Cecilia the Persian Cat mother was the best-dressed mother in all of the village.
She was always wearing dresses in gorgeous colours and shiny jewellery.
The girls in the village admired Cecilia very much, and Nora the Persian Cat girl wanted to be just like her mother when she grew up.

One Sunday, Nora put on one of her mother’s old dresses and some of her old jewellery.
“I’m going to see my friends!”
she told her mother happily.
“Why are you wearing my dress?”
called Cecilia, but Nora was already gone. Cecilia was very puzzled.

When Nora came home that evening, she was very glum. She had torn the hem of her mother's dress.
“I borrowed your dress because I wanted to look as pretty as you”, she sobbed.
“But your dress didn't fit me at all and I tripped over and tore it. I'm sorry, Mummy!”

“I know you love looking pretty like I do”,
said Cecilia, smiling at Nora.
“But you don’t need to pretend to be me. You look much prettier when you wear your own clothes, like your sparkly dresses with frills and lace. You love those dresses, don’t you?”
“Yes!” Nora nodded happily.
“I do love them!”

Cecilia knew what dresses Nora liked best.
“I’ll make this dress into an even better one for you”, she said.
Cecilia worked late into the night, altering the dress for Nora.

When Nora saw the finished dress the next morning, she was very happy indeed.
“Wow!” she cried.
“It’s so beautiful!”
It was the dress of Nora’s dreams, with lots of pretty lace. Nora’s mother picked out some jewellery that went perfectly with the dress, and even put a little makeup on Nora.

“Thanks, Mummy!” said Nora.
The other girls loved Nora's new dress. When Nora told them where it came from, her friends came running to the Persian Cat family’s house. “Could you make us look pretty too, please?” they asked Cecilia.
Cecilia chose a beautiful dress for each of the other girls too. They were very happy, and Cecilia was happy too. She loved making people happy by helping them to look pretty.

THE END