Валентина Басан
Adventures of Michael the Cat and Oleksandra the Kitten. Friends
Michael the Cat and Oleksandra the Kitten loved their friends Lev the Cat and Mishuta the Cat very much, with whom they often played and walked. The parents of friends invited Michael and Oleksandra to visit them and also brought the cats – brothers to Michael and Oleksandra’s house. They were friends not only by houses, but also by families.
One day, Lev the Cat and Mishuta the Cat came to visit Michael and Oleksandra and brought toy pistols with them.
– Oleksandra, you can't play with pistols, you're a girl. Go to play with your dolls. And in general, Lev and Mishuta are my friends; we play boy games, shooting games, cars, and battles. And you're still a little girl and a girl at that.
Brother Michael the Cat was relentless; he opened the door of his room, hinting to his sister that she was superfluous among the boys.
Kitten Oleksandra did not expect such a trick from her own brother. She burst into bitter tears and covered her muzzle with her paws.
Cat Lev and Cat Mishuta did not expect that instead of the promised fun they would receive a bucket of girly tears and a quarrel between Cat Michael and Kitten Oleksandra.
– Mom! Mom! – Oleksandra the Kitten stood in front of the closed room of the Cat Michael and continued to cry.
Mama Cat heard her daughter's scream and rushed out of the kitchen, wiping her paws on her apron.
– Kitten, what happened? Why were you screaming?
– Mom! I don't want to be a girl!
– What?!
Mama Cat even forgot for a minute that she has a pie with apples baked in the oven. She knew that soon children would get hungry and want to eat something delicious. And apple pie was a favorite treat of four friends.
– Mom, Michael said that girls shouldn't play with boys, that I'm too small, and that Cat Lev and Cat Mishuta are his friends, not my friends! I don't want to be a girl! Being a girl is bad! 
The Kitten Oleksandra sobbed loudly and blew her nose into her mother's kitchen apron.
– Oleksandra, let the boys play in the room, you and I will go to the kitchen. First of all, I need to look at the pie; otherwise it will leave horns and legs, or rather, embers. And secondly, I have a secret for you.
And the Cat's Mom mysteriously winked, put her finger to her lips, saying that the boys didn't have to hear, and took Oleksandra the Kitten with her to the kitchen.
In the egg-yellow and cozy kitchen there were aromas of baking and brewed mint tea. Mama Cat sat Oleksandra on a high chair, took a pie out of the oven and put it to cool. Then she poured tea for herself and her daughter into cups with flowers and opened a box of sweets that Lev and Mishuta gave to Oleksandra.
– Kitten, I'm going to tell you a secret now, but don't tell it to your brother or friends, okay?
– Good!
Oleksandra the Kitten with a candy behind her cheek caught every word of her mother's.
– Being a girl is much better. And I'll tell you why now. Girls wear beautiful dresses, and boys always wear jeans or tracksuits. Girls play with such beautiful dolls, and boys with rough and black pistols. Girls weave pigtails, tails, buns with different rubber bands and hairpins. Girls know how to bake delicious cakes and cookies, and boys admire and taste with pleasure. Girls become mothers and this is the greatest happiness on earth! Imagine if I wanted to be a boy? You would never have been here!
– No! No, Mommy! Don't scare me! I don't want to be a boy, and so you are!
– That's what I'm talking about!
Mama Cat smiled and cut the cooled pie into four pieces.
When the children were sitting at the table, the Mother Cat winked at Oleksandra the Kitten and said loudly:
– Do you know, boys, that Kitten Oleksandra helped me bake this pie?
– Oleksandra the Kitten?
Three Cats screamed in one voice, raising their eyebrows in surprise. They had already finished their portions and were looking at the little Kitten with admiration.
– Oleksandra, you're so good, I didn't even know you could bake pies!
Mishuta the Cat said with surprise.
Cat Michael and Cat Lev nodded, agreeing with Cat Mishuta.
– Oleksandra, I'm sorry that I said that Lev and Mishuta are only my friends. They are our friends. And we can play together. Come to play with us. Brother Michael said to her.
–Thanks, boys, but I'm going to play with dolls!
Alexandra slyly squinted and smiled to her Mother Cat, and the Cats, sighing with relief, happily disappeared from the kitchen in a matter of seconds.
The artistic work of the author was used to prepare the cover of the publication.