Cinderfella

In a quaint little fairy tale city

Lived a cinder-faced boy and his kitty

His stepfather beat him

his stepbrothers would cheat him

without even one ounce of pity

Every day was the same as the last

warned to finish his household chores fast

so he washed and he mopped

and never once stopped

till the hours of daylight had passed

After scrounging for something to eat

the boy and his cat would retreat

to his space in the attic

which was never traumatic

peeking down at the cobblestone street

One particular night as he spied

he saw danger and loudly he cried

"Get out of the way!"

as a single horse sleigh

and an old man did nearly collide

The old man was grateful indeed

that he'd escaped the horrific stampede

He said to the boy

I will gladly employ

anything that you think you might need

The little lad humble and kind

shook his head as he smiled and declined

I simply ask that

your gift go to my cat

that is of course, if you don't mind

Thus the cat and the old man conversed

and from that day the boy's life reversed

He was not reprimanded

No longer commanded

for his dad and stepbrothers were cursed

For a wizard was strolling one night

when a horse and sleigh gave him a fright

He was alerted in time

by a boy, face of grime

who thought more of his cat than his plight

So a moral comes out of this tale

that if hard work and kindness prevail

There may come a day

that your actions will pay

so upon your cat highly regale