Tawny was confused.

   Tawny was the mother of two kits, Mouse and Fluffles. Mouse's eyes were open and he would chatter happily and suckle, but little Fluffles, the she-kit, would only ramble incoherently, if she ever made noise.

   When Tawny said Fluffles' name, Fluffles wouldn't move, but whenever somecat walked past the nest, Fluffles would whip around and stare with big amber eyes.

   Tawny decided to try something. She woke Mouse and let him play with her tail in the most feathery part of the nest. Then she ducked close to a sleeping Fluffles' ear and said loudly, "Fluffles."

   Nothing happened.

   She decided to try something else. She thumped her tail on the ground, hard.

   Fluffles immediately woke up and looked around, her eyes landing on the brownish tip of Tawny's tail.

   Tawny closed her eyes as she took in this new, sickening truth: Fluffles was deaf.

   She opened her eyes and exhaled sharply. Okay. Time to try something new. She gently turned the kit's head towards her and placed Fluffles' little paw firmly on the ground.

   "Fllllllluuuuuuffffffffffffllllllllllllessssssssss."

   Fluffles' mouth began moving. "Fluh-hulls."

   "No, Fluffles. Flufffffffffles."

   "Fluffle."

   "Fluffffflesssssss."

   "Fluffles." The kit turned and scampered off, chasing after a butterfly. She leaped up high, but missed and tumbled down. She wriggled up and started chasing after it again.

   "Fluffles, come back!" Tawny called. When Fluffles didn't stop in her capers, Tawny thumped a paw down.

   Fluffles tumbled over herself in hurry to turn around.

   "Fluffles," Tawny said.

   Fluffles came scrambling back, saying her own name loudly.

   Tawny groomed Fluffles exasperatedly. At least the kit recognized her own name. But how could Tawny hide this from Lil?

   But, speak of the devil, there was Lil, striding over from her den in the large, overturned box.

   This could only be trouble.