Only Reflections

Baldwin walked by the tall hallway mirror at Aunt Agnes’ house and caught a glimpse of his reflection.  “Hmm, that’s a good looking cat with a handsome coat,” he whispered.  He edged a little closer to an image that was cold and flat.  Baldwin reached up and touched the mirror with his paw.  He laughed, “Hehee. Of course, it’s only me.”  Satisfied with his appearance, he rushed outside to explore the crisp autumn day in Athens, Georgia.

Baldwin walked long, and he walked far, crunching leaves with every step. Soon he came to a stone pathway, which led to a small pond tucked behind the trees.

From the middle of the pond, water sprayed up, up into the air, then cascaded down, down into the cattails and water lilies below.  Curiosity called him to the very edge of the pond as he saw a flash of gold swim away, but soon, as he looked down into the water, he realized that a set of eyes was peering back at him.

 Suddenly, cold water surrounded Baldwin going up his nose and into his ears.  He sprang into action and quickly jumped out of the cold wetness.  He sneezed; he coughed! He gave himself a shake as water droplets flew in multiple directions.

Baldwin was distraught, for his coat was no longer warm and shiny. He began to shiver and shake as his wet fur clung to his bones making him a very sad cat.  Laughter emerged from the pond, and then he heard ka-plunk, ka-plunk!

Ripples covered the water's surface.  To Baldwin's surprise, two old turtles swam away from where he had fallen in.  He watched while they made their way to a log in the middle of the pond.  The turtles slowly climbed out of the water still laughing and chatting about the strange gray cat who seemed enamored with his image.  Soon they settled down for a nap in the light of the sun, safely away from Baldwin's curiosity.