The Cat Who Was Deceived by a Shadow

Orion was a young, energetic cat, and the world was his playground. One bright afternoon, as the sun hung low in the sky, he noticed a dark, sleek creature darting along the ground beside him. It mirrored his every move, a perfect, silent twin. Fascinated, Orion pounced. The shadow-creature dodged. He stalked it, he leaped at it, he chased it in frantic circles across the wide, open field. The game was exhilarating, but also frustrating. No matter how fast he was, the shadow was always faster. High above, perched on the branch of an ancient oak, a wise old owl named Hoot watched the spectacle with amusement. "Young one!" Hoot called down, his voice a soft echo. "You chase a phantom born of light and your own form. True quarry does not vanish when a cloud passes." Orion, annoyed at the interruption, skidded to a halt. As he did, a large cloud drifted across the sun, and in an instant, his shadow-creature vanished. The field was empty. Orion stood bewildered, the object of his intense focus gone as if it had never been. Hoot hooted gently. "The truth is not always what is most obvious. It is what remains when illusions fade." Orion looked at his paws, then at the sky. He understood. He had been so captivated by a trick of the light that he hadn’t noticed the real mice rustling in the grass just a few feet away.