"Duchess! Duchess! Where are you, kitty?" Winona called out as she made her way down the path, scanning around her for any sign of her pet. But then she stopped when she heard a strange noise; it sounded like shouting and yelping. "Huh?"
Before she could react, poor Winona was suddenly knocked to the ground with a thud. Something heavy had fallen onto her and she had no idea what it was.
"What the…?" She moaned, feeling a bit dizzy. In her dazed state, she felt someone gently take her hand and hoist her up onto her feet. She shook her head, looked, and saw a little boy with brown hair and denim overalls standing in front of her.
"Sorry." He awkwardly said before he was suddenly knocked to the ground by a girl who was about the same age; she had her dirty blonde hair pulled into pigtails and she was wearing a yellow dress… and a metal pail on her head.
"Uh… are you guys okay?" Winona asked as she helped the pair get up.
"Yeah, we're okay." The boy said, rubbing a sore spot on his head.
"We're used to it." The girl added, removing the pail from her head and dusting off the skirt of her dress. "I'm Jill, and this is Jack."
"Hi."
Winona paused as she heard their names; this really was Jack and Jill, the pair of siblings who went up a hill to fetch some water and fell down that hill. She could even hear Jack and Jill's rhyme in her head.
'Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after'
"Nice to meet you, I'm Winona." She cleared her throat as she decided to ask them for help. "And pardon me. But you two haven't seen my cat passing by, have you? Her name is Duchess."
"A cat? No, I don't think so." The boy, Jack, said, scratching his head in thought.
"Yeah, we haven't seen any cats going by here. We're sorry." The girl, Jill, chimed in.
Winona frowned in disappointment, but gave them a polite smirk. "It's okay. I was going to ask Simple Simon if he's seen my cat. Have you seen him?"
"Simple Simon?" Jack asked.
"Oh, I have. He's further up the road, probably on his way to the fair or something." Jill said, pointing a finger further down the path.
"Oh, thank you. But one more thing." The girl in blue said, glancing at the well on top of the nearby hill. "This is a really big hill and from what I can tell, you two always fall down. Try to be careful next time, okay?"
"Okay, we'll try." Jack turned to his sister. "Come on, Jill. We'd better go back up the hill and do it again."
"Yeah, you're right. But thanks for the advice. And I hope you find your cat soon." Jill said before she and her brother attempted to climb the hill again, more carefully this time.
"Thank you. Goodbye." Winona waved them goodbye and continued down the path before she heard a bell ringing in the distance.
As she walked, the ringing grew louder and louder until she came across a man holding a bell and pushing a cart full of different kinds of pies down the road. And there was someone approaching him. He was wearing a plaid hat with a feather in it, a blue shirt, and a brown vest; it was Simple Simon. As Simple Simon approached the man selling the pies, Winona could already hear his rhyme.
'Simple Simon met a pieman
Going to the fair
Says Simple Simon to the pieman'
"Let me taste your ware." Simon said to the pie seller.
'Says the pieman to Simple Simon'
"Show me first your penny." The seller said, holding out his hand.
'Says Simple Simon to the pieman'
"Indeed I have not any." The simple boy said as he was refused service.
Then Winona noticed Simon setting a pail of water down on the ground and taking out a homemade fishing rod. It looked like he wanted to go fishing.
'Simple Simon went a-fishing,
For to catch a whale
All the water he had got,
Was in his mother's pail'
He set his fishing rod down and approached a nearby thistle bush, but accidentally pricked his finger as he was examining it.
'Simple Simon went to look
If plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much,
Which made poor Simon whistle'
Finally, he took out a sieve and dipped it into his pail, but instead of getting a drink of water, the water just sifted through.
'He went for water in a sieve
But soon it all fell through
And now poor Simple Simon
Bids you all adieu!'
"I give up." Simon exclaimed.
Winona giggled to herself before Simon and the pieman turned their heads in her direction and finally noticed her.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh." She said.
"It's alright, I'm used to it." Simon said as he walked up to her. "Are you new around here?"
"Yes. I'm Winona, and I'm looking for my Siamese cat, Duchess. Have either of you seen her?" She asked.
"I haven't. Have you?" Simon turned to the pieman who sadly shook his head. "Guess not, sorry about that."
"It's okay."
"Would you care for some pie, young lady? Here are some splendid free samples." The pie seller offered.
"Oh, no thank you, sir. I really should keep going to find my cat. But thank you anyway. Goodbye." She waved the pair goodbye and went on her way.
"Bye." Simon and the seller waved goodbye before they continued walking in different directions.
"I wonder if there's anyone else who can help me." Winona said to herself.