What a Catastrophe (Teddy’s Tale)

What a Catastrophe (Teddy’s Tale)

CHAPTER ONE

I was loitering with intent down by the river the first time I saw Gracie. I didn’t know who she was then. I didn’t know she’d been brought up feral and had a sister killed on the road only a few weeks ago. I watched her as she sashayed along the path, her rear end swaying; feathery tail standing to attention. The river swirled and glimmered between us in the hot sunshine; so, to get a closer look at this honey of a cat, I made my way to the ancient hump backed bridge that straddled the river like the splayed legs of a giant. Maybe I could accidentally on purpose bump into her. Gracie is a feline beauty. Her long pale grey fur tinged with a darker grey frames exquisite green eyes which in certain lights look a luminous blue. She wears fluffy white under her chin like a baby’s bib and her paws sport flossy white boots. There’s no mistaking the fact that Gracie is a head turner.

I’m fluffy too but a deep black with white under my chin. Father Ted they call me in cat circles because the white looks like a priest’s collar around my neck. Like Gracie I have a tail that’s full and fluffy … a real stunner; and my eyes are green as emeralds against my black fur. Oh by the way, I’m Teddy and this is my tale. Not my tail (as in my fluffy black tail that twitches when I’m angry and waves when I’m happy) but my tale (see the difference in spelling?) … my story.

I followed Gracie home that day. I trailed her as she walked along the river bank one dainty step after the other. She travelled through shady woods, and along windy paths and dusty lanes, then into the garden of Fairview Cottage bordered by a low stone wall and rioting with the pinks, blues and purples of tea roses, hollyhocks, and lavender. She jumped up onto the wall where a black and white cat lay basking in the sunshine.

Three dogs ran out of the house, one dark, one light and one tiny! The tiny one yipped and growled and ran round and round in circles as if it had totally lost its mind. “Smartie be quiet,” ordered a voice from inside the house. A pale face appeared fleetingly at the window. Smartie clamped her mouth shut, snap, like a cockle shell that I’d seen on my travels on the beach at Whitby.

“Hey Lucky,” Gracie said to the black and white cat. “Hey Gracie,” purred Lucky, lifting her head and blinking lazily, before tucking her head between her paws and promptly going back to sleep.

“Hmph, where have you been “Lady” Gracie?” barked the dark dog.

“Yes,” barked the light dog. “You’ve been gone all night!”

Gracie sat back on her haunches, wrapped her tail tightly around her middle like a fluffy belt and proceeded to wash herself carefully, her tiny pink tongue darting quickly amongst the grey fur. She turned to the dark dog. “None of your business Rolo,” she said nonchalantly. She then turned to the light dog. “None of your business either Barbie,” she said even more nonchalantly. She resumed her toilette as if she had all the time in the world.

“Mm,” I thought. “Beauty and attitude … a great combination … I need to get to know this cat better … Gracie … hmm …”

“Hmph,” said Rolo. “So typical of you, Gracie, to be rude. Our pets have been worried about you ... you didn’t turn up for breakfast …”

“It just so happened,” pouted Gracie. “That I found somewhere better to go for breakfast …”

“Oh yeah,” I thought. “I wonder where that is …” A tiny green worm of jealousy wrapped itself around my heart.

“Better, breakfast, better, breakfast,” chanted the tiny dog, Smartie, whilst twirling round and round like a spinning top.

Barbie edged forward and said softly, “If I were you Gracie, I’d go inside now and show yourself to our pets … just to set their minds at rest …”

“Well, you know what, that’s just what I was about to do,” she replied. She padded lightly across the bristly brown lawn. “I’m hungry and I want my biscuits …” Suddenly she stopped mid-stride and snapped, “Zip it Smartie …” The little dog stopped, stunned, then, as Gracie moved away, carried on again round and round in circles, “better, breakfast, better, breakfast …” I heard Gracie’s pet squeal delightedly as Gracie went inside, “Oh, my Gracie’s back …”

I hung around in my leafy hiding place for a while longer listening to idle gossip between Rolo and Barbie and trying to ignore the growling and snarling of Smartie. That dog sure was manic!!! Rolo and Barbie talked about Gracie and her bad upbringing with a feral mother … Babs I think they said. I found that hard to believe. Gracie acted as though she’d been brought up by the Queen of England not by a feral mother that ran around Helmsley with every Tom, Fred and Roger. They mentioned a sister called Tricky and a brother too … but apparently he’d been no good and had gone to the dogs … or should I say cats … long ago.

