In a small village in a land not so very far away and not so very long ago, lived a young man named Korbin with his faithful feline companion, Kopa. Although Korbin was a happy and social boy, he would often seek adventure with only his cat for company. The house in which he lived with his parents was surrounded by fields and hills filled with trees and paths and animals. At the bottom of the large front garden ran a stream which would dry up in the summertime. This rural environment was the best gift as it offered an unlimited number of places and things to discover where he could let his imagination run wild.
Kopa had been with him since he’d been a kitten and Korbin had saved the cat’s life… As a kitten, Kopa was almost too brave and curious for his own good and wondered off and got lost in the barn. For a few days, never giving up, Korbin had searched and searched before finally finding him weak and miaowling under some farming equipment. Immediately crawling to fetch him up and bring him into the house, Korbin had not left the cat’s side for the next couple of days. He fed the cat milk in a tray, comforting him and singing him made up songs. The cat had never forgotten the boy’s kindness and loved him completely.
On this day in late June, the weather had been unbearably hot and the sun was beating down on the countryside. Korbin had decided to venture out to a strange structure built from stones like a wall a few miles away that he had spotted whilst being returning home on the school bus the previous week. In his mind, we wondered what hidden treasures he might find in there just barely visible from the road obscured by overgrown bushes and trees. Obviously, Kopa had followed the boy that morning excited to see where he was going. Sometimes the cat would get distracted by a rabbit or a flying cricket and dart off through the long grass to investigate and hunt with his ears pinned back and his tail rose like a radio antenna.
Even just a few miles was a lot further than Korbin’s legs had expected and by the time that they could finally see the wood line where the shelter should be found, he was hot and bothered. However, the excitement of new discovery was overwhelming and his pace increased. Kopa, sensing this, followed closely behind threading his way gingerly in the path created by the boy’s stride; looking up at him expectedly every once in a while. He could now see the faint outline of the small rocky grey exterior and was relieved that his sense of direction had not let him down.
As they neared the old stone hut, it occurred to Korbin that they would perhaps be the first to look inside in a very long time. He wondered who had built it and who had used it over the years. There was no door just a hole for an entrance and Kopa, highly inquisitive as always, bounded ahead to go inside. As the cat stealthily moved from bright sunlight into shadow, Korbin could feel the temperature drop noticeably and the coolness was a pleasant relief. Under the trees, the air was still and the sense of silence contributed to his anticipation.
Upon entering the hut, the smell of damp moss and hay was strong. It was small and dark in there and he waited a moment for his eyes to adjust to the diminished light. Kopa looked at him as if to ask what they were there for? The boy glanced around the interior of the hut and thought that this must have been a place of rest for a farmer of perhaps a shepherd. He saw a flat rock on the ground and decided that this would make a good table, gathering some stones to place underneath and some grass and branches to make the floor dry and comfortable, he started to work on customizing his discovery. He made a mental note that he would return soon with some plastic sheeting to protect against rain and maybe some juice and a cup to drink from. Of course, a bowl for Kopa would also be an essential addition.
Hours passed like minutes and it was only the fading light that reminded Korbin it must be getting late. Calling Kopa from inside the trees, he realized that they ought to hurry back home for dinner quickly. The cat could feel that Korbin was proud and happy of his day’s success and began to purr contentedly. The boy was tired when he reached the dry stream bed that served as a shortcut and secret passage back to the garden of his house. Gathering Kopa in his arms, he crept inside to the kitchen as though a pirate returning from a secret mission at sea. His mother was making some dinner and Kopa declared his hunger with a loud “Miaow”! “I see you too have been out exploring again”, she said in response. “I hope that you have not been up to any mischief”! Korbin just looked up at her and grinned a boyish grin. Glancing over at Kopa conspiratorially, he answered her: “Not at all Mum, we were building a castle that we found hidden in the woods”.
