Many thanks to Esther Averill
For an album view of the story, please click the first image.
One fine winter day the little red cat, Meow, sat at the window of her house. Dreamily, she watched her red scarf drying on the fence in the garden. 
But all at once a fierce bear, whom the Cat and Hedgie Club had christened “Vader the Thief,” rushed out of a cellar, grabbed Meow’s scarf and ran off with it. 
All Meow wanted was to get her scarf away from Vader. So she cut through the garden, climbed over the tall board fence, and ran around the corner. But there was no scarf. There was no Vader. 
As night descended, the cats and hedgehogs began to gather for their Club meeting. Sadly, shyly, the little red cat began to explain the tragedy that had struck her that day. 
Meow’s neck felt cold and bare without her red wool scarf tied snugly around it. But she bravely began her account. 
Bravely, she explained how she had followed Vader’s scent to the Den of the Bears on Parker Street. But Vader had been guarding the door. He had growled at Meow, and shouted that a thousand cats and hedgehogs could never get it back. Even from where she was standing, she had been able to feel his dank breath. She had been able to see the sun reflecting from his sharp teeth. 
Meow shuddered as she remembered the day. But as she returned to her seat, the club’s most beautiful member, Ichigo, stepped forward. Slowly, she opened her front paw. Between two of her velvety pads lay a solid gold chain. 
“I’m giving this chain to pay for whatever it costs to get back Meow’s scarf,” said Ichigo. “Last Hallowe’en Meow risked her life to bring me my piano which I had lost. To do this, she had to outsmart all the fierce bears. I want to help her get her scarf.” 
Before the Club could discuss anything, the fire alarm sounded. QT jumped on his fire truck, turned on the siren, and drove as fast as he could to the fire. 
It was the Den of Bears. It was on fire. 
Despite the risk of fire, QT bravely fought the fire. “Oh no,” thought Meow to herself, far away at the Club meeting. “My scarf is in the den. QT can save my scarf.” But then she stopped. “No, I mustn’t interrupt him. I mustn’t go to the fire and ask him to stop his noble work just to rescue my scarf.” 
Meow stayed away from the fire. “I mustn’t go and watch the fire,” thought Meow, “because if QT saw me he might remember my scarf and try to save it, when he shouldn’t.” 
Meow heard the fire truck returning to her neighborhood. “I guess my scarf has burned to ashes,” thought Meow. She wanted to go inside and bury her face in her pillow. But instead, Meow looked up at the fence. 
She saw a blue paw. A blue face. Lovely green eyes. It was QT, and he was wearing her red scarf and smiling. But Meow was horrified. QT had burned himself in the fire. He had suffered severe burns on the side of his face, all to save her ribbon. 
Meow quickly took QT to the hospital. The doctors carefully bandaged QT’s head. And everyday, Meow went to the hospital to read QT his very favorite book. 
And when she was all done, when QT had fallen asleep, she tiptoed out of the room. “I’ll be back tomorrow,” she whispered to the doctors. 
The End.
Sophie Wore Blue 