We watched as Gracie came outside held in the arms of her lady pet, Alison, who nuzzled her with puckered lips and murmured in her soft grey ears. An overflowing bowl of biscuits was put down on the graveled path and Gracie tucked in with dainty relish. She licked her lips elegantly as if with a napkin in a top class restaurant. Yeah, Gracie sure has style.

It wasn’t long before Barbie and the manic Smartie fell asleep in the sunshine. Rolo spent ages sniffing around the roots of the old apple tree before finally settling down and snoring loud as a bull throughout the hot, still afternoon. No more gossip today! Anyway, I decided I had things to do, places to go, cats to see … but first … home … for a little snack. I was pleased to see that I was Gracie’s neighbour. I’d turned up at the Jones Place a few months ago now and yet had never bumped into her before. I felt that seeing Gracie was fate … something about her made me think that we were meant to be together.

I was just a nipper back then but had a whole wealth of experience of living on the streets, begging for food from kindly pets or raiding bins and skips for tasty tidbits. I’d often find the remains of fish and chips, soggy paper embedded in tasty white flakes, half gnawed tangy chicken legs or slivers of curry stuck in the corners of aluminum dishes. Yeah, I know, curry! I bet you’re thinking, “Cats don’t like curry,” but hey, beggars can’t be choosers. It stung my mouth and made my eyes water quite a bit the first time … but I got used to it.

The only other way of keeping hunger at bay was hunting. I sometimes feasted heartily on robin or sparrow … even a magpie once, oh and a blue tit (or was it a great tit, hmm … not sure … delicious though), and even an owl, sometimes I’d be lucky enough to catch rabbit, hedgehog could be tasty (once you got past the prickles) …and mouse or rat could be a really good standby, but even so, it was a paw to mouth existence. I decided I needed something better. I was losing weight, looking mangy. I needed regular meals and a good wholesome diet.

I remember it being a bitter day when I turned up at the Jones’ place. The sky hung low and white and little piles of dirty snow clung like grey moustaches to hedges and bushes. A freezing wind sliced its way through my fur, chilling deep into my bones and my paws slithered on icy patches as I made my way along the Jones driveway. My pets, Farmer and Mrs Jones, latched on to me straight away. I let them dry me off with a scratchy old towel and put me in front of a good crackling fire that spat at me like my ma used to when I was fluffy little kitten playing rough and tumble with my brothers and sisters. I also let them tickle my tummy and smooth the whole length of my back and tail.

“What a beauty,” they exclaimed as I wound myself sinuously around their legs like rubber. I also let them feed me good wet food and crunchy biscuits all mixed together in a savoury stew … wow … so good! They also gave me treats … droolies … but I won’t go into that yet … that’s another story … or tale I should say!

I don’t know why I picked the Jones’ place. There were certainly better looking houses. This one was a bit ramshackle from the outside (you know like it needed a good bright coat of paint) but cosy and warm inside, with thick, heavy curtains at the windows and deep soft carpets that almost swallowed my paws whole as I stalked around the rooms. The Jones place also had a great garden which I could see once all that dirty snow had gone. The lawn was wide and deep green speckled with tiny yellow eyed daisies, circled by deep vibrant flower beds and leafy trees. My morning habits were far more pleasant in the Jones loamy soil … if you get what I mean?

I was given my own comfortable bed next to a real fire which spat and crackled bright red and orange from the hearth on cold winter nights and yet still exuded a kind of hot smoky smell in the summer. How I love to nestle down in that bed on a cold winter morning, my ears barely peeking above a thick knitted blanket and the heat of the fire warming my tail end. Bliss!

