The winning entry has been announced in this pair.There were 9 entries submitted in this pair during the submission phase. The winning entry was determined based on finals round voting by peers.Competition in this pair is now closed. |
Today I woke up at dawn to the meows of a cat near my bed which was rubbing itself against me. It persisted in a way I found unusual, so I became concerned. I thought “It might be hungry,” so I brought it food, but it abstained and left the food. I then thought “It might be thirsty,” so I offered it water but the cat did not care for any. The cat started looking at me with an expression conveying its sorrows and pains, which affected me deeply so much so I wished I were Solomon and be able to converse with animals, so I can know what it wants and relieve its affliction. The door to the room was closed, and I noticed that the cat looked at the door for long and would linger close to me whenever it saw me approach the door. Only then I realised its aim, and knew it wanted me to open the door. Only then I hurried toward the door and opened it. Once the cat saw the outdoors and the sky, its sorrows and pains turned into felicity and happiness, and it ran away. I returned to my bed and rested my head on my hand, and started contemplating this cat and its conduct. I thought “Does a cat understand what is freedom?” It was in sorrow for losing it, and happy to find it. Yes, indeed! It fully understands freedom, and its sorrow and tears as well as abstaining from food and water were because of loss of freedom, and its imploring, requesting, rubbing, and insistence were for the sake of freedom. | Entry #25690 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British Winner
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I woke up today at dawn at the sound of a cat meowing next to my bed and rubbing against me, persisting in her action in a strange way. I was disquieted by her affair and worried by her concern. ‘She might be hungry,’ I said to myself, so I rose from my bed and brought her some food. She dismissed it and moved away from it. ‘Perhaps she’s thirsty,’ I said, so I guided her to the water, but she did not pay attention to it. She then cast at me looks that voiced the aches and sorrows she harboured inside. Her appearance had such a strong impact on my soul that I wished I was Solomon and could understand the language of animals, to be able to fulfil her need and relieve her distress. I noticed that the door to the room was closed and that she was throwing prolonged looks at it, clinging to me whenever I moved in its direction. I thus realised what her purpose was and understood that she wanted me to open the door for her. I rushed to open it, and no sooner had she looked at the empty space and seen the face of the sky than her state switched from grief and worry to happiness and delight. She proceeded hurriedly on her way, while I retraced my steps to the bed and sank my head into my hands, pondering the affair of this cat, amazed by her, and saying to myself, ‘I wish I knew whether the cat understands the meaning of freedom, as she grieves over its loss and rejoices when encountering it. Yes, she truly understands the meaning of freedom: her sadness, her cries, her relinquishment of food and drink were only for its sake. Her beseeching and hope, her rubbing against my legs and her urgent persistence, were but an endeavour to attain it.’ | Entry #25669 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
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I woke up today at dawn by the meowing of a cat rubbing at the side of my bed, persisting on that in a strange manner. I was curious about it and I felt for her. "she might be hungry," I thought. I got up and fetched her some food, but she did not show any interest in it at all. "she could be thirsty," I reflected. So, I brought to her some water, yet she never cared for it. Suddenly, she started to look at me with eyes full of agony and grief. I was very affected by the site of her, and I wished I had been King Solomon, so that I could have understood the language of animals and figured out what she needed and what was grieving her in order to help her. The door was closed, and I noticed that she was staring at it and sticking to my legs whenever I walked to it. Then, I realized that she only desired me to open the door for her. I opened the door quickly, and once she looked up to the sky, the cat went from sorrow and grief to extreme happiness and delight. Then, she ran hastily towards her freedom. I went back to my bed, put my head in the palm of my hand and reflected on that cat. "My word! Does that cat know the meaning of freedom," I thought, wondering, "so that she feels happy with it and miserable without it?" "Yes, she does, and she does very well!" I retorted. "She was in pain and grief, refraining from food and water, only because she desired her freedom," I digressed, "and seeking her freedom was the only reason for her persistent begging and adjuration." | Entry #25664 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
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I woke up today at dawn to the sound of a female cat, meowing next to my bed, and rubbing herself against me; doing this in a peculiarly persistent manner. So, I became wary of her condition and concerned about her distress, and I said to myself: perhaps she was hungry, so I got up and brought her food. But she disliked it and left it behind. So, I said to myself: perhaps she is in a state of thirst, and I led her to the water, but she paid no attention to it. She began staring at me, such stairs that could utter the pain and sorrow encased within herself. The way she looked had a great effect on me, to the point that I wished that I was Solomon, understanding animals’ tongues, so that I may come to realise her need, and ease her suffering. The chamber’s door was shut, and I saw that she was lengthening her stares at it, clinging to me whenever she saw me heading towards it, only then I understood her intent, and I came to know that she wants me to open the door for her, so, I hastened to open it. And once her eyes fell on the open space, and she saw the face of the sky, her state changed from sorrow to joy and happiness, and she set off sprinting on her way. Then, I returned to my bed, submitting my head to the palm of my hand, and I began to ponder over the situation of this cat and I came to admire her affair while saying: I wish I knew if this cat comprehends the meaning of freedom, for she grieves upon losing it, and livens up upon finding it. Indeed, she truly understands the meaning of freedom. It was only for its sake that she sorrowed and cried, that she withheld herself from food and drink, and her begging, hope, rubbing and persistence were only in pursuit of achieving it. | Entry #25745 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
