In the center of Maplewood Town lived a cat named Meeku. Meeku wasn’t just any cat—he loved tidiness. His fur was always brushed, his paws were always clean, and his little blue scarf was always neatly tied.
But the rest of the forest? Not so tidy.
The streets were full of tossed fruit peels, empty coconut shells, and wrappers blown in by the wind. The animals stepped over the mess every day and said, “Someone should clean this,” but no one ever did.
One morning, Meeku looked around and sighed. “Why is everyone waiting for someone else to fix things? This is our home too.”
He took out his leaf-basket, tied a banana leaf like a mask over his face, and started picking up trash.
First came the wrappers near the mango tree. Then, the fallen sugarcane sticks near the monkey swing. Meeku didn’t complain. He just kept going.
A squirrel passing by giggled, “Are you a cat or a cleaner?”
Meeku smiled. “Maybe both.”
A few more animals laughed. “Why clean what’s not yours?”
But Meeku didn’t reply. He just kept cleaning.
The next morning, something surprising happened.
Near the banyan tree, Meeku saw a small pile of collected trash—and a little note on top: “Inspired by Meeku.”
It was signed with a tiny pawprint. It belonged to Timmy, the youngest hedgehog in the forest.
That day, more animals joined in. Bittu the bear came with a basket. Lali the rabbit brought brooms made of coconut fibers. Even the squirrel who had laughed earlier arrived with gloves made from lotus leaves.
Soon, the whole forest was busy cleaning—not because they had to, but because they wanted to.
By evening, Maplewood Town looked brand new. The flowers stood brighter, the breeze felt fresher, and the animals sat together in the clean open ground, enjoying guava juice and honey cakes.
Meeku didn’t say much. He just looked around and felt warm inside.
That night, the stars twinkled above a forest that finally felt loved.
🌟 Moral of the Story:
Don’t wait for others to make a change. Start small, and others will follow.