They bought me a collar, bright red studded with silver circles that sparkled in the sunshine. They told me that I looked smart, that I was the best looking cat in the village (if not the whole world) and that the red collar showed up great against my black fur. The collar was amazing. I couldn’t believe my reflection in Mrs Jones’ dressing table mirror. Wow … was that really me … a down and out, a street cat? No way, not anymore! It covered up the white collar that I’d been given by nature so I wasn’t Father Ted now but Teddy … a beloved cat who wore an amazing collar.

The only problem was the silver bell that jingled and jangled every time I moved! It scared off all the birdies. I might as well have run towards the fluttering fools screaming, “Look out birdies, I’m going to eat you.” All my regular stand by’s were given the heads up. I watched in horror the fleeing back end of mice and rats and the bobbing tail of a rabbit as it scurried away. Oh well, no hunting, no trophies to lay at my pet’s feet. Their loss!

The Jones make great pets because they’ve no one but each other. Well, that’s not quite true … they have a son and some grand kids but they live a long way away from here so they hardly ever see them (Australia or somewhere like that?). I’d been right to come to Old Byland. I felt that at long last luck was on my side and that, by coming to the Jones place, I’d landed just where I wanted to be, upright and on my paws. I get all the love, attention, petting, stroking and, most importantly, freedom, that a cat could possibly need but, when it came down to it, even that didn’t stop me from going off the rails … I don’t know what could have helped me in the end.

All I know is that I was meant to meet Gracie; that she was meant to be part of my life. You still interested? Well if you are, read on and I’ll tell you what happened next …

CHAPTER TWO

The moon hung in the sky like a circle cut in black paper, lighting up the great wide lawn, bleached dry as a bone by the relentless sun. The summer so far had been long and hot. It was the early hours, about two in the morning, quiet and still, but warm as midday. I squeezed silently through the cat flap of the Jones’ place, my body long and thin; my nose twitching, as secret, earthy smells slid into my nostrils. Stars studded the dark sky like pin heads and the blood red of rambling tea roses glowed like children’s night lights along the garden wall. What a night to go hunting!

I was a dark moving smudge as I made my way stealthily across Old Byland’s village green. All around me leafy bushes rustled in a gentle breeze and trees creaked and sighed. Worms slithered softly in the flower beds, birds fluttered, chirruped and chirped and a low flying bat, like a little furry vampire, flapped in my face. I tensed my claws and tried to catch it but it slipped from my grasp. Shame … I’d never tasted bat before!

Before I knew it, I was on Gracie’s garden wall, the stones; sun warmed against my paws. I looked at Fairview Cottage, at the dark windows like blind eyes. I wondered if the manic dog, Smartie, and the other two, Rolo and Barbie, were dreaming sweet dreams. I saw the cat, Lucky, slink into the shadows, her white bits startling in the gloom. “Where’s Gracie?” I hissed. She turned, looked at me, green eyes shining like lamps, then, spooked, turned and disappeared into the blackness.

Just as I was about to move away and make my way down to the river, thinking that I might see Gracie there, a pair of luminous blue eyes suddenly swam into view. I blinked once, twice, three times, wow, they were still there. “Hi …” I stammered. “Hi … I’m Gracie …” she purred. “Are you trailing me?”

“Yeah, I … I … I …” What was wrong with me? I couldn’t seem to purr properly. Gracie pouted. “Just say what you gotta say …”

I could see her properly now … wow … those luminous eyes. They glowed blue one minute, green the next … that long pale grey fur tinged with a darker grey, the flossy white boots on her paws … yeah … Gracie … even more beautiful close up …

“I saw you the other day,” I told her. “Down by the river …” I dropped my gaze and whispered. “I followed you home … I was … you know … sort of … “

“Yes …” prompted Gracie, coyly. “You were …?” She put her head to one side as she looked at me.

“Well … you know ….” I stammered. Get your act together I told myself. Tell her. I looked her full in the face. “Well … sort of … intrigued by you …”

There was a short silence; then Gracie said. “You wanna go down to the river?” She sat back on her haunches and began to lick herself slowly and thoroughly with her narrow pink tongue.

