Although Little Max was, for the most part, a stay-inside kitten, he happily ventured outside now and again — but only with the older cats — to attend feasts or parties or festivals in the garden.

Truth be told, he felt safer inside the cottage, although he couldn’t exactly explain why.

(He did sometimes talk in his sleep and so the older cats had discovered that Max had been chased by a d-o-g when he was a tiny kitten, fending for himself outside, before the Gardener and his wife found him and brought him home.)

For his part, Max thought his preference might have something to do with the fact that the inside of the cottage was big enough, but not too big. And not too loud. And warm and cozy and full of soft places to sleep.

(August 2023)

Story © Jennifer Singleton / Read+Purr

This is another vignette in my ongoing series of Tiny Garden Stories: peaceful 1-minute tales, full of cozy vibes, delicious details, and generous dollops of imagination & whimsy. Click one of the first two buttons below to go to (or back to, if that’s where you fell down the rabbit hole) either the Public Garden archive page or (if you’re a Story Club member) to the Private Garden page. Or click the third button to learn more about my Tiny Garden Stories. Want each week’s featured story delivered directly to your inbox? Subscribe to my Substack.