When The Cat Lays an Egg: A Feline's Unlikely Feat
Smith, Christina
Synopsis "When The Cat Lays an Egg: A Feline's Unlikely Feat"
"You can have the dolly when the cat lays an egg!" It is 1909, and five-year-old Sophia has just seen the toy maker Mr. Glops's absolute masterpiece: a magnificent, mechanically wound wooden ballerina doll that actually dances. It is the only thing she wants for her upcoming birthday. But Mr. Glop won't budge a single penny from his staggering five-dollar price tag--an impossible luxury for a farming family. Unbeknownst to Sophia, a devastating late spring freeze has wiped out her family's apple orchard, leaving her parents, Lenhart and Christina Blessner, quietly facing a massive financial crisis to save their rural farm. To survive, the Blessner family must find extraordinary courage. Leaving the auctioneer behind, Papa takes a bold risk by marketing the damaged crop himself. At the same time, Brother Hans strikes a clever business deal with Aidan's Barber Shop to sell their homemade bread and apple butter right outside the storefront. But the bustling marketplace brings a tough challenge when a charismatic street performer, The Great Juan, and his clever monkey, Martinez, try to steal all the local business. Just when the merchants are feeling defeated, Hans's best friend, Rheine, steps in. He fires up the accordion, casting a mesmerizing spell of musical notes through the square that draws the crowds completely away from the monkey show. Indulging in the beautiful moment, the enchanted crowd follows the melody straight to the Blessner bread stand! While the town is captivated by the music, Sophia is fighting for her dream. On a long, exhausting wagon ride home from town, her overwhelmed father blurts out an old-country saying to stop her begging: "Yes, yes, my kid...you can have the dolly when the cat lays an egg! To Papa, it means never. But to five-year-old Sophie, this is no joke —it is a literal promise, a profound misunderstanding that she completely believes and focuses on with all her heart. Embarking on a secret investigation, Sophia watches her sweet cat Aggie grow heavy and slow. Convinced a miracle is coming, Sophia is utterly baffled by the mystery: Will the egg shell be fuzzy, or covered in soft fur? Will it have stripes that match Aggie's coat? Will a tiny tail or ears already be popping out? Worst yet, she must keep the mission completely under wraps. If her brother Samuel finds out, he'll claim the egg as his prize —a toy boat. From a chaotic mishap at a grand rose exhibit involving a swarm of carpet bees to outsmarting her family, Sophia is determined to guard her furry treasure. But when her birthday finally arrives, disaster strikes, and Agie suddently goes missing. Will Sophia's pure, unwavering faith pull a miracle out of a family crisis, or willher heart be broken?