“Hey … that’s where I’m going,” I said. “Come one … I’ll introduce you to my friends …”

We set off to the river, trailing through the ménage, and up into the fields where the dusky shapes of our horses, Ned, Naylor and Nigel, stood out like cardboard cut outs against the inky sky. We padded cautiously along windy country lanes keeping well into leafy hedgerows as the head lights of sleek cars and lumbering vans and wagons flashed by. Scared by the screech of a speeding motorbike, we shot over a dilapidated rusty gate into a field, the area by the water butt churned by cow and sheep hoofs into rutted dry mud that sure was hard to walk on.

“This isn’t the way I usually go to the river,” said Gracie. “Have you got us lost … um … hey … I don’t even know your name?”

“Teddy,” I told her. “Yeah, this is the way, the scenic way, just a couple more fields and we’ll be there …”

“Well … Teddy,” she said as she clambered over the muddy ruts. “This is no fun … and scenic? That busy road?”

“I know,” I assured her. “You should be in a top class restaurant wearing a gold lame gown and elegant heels … not roughing it in a mucky field …or almost getting knocked down on a country road …”

Gracie meowed. “So, if we were in a top class restaurant and I was wearing my gold lame gown and elegant heels; what you would you wear Teddy?” She batted her long eyelashes.

“Um,” I thought about it for a minute or two but the answer was always there really. “Red hot pants with a red bow around my neck,” I told her. “Red goes well with my black fur …” She meowed even harder.

An owl hooted and skimmed over our heads, teasing us with its downy feathers and round orange eyes. Gracie inspected the owl critically, “Hmm, I wonder what owl tastes like?”

“You’ve never tasted owl?” I asked her. I was just about to stop and tell her about my “owl encounter” when I walked into something, something hard, yet soft, something rigid, yet yielding. Strange! It was beginning to get light, a very faint white line against the black of the sky and the jagged outline of the trees, but still pretty hard to see even with my eyesight. As I peered at the thing in front of me, it moved and grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger, until it towered above me, seeming to stretch right up into the sky. A scream lodged itself in my throat like a piece of rubbery chicken that just won’t go down. I tried to swallow, closed my eyes and managed to croak, “Hey, Gracie … help …”

“What are you doin?” said the thing. “Just what do you think you’re doing boy?” Another large shape appeared in the gloom and two smaller ones. I couldn’t help it, I shrieked, I was so scared. “I’m Maisie Moo,” said the thing. “Calm down whoever you are! Who are you?”

“Teddy,” I stammered. I gestured to my side. “And this is Gracie … wow … you’re a cow … I can’t believe I was afraid of a cow! …”

“Course I’m a cow … boy … what you thinking …. you shouldn’t be afraid …I thought cats could take care of themselves? “I looked up into Maisie Moo’s massive face. She had large flared nostrils and great liquid brown eyes fringed with thick black lashes. Her great furry body was covered in black and white shapes like a map drawn hastily by a child. “And this here,” she said, pointing with her head. “Is Melissa.”

“Well hello Maisie Moo … hello Melissa Moo,” said Gracie.

“Now you listen to me,” said Maisie Moo. She stamped her great hoof like a petulant child making the ground shudder beneath our paws. “I said that I Maisie Moo … this here Melissa … okay?”

“Oh okay … sorry,” said Gracie. “But does it really matter, I only added a moo?”

“Matter?” said Maisie Moo in disbelief. “Why little pretty one, of course it matters. We have our God given names … you called Gracie, he …” She indicated Teddy with a careless wave of her head. “called Teddy … I called Maisie Moo and she called Melissa … get my drift?”

Gracie sat down and expertly wound her fluffy tail around her body. She turned from one to the other. “Okay … hello Maisie Moo … hello Melissa …”

“Hey that better … ain’t it Melissa?”

“Sure is …” agreed Melissa. She flicked her thin tail from side to side and gazed at us with soulful brown eyes.

