Once in a place in the country a cat did live;

And the name Maria was what her mother did give.

This mighty cat was such a goodly fellow-

All grey and white with just a pinch of yellow.

She’d strut about the yard indeed to show

Her lustrous coat of brilliant calico.

A good, kind cat; forever in good mood.

But alas! If colored pieces were in her food

Her entire body would completely quiver and moan,

And from her sweet small mouth would come a groan,

So all would know no cat in history

Had ever felt her level of misery.

But all in all a pleasant life she led-

Well taken care of and never under-fed.

Two good and loyal friends she also had.

On the whole sweet-tempered and rarely mad.

Maddie, a golden dog as swift as a doe,

And timid Molly with coat as white as snow.

And although ever ready with kindly story or joke,

One couldn’t but see they were mere country folk.

For unfortunately Maria never failed to see

Herself above the cut of the company.

For her old friends Maddie and Molly lacked the class

That Maria saw each morning in the looking glass.

She forever dreamed of being with her own kind-

Elegant creatures with sophisticated, superior minds.

But I’ll move on and begin my pathetic tail,

For a thought out, clever story can never fail

To teach, to please, and maybe entertain,

Or perhaps even cause some action in your brain.

     So one day mighty Maria took a stroll 

But soon found herself falling down a hole.

She cried out for help but alas! to no avail,

For there were no friends to be found in hill or dale.

She wailed aloud for she knew this was the end,

Unless a timely service one would rend.

And dread did come upon her for she did see

The very same fate ahead as dear Annabel Lee.

O!  That this glorious life had reached its close!

That adventurous journey with all its highs and lows.

But as she raised her whiskered head up to the sky

To bitterly offer her life a last goodbye,

A sound above the hole she surely did hear,

For other animals like her were somewhere near.

And soon a rope was dropped into the hole

And Maria climbed up, so soon to reach her goal.