The Cat

Many years ago, there lived a Cat. The Cat lived in a large forest in a crooked little valley. Years before, a giant redwood tree had sprouted in the center of the forest. After the tree had fully grown, a lynx came down from the mountains bordering the valley to carry on its legacy. Many mountain cats were dying, so to preserve their culture, the lynx went down into the valley to find an animal that would inherit their climbing ability. When the lynx stumbled upon the redwood, the mountain cat placed an object at the top of the tree, declaring that any animal who could scale the tree would be able to climb as they did. Over the years, many animals tried and failed to clamber up the tree. Even the birds, who could fly, would run out of energy before reaching the top, plummeting down to Earth like raindrops. Eventually, the Cat tried to beat the momentous challenge. Like the many others before it, the Cat was unable to climb the tree. Whenever the Cat began to go higher, they slipped down the trunk and fell to the bottom again. Though their strong claws allowed them to climb higher than most, the dull tips of the claws slid off the bark. Giving up on the challenge, the Cat devoted themself to overcoming the obstacle. For many months, the Cat practiced climbing. The next year, the Cat tried again, climbing even higher than before. But despite their efforts, it wasn't enough. The Cat simply couldn't beat the challenge. Disheartened, the Cat once again tried to train themselves to beat the challenge. But in their fervor, the Cat accidentally broke one of their claws while climbing. Depressed by the sudden change of events, the Cat stabbed their claw into the trunk of a tree. To the Cat's immense surprise, the broken claw embedded itself into the soft bark of the tree. Realizing what had happened, the Cat sharpened their claws on stones, allowing the claws to rend through the bark and give themself a better grip. After sharpening their claws, the Cat took on the challenge again. This time, their sharp claws helped them scale the giant tree. After reaching the top, the Cat searched for what the lynx had left. Unfortunately, the Cat found nothing. The item had been lost to time, and the Cat received nothing for their toil. But when the Cat descended from the redwood, it taught its knowledge to the rest of its species. Now, cats are some of the most agile climbers in the world, nimbly scrambling up whatever object is in front of them. And to this day, they still sharpen their claws.