According to one old tale, a mother cat was crying mournfully by a riverside because a
human had thrown her litter of kittens into the river to drown them. A willow tree by the
river took pity on the mama cat and drooped its branches in the
water, and the kittens grabbed hold, saving their lives. As a reminder of that deed of kindness, the willow became the pussy willow, each spring bursting forth with puffy little “kittens” on its twigs.
