arrived, the cat jumped out first and told Pedro, "Show the king around your lands." Pedro and Abigail decided to play along while the cat carried out his plan.
The cat entered the castle, and soon the wicked ogre asked, "What's a cat doing in my castle?" The clever cat said, "I greatly admire your magical powers. Could you turn me into a lion?" Like magic, the ogre transformed into a lion! Then, the clever cat asked, "Could you turn into a mouse?" The ogre, wanting to show off his powers, turned into a mouse!
In a flash, the cat, now a lion, ate the mouse! Now the castle belonged to Pedro, and they could play there all day long, especially with Abigail's superpower - swimming like a mermaid!
The cat, who had magical powers, turned back into a cat and went to meet the king, Pedro, and Abigail, inviting them all into the castle.
The king was amazed by the incredible castle and even more by Pedro and Abigail's kindness. He said, "I'll introduce you to my daughter. Perhaps you could be a lovely family together!"
Pedro and Abigail were thrilled, but they knew they had to tell the truth. They told the king everything about the cat's adventures. The king was even happier to meet children who were honest and kind.
After that day, Pedro, Abigail, the cat, and the princess played together every day in the enchanted forest garden. They loved making mermaid sounds and splashing around in the pond.
This truly is a happily ever after!
