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...Readying for a long journey,
you can never guess with certainty,
who you might accidentally
meet on the road...

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Once upon a time, one man
prepared to leave on a journey

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His wife gave him an amulet against evil spirits
and warned him to keep it always by his side.

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"What is this superstitious nonsense?" smiled the man.

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He took the amulet and carelessly hung it by his chest.

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SHAR School-Studio
presents

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The Kingdom of Cats

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Long ago,

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high in the mountains,

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there lived,
in her kingdom,

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the Queen of Cats.

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Entry to this kingdom
was open only to cats.

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If anyone else wandered in there,

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he never returned.

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Every year, the Queen of Cats
held a great Cat Festival

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to which were invited all cats from near and far.

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There, one could behold a festive procession of cats.

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One time, a simple man happened
by chance to be in those parts.

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Fear gripped the traveler,

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and he took out his amulet
against evil spirits.

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Upon climbing the cliff, he saw a grand gate,

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and behind it, an enormous castle.

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The traveler was in awe, and wondered
how such majesty had got here.

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The traveler was met by a woman.

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She led the traveler to the inner courtyard,

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and promised to bring food and wine.

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While the traveler waited, a small
servant entered into the room.

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who seemed somehow familiar to him.

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But he could not remember where he had seen her.

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The servant also gasped in wonder
when she saw the traveler,

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and, cautiously glancing about her,

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advised him to quickly leave this house.

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The traveler promised to leave
immediately after having been fed,

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but the servant grew agitated, and said,

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"I am not supposed to tell you anything,

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but we know each other,

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for I am that very cat who
lived with your neighbours,

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and for your kindness to me,
I shall repay you with advice.

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If you but touch the water,
or even eat a crumb in this house,

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you will instantly turn into a cat, and will
remain to serve the Queen of Cats forever."

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The traveler thanked the old lady,
and dashed to escape the house.

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But the Queen of Cats sent three
servants in pursuit with cups of water.

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As soon as the servants passed the arch,
they immediately turned into cats,

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but one of them did manage to
sprinkle the traveler with water!

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Only a few drops got behind his collar.

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Upon awakening, the traveler saw
the dropped amulet beside him,

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and just beyond, the spirit
which saved him from the water.

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The traveler thanked the spirit,
and the spirit disappeared.

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The traveler returned home.

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The first thing he did was ask his
neighbours where their cat was.

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The neighbours answered

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that she had vanished
three years ago.

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Soon, the man began to notice,

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that clumps of cat hair were
growing behind his collar.

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Remembering this story, he used to say:

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"If I were a little slower, I would surely have
joined the court of the Queen of Cats."

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Screenplay and director
Mariya Kuznetsova

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Art director
Aleksey Zaytsev

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Composer and sound director
Sasha Gusev

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Narrator
Chulpan Khamatova

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Musicians
Olga Demina - cello
Sasha Gusev - violin
Sergey Rodyukov - flutes

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Artists
Natalya Vorobyova, Tatyana Ivonina

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Producers
Lyubov Gaydukova, Sergey Mirzayev

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Executive producer
Valentina Kuleshova

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Filmed under the state funding of the
Federal Agency of Culture and
Cinematography of the Russian Federation

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The End