“What you two doing here anyways?” asked Maisie Moo. “Two cats out on the prowl right?”

“We’re going down to the river,” said Gracie.

“Yeah, I’m going to introduce Gracie to my friends.”

Maisie Moo mooed excitedly. “You got friends at the river Teddy? Who they be then?”

“Well … there’s Clyde and Jasmine … and Kit Kat …”

“Kit Kat? Why what sort of a name is that?” mooed Maisie Moo.

Hey I don’t know … it’s just his name …”

“Hey, it’s getting light … I can see you now, Teddy, and not just the red of your collar …” said Melissa. The ground trembled and shook as she erupted into hysterical laughter.

“Ssh now,” said Maisie Moo. “Let’s watch the sun rise …”

And so we sat, me and Gracie, in the dried out muddy field, side by side, with the two cows, Maisie Moo and Melissa, as the sun rose higher and higher spreading long tendrils of crimson across the lightening sky like paint spilling over a blank canvas.

“That’s just beautiful,” sighed Maisie Moo. We just never get fed up with that do we Melissa?”

“We sure don’t,” agreed Melissa wistfully. “See it day after day and it’s still fresh as day one …”

“Who are these?” I asked, as the two smaller shapes appeared by the side of the two big cows.

“Why … these our children … Gabriel … he mine … and Zane, there, he Melissa’s.” Both calves nestled into their mother’s sides, both with pale downy bodies and long spindly legs that looked wobbly and bent and ready to snap at any minute. “Hey … they shy,” breathed Melissa.

“And he over there … he their father,” whispered Maisie Moo. A massive black bull stared at us for a long time. His great horns stood up on his head like an ancient warrior’s helmet and vast muscles rippled through his powerful neck and chest.

Gracie stood up and stretched; her front legs long; then arched her back bringing her stomach up tight to touch her spine. Her long fur rippled and glistened in the early morning sunshine.

“Cat stretch” screamed Maisie Moo. “Hey … a cat doing a cat stretch … that so funny …” She mooed with glee.

Gracie looked innocently at Maisie Moo. “Could you do a cow stretch?”

Maisie Moo shrieked with laughter as she tried to stretch her front legs out but stumbled and almost fell over. “Be careful Maisie Moo,” chided Melissa. “That not good until you get those teats milked …” Gabriel and Zane mooed mournfully and pressed themselves closer to the two big cows.

“Hey look,” screeched Melissa. “Farmer Tom coming … look …”

“Our pet,” said Maisie Moo with a loving glint in her big eyes. A man with his shirt sleeves rolled up, wearing a jaunty waistcoat and a flat cap, strode easily across the lumpy field making soft clucking sounds as he approached the cows. The sun was rising fast now, glowing bright yellow, and Farmer Tom pulled a large handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his sweaty brow.

“Milking time … milking time … come on Gabriel, come on Zane, time for you breakfast …” said Melissa. Both cows started to amble away, their great white teats swinging heavily as they walked and tiny puffs of brown dust swirling around their hooves. Gabriel and Zane’s soft noses twitched as they randomly sniffed the air, then the full teats, whilst following Maisie Moo and Melissa across the sun baked field.

Maisie Moo looked back at the two cats. “Goodbye there Teddy and you Gracie. Come back and see us soon …”

We waved to our new friends and watched as they retreated across the field, the two cows with their babies and Farmer Tom, becoming smaller and smaller until they disappeared entirely into the hazy sunshine.

Gracie and I travelled on and on, across more fields baking in the heat, up and over a rickety wooden stile, through a small shady copse of trees, the aroma of honeysuckle strong in our nostrils, and onto the river bank. We stood there for a while watching the water as it gushed and swirled in tiny circles edged with white like frothy lace.

“Hey Gracie, you ever had droolies?” I asked.

She looked at me wide eyed, and innocent as a new born kitten. “No … what are droolies?”

