T?? ?ik??’s j???n?? ??? t?k?n t??m ???? int? t?? ????t ?? ? sn?w? wil???n?ss, ? ?l?c? w???? ??w v?nt???? ???in? t?? ??i?i? wint?? m?nt?s. T?? ???c???l s?lit??? ?? t?? l?n?sc??? w?s s??tt???? w??n t?? ?ik?? st?m?l?? ???n ? tin?, s?iv??in? kitt?n, ????l?? ?mi?st t?? sn?w-c?v???? t????in. T?? si??t w?s ??t? ????t????kin? ?n? ?st?nis?in?, ?s t?? kitt?n’s s??viv?l s??m?? ?lm?st mi??c?l??s.
T?? kitt?n w?s in ?i?? st??its, its ????il? ???? ????l? ??l?in? ?n in t?? ?n????ivin? c?l?. It ??? lik?l? ???n s?????t?? ???m its m?t??? ?n? l??t t? ??n? ??? its?l? in t?? ????zin? wil???n?ss. Y?t, ?v?n in its ?i?? ci?c?mst?nc?s, t?? kitt?n’s ???s ??l? ? ?limm?? ?? ????, ?s i? it kn?w t??t ??l? ??? ???iv??.
Wit???t ??sit?ti?n, t?? ?ik?? sc????? ?? t?? ????zin? kitt?n ?n? c???l?? it cl?s? t? t??i? c??st, s???in? t??i? ?wn w??mt? wit? t?? t??m?lin? ??lin?. T??? w?????? t?? kitt?n in ? s???? sc??? ?n? ??ntl? s??k? w???s ?? c?m???t, l?ttin? it kn?w t??t it w?s s??? n?w. It w?s ? m?m?nt ?? ?xt?????in??? c?m??ssi?n ?n? c?nn?cti?n ??tw??n ??m?n ?n? ?nim?l.
T?? j???n?? ??ck t? civiliz?ti?n w?s m??k?? ?? t?? ?ik??’s ?nw?v??in? c?mmitm?nt t? t?? kitt?n’s w?ll-??in?. T??? k??t it cl?s?, s?i?l?in? it ???m t?? ?itin? c?l?, ?n? ???vi??? it wit? n???is?m?nt ???m t??i? s???li?s. T?? ??n? ??tw??n t??m ???w st??n??? wit? ??c? st??, ? t?st?m?nt t? t?? ??????n? c?nn?cti?n t??t c?n ?xist ??tw??n st??n???s, ??t? ??m?n ?n? ??lin?.
U??n ??t??nin? t? t?? s???t? ?? civiliz?ti?n, t?? ?ik?? w?st?? n? tіm? in s??kin? v?t??in??? c??? ??? t?? ??sc??? kitt?n. D?s?it? its ????il? st?t?, t?? kitt?n ?is?l???? ??m??k??l? ??sili?nc? ?n? ? st??n? will t? s??viv?. Wit? ?????? m??ic?l ?tt?nti?n, n???is?m?nt, ?n? t?? w??mt? ?? ? c??in? ??m?, it ??????ll? ????in?? its st??n?t?.
T?? st??? ?? t?? ?ik?? w?? ???n? ? ????zin? kitt?n in t?? sn?w s??v?s ?s ? ??w????l ??min??? ?? t?? im??ct t??t ? sin?l? ?ct ?? kin?n?ss c?n ??v?. It ?n???sc???s t?? ?xt?????in??? c???cit? ??? ?m??t?? ?n? c?m??ssi?n t??t ??si??s wit?in ??c? ?? ?s, ?n? t?? ??t?nti?l t? m?k? ? ??????n? ?i?????nc? in t?? li?? ?? ?n?t???, ?v?n in t?? m?st ?n?x??ct?? ci?c?mst?nc?s.