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Once upon a dawn, I was woken up by the sound of a cat mewing beside my bed, and pawing me with a strange urgency. Her anxious, uneasy state aroused my suspicion. I said, “Maybe she is hungry?” I got up and brought her some food, but she turned her nose up and walked away. I said, “Oh! Maybe she is thirsty?” I guided her to water, but she didn’t show any interest in that either. She gazed at me as if speaking of her deep pain and sorrow. Her state affected me so severely that I wished I were Solomon, so I could understand the language of the animal and recognize her needs and relieve her grief. I found that she held her gaze on the closed room door and stuck to me whenever I walked towards the door. That’s when I understood her wish – she wanted me to open the door for her. I hurried to open it for her, and once she looked outside and saw the face of the sky, her sadness and grief were replaced with happiness and pleasure. She ran wild. I walked back to my bed and dropped my head into my hands, reflecting on this cat’s state that astonished me. I said, “I wish I knew if she understands the meaning of freedom, grieves at its loss and rejoices at its gain! Yes, she deeply understands the meaning of freedom. Her sadness, weeping, and hunger and thirst strike were merely for the sake of freedom. Her begging, pawing, and urging were only in the pursuit of freedom.” | Entry #25712 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
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I woke at dawn this morning to the sound of a cat meowing next to my bed. It rubbed against me, strangely insistent. Its affect alarmed me, and its worry worried me. “Maybe it’s hungry,” I said. So I got up and gave it some food, but the cat, looking disgusted, turned away from the dish. “Maybe it’s thirsty,” I said. So I led it toward the water, but the cat was indifferent to it. The cat gazed at me with a look that spoke of pains and sorrows in its soul. Its appearance affected me so severely that I wished I were Solomon, so that I would understand the language of animals. Then I could know the cat’s needs and ease its cares. The door to the room was closed, and I noticed that the cat stared at it at length and stuck close to me whenever it saw me heading toward the door. I realized what the cat was after – it wanted me to open the door for it. I hastened to do so, and no sooner had the cat glimpsed the open space and seen the sky than its whole disposition transformed from sadness and distress to happiness and delight. The cat dashed out, and I returned to my bed. I rested my head in my hands and started thinking about this cat. The whole thing intrigued me. “I wonder,” I said, “does the cat understand the meaning of freedom? It’s sad when it loses its freedom and happy to find it. Yes – it understands what freedom truly means. It feels sorrow, it cries, it shuns food and drink only for the sake of freedom; it begs, it pleads, it rubs and implores only in pursuit of freedom.” | Entry #25720 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
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At the dawn today, I woke up on a kitten mewing next to my bed and snuggling against me with a strange insistence. I suspected something wrong and got worried. I thought to myself: she might be hungry? So, I got up and brought her food to which she rejected and then left away. I thought to myself: she might be thirsty? So, I guided her to the water, but she paid no attention. She started staring at me. Her looks spoke the pain and grief she inflected with. Her appearance weighed in on me profoundly that I wished if I were [Prophet] Solomon who understands the language of animals so that I know her need and alleviate her suffering. The door of the room was closed, and I noticed that she prolonged eye contact to it and clung to me whenever she saw me heading to it. I realized her intent and understood that she wanted me to open the door for her. So, I rushed to open it. As soon as she looked at the open space and saw the face of the sky, her sadness and worries turned into joy and pleasure, and started loping her way. I went back to my bed, submitted my head to my hand, and started thinking about this kitten. I admired her and said to myself: I wished I knew if she understands the meaning of freedom; she grieves for its absence and rejoices its comeback. Yes, indeed; she properly understands the meaning of freedom. Her grief, cries, and abstinence from food and water were just for it. And her supplications, wishes, snuggles, and insistence were only to pursue its attainment. | Entry #25705 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
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I woke up at the early morning of today to the sound of a cat that was mewing beside my bed and it rubbed over me, and persisted on that strangely, its matter worried me and its concern interested me, and I said: perhaps it was hungry, I stood up and brought a food for it, then I felt disgusted at it and left, then I said: perhaps it’s thirsty, then I directed it to the water but didn’t come to it and I began to think of what could reveal its pains and worries, its attitude amazed me greatly till I hope I could be like sulaiman and understand animals’ language, I would have known its need and relieve its grief, the room door was closed and I saw that it focused its look at it and get attached to me whenever it saw me facing it, then I realized its want and knew it want me to open the door, I quickly opened it and it didn’t see the surrounding, and see the sky till its condition changed from sadness and worries to bliss and happiness and I hurried to its path, then I returned to my bed, put my head on my hand and I began to think of the case of this cat and amazed by it, I said: O! did the cat understands the meaning of freedom, it becomes sad for its deprivation and happy for its freedom, ok, it really understands the meaning of freedom, and its sadness, cry, abstinence from food and drink is nothing except for it, and its humility, hope, rub and inportune except to strive for its aim. | Entry #25696 — Discuss 0 — Variant: British
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I was awaken by a meow early this morning, and the feline was on my bedside, licking me vigorously but strangely, to the extent that it made me skeptical and worried about her, so I said to myself: Maybe she’s hungry, so I got up and bring her food but she ignores and turned away. Then, I said: Maybe she needs water so I guided her towards water but she didn’t look happy with it and started gazing at me which were implying on her sadness and sorrow. It left a very big impact upon me, even I wished I were the Solomon so that I could understand this animal’s language; by which I could know her wish and make it true. The door of my room was locked, and I saw she was continuously looking at it. Whenever I moved towards it, she held me tightly so I had perceived her wish and knew that she wants me to open the door for her. I ran towards it and opened up. Once she looked in the space and watch out the sky her gloomy mood turned into happy one and she ran on her way. I went back to my bed putting my head into my hands and started thinking of this feline. I was impressed, and said: I should know of this kitty if she knew what freedom was. It saddens her when it’s lost and makes her happy when regains, yes! She understands what a real freedom is, and she was not sad and didn’t cry because of not having the food or water but only because of freedom, and all of her urge, hope, licking, and even urgency were for the sake of it. | Entry #25687 — Discuss 0 — Variant: Not specified
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