How five frightened kittens found their way home.
Miss Devin found five frightened kittens left in a taped-up box on a hot summer day in Edmonton. Their beginning was terribly unfair. They didn’t yet know that the people coming toward them would change everything. Among the little survivors were a tiny grey-striped girl who would become Princess Penelope, her brother Julius, and a magnificent fluffball destined for the title Lord Nibbler.
Lord Nibbler was not immediately convinced that rescue was a good idea. He made a desperate break toward 118th Avenue and put up a fierce fight when John caught him. There were bites, indignation, and no clear winner — unless you count the fact that a tiny kitten made it home safely. One day, the same small warrior would be napping in the sunshine as though comfort had always been his birthright.
Their new home overlooked the North Saskatchewan River, with a balcony so full of flowers, berries and little trees that it could be spotted from across the water. Lord Nibbler grew a glorious fluffy tail. It made the perfect hiding place for Princess Peanut, who could tuck herself behind it and still look out. Sometimes it seemed Nibbles had sprouted two extra eyes in his tail.
They were frightened when they arrived. But John remembers that it took perhaps a week for Penelope and Nibbles to settle into happiness. There were soft places to sleep, a familiar pair of voices, a safe place to be curious, and each other. The kittens who had once needed rescuing became deeply attached to their people — and protective of them, too. They did not know on that first frightening day how beautiful their world would become. They only needed a little time to discover that they were home.