Work Text:
Once upon a time, in the land of makebelieve, there lived a little kitten named Henrietta Beastlycat. She was a lovely little cat, with lovely soft fur and lovely long whiskers and a lovely pink nose. Her parents told her all the time how lovely she was - but they always looked away from her paws when they said it.
Henrietta's paws were large. And she had sharp sharp claws. They were not so lovely.
In fact, Henrietta's paws and claws were kind of dangerous. Henrietta shredded the lovely dresses her mother gave her. Henrietta shredded the lovely leather shoes her father gave her. Henrietta hated her great big paws and her great sharp claws.
In fact, she hated them so much that one day Henrietta visited a magician and asked him to transform her paws and claws into something much more delicate and lovely - something suitable for a nice little kitten. The magician shook his head. "Oh, Henrietta Beastlycat," the magician said, "you don't know what you're asking. And, besides, your paws and claws are part of you just the way they are."
"Meow meow giant," said Henrietta Beastlycat. "Meow meow sharp," said Henrietta Beastlycat. And the magician could see her point. Her paws and claws were certainly quite giant and quite sharp, especially when you considered what a tiny little kitten she was.
The magician asked her again and again Henrietta Beastlycat begged him to transform her paws and claws. And so the magician waved his wand.
There was a puff of smoke. The puff of smoke grew into a cloud of smoke and the magician coughed and sputtered and opened a window. And when the air cleared, the magician hemmed and the magician hawed. Because where there had been a lovely little kitten, there was now a great blue beastly cat indeed.
"Meow meow blue meow," Henrietta wailed. "Meow meow dangerous meow."
It was enough to break the magician's heart. But he had warned her: transformations were always a risky business. "You fit your paws and claws now," he told her. "You are big and blue and beastly all over." He meant it in a good and kind way. But it just made Henrietta cry harder.
She cried all the way home. Then she hid in her room. When Henrietta didn't come to dinner, her parents went looking for her. "Henrietta," said her mother, "we're having your favorite - a lovely garden salad."
"Henrietta," said her father, "we're having your other favorite, too - a lovely bit of bread and cheese."
But Henrietta hid under her blankets until her parents, worried about their lovely little kitten, tugged the covers down from her face. "Oh," said her mother. "Oh, my," said her father.
"Meow beastly meow meow," cried Henrietta.
"Henrietta!" said her mother, hugging her tight. "Of course we still love you."
"Henrietta!" said her father, hugging her tight from the other side. "Of course we still think you are lovely."
That was the heart of Henrietta's tears. She had always been a lovely little kitten. Now she was a large and blue and beastly cat! Surely no one would like her anymore; no one would love her.
Henrietta's parents petted her blue fur. "Blue like the lovely sky," said Henrietta's mother. "Strong like a lovely big cat," said Henrietta's father.
"You're still our own Henrietta," said both of Henrietta's parents. "And we will always love you very much. You are lovely just as you are."
None of Henrietta's dresses fit her anymore - and she hadn't much liked them anyway. Instead, Henrietta's mother bought her a blue and yellow jumpsuit - because blue and yellow were Henrietta's favorite colors - that didn't get tangled in Henrietta's paws and claws. Henrietta liked her new clothes. Sometimes she was still sad that she was no longer a small kitten - sometimes Henrietta was sad that she was so big and blue.
But whenever Henrietta was sad, she remembered what her parents said, and then she felt just lovely again:
I can put on a hat, or put on a coat,
Or wear a pair of glasses or sail in a boat.
I can change all my names
And find a place to hide.
I can do almost anything, but
I'm still myself inside.
I can go far away, or dream anything,
Or wear a scary costume or act like a king.
I can change all my names
And find a place to hide.
I can do almost anything, but
I'm still myself,
I'm still myself,
I'm still myself inside.