I winked at her. “Come with me and I’ll show you …”

CHAPTER THREE

There’s a special part of the river bank where the cat community hang out. It’s often thought that cats are aloof, distant creatures that enjoy being alone. That’s not true. We like to rock and roll just as much as anybody else. Yeah, we like to hunt alone because, after all, why should we share one paltry mouse with hardly any meat on it? Or one tiny bird with no meat and bones only big enough to make our pets a tooth pick? We’re sociable and like to get together. The place that we gather at on the river bank is beneath an awesomely large willow tree. It gives us shade from the sunshine as it filters down in a lemony haze through the elongated leaves and protection from prying eyes in amongst the long sweeping branches. It smells of good things, garlic, damp earth, honeysuckle, clear water and fish. It’s a secret place … our place.

I headed towards the willow tree, Gracie sashaying along behind me. Boy … was I proud to be here with a honey like Gracie. What were my friends going to say when they saw her? Saying that, Clyde had Jasmine and she was a honey too but in a different, darker way than Gracie. Let’s just say, that if Gracie and Jasmine were pets and not cats, Gracie would be a blonde and Jasmine a brunette. Yeah …you get the picture?

Gracie and I ducked beneath the long trailing branches of the willow tree into our sanctuary. It was crowded in there with many cats still sleeping. Well, it was only early, barely seven in the morning and when you’d been hunting all night … need I say more? There was always a few strangers, one or two cats just passing through or staying the night, there was a sleek black and a fluffy ginger curled into tight balls, a white and grey laid out long, paws in the air and even a few kittens playing and testing out their tiny claws on the willow’s leaves and branches. I saw Clyde straight away, Jasmine by his side.

“Hey Clyde,” I said.

“Hey Teddy, my man.” We high fived and he clamped a large grey paw on my shoulder in greeting. “How ya doin?”

“Yeah good,” I told him. Jasmine meowed and rubbed my nose with hers. Gracie, having been hidden behind me, peeped out shyly, her beautiful eyes downcast.

“Well, well and who have we here?” asked Clyde. “Who is this beautiful creature?” Jasmine pouted and eyed Gracie disdainfully.

I gently edged Gracie forward. “This is Gracie.” I said proudly. “Gracie … this is Clyde and Jasmine …”

“How do you do,” whispered Gracie. She sat down and wrapped her tail around herself as if for protection.

Clyde slowly and carefully went closer to her. “Hey, you shy?” he asked.

“Gracie shy?” I thought. “Um, no …”

Gracie pouted. “Just a bit,” she said.

“No need to be shy Gracie. You’ll make plenty of friends here. Real glad Teddy brought you along.”

I could see Gracie eyeing Clyde. Yeah, okay, he looked a bit mangy but he had a heart of gold, would do anything for any cat. He sure was striking looking, a great grey Maine Coon, a gentle giant, with massive paws and long, sharp claws. He had huge ears that stuck up on his well shaped head like radars, one of which sported a golden hoop earring.

Yeah, that was what Gracie was looking at. That was one of the things that made Clyde stand out from the crowd, the thing that made him different. How often do you see a cat wearing an earring? What most cats didn’t realise though was that it wasn’t Clyde’s fault. He didn’t want the earring. He had a story to tell. He’d told me, not straight away, not when we first met, but after a few weeks, when he knew he could trust me. He told me his tale, and, if I didn’t know him better, he would tell Gracie too.

“Where’s Kit Kat?” I asked.

“Out hunting,” purred Jasmine. “Say … if he comes back with plenty, will you two stay for lunch?”

I looked to Gracie who nodded vigorously. “Be glad too,” we said together.

Jasmine purred and looked at Gracie. “You haven’t got to get back for jealous pets?”

Gracie shook her head. “I please myself,” she said airily. I laughed to myself as I thought of Gracie’s pets almost sending out a search party when she didn’t go home for breakfast! Gracie always acts so cool!

“Hey Gracie,” said Clyde. “You ever had droolies?”

I caught Clyde’s eye and gave a slight shake of my head. “No, she hasn’t.” I mouthed.

Jasmine saw and said, maliciously I thought, “In that case, we’ll have some after lunch …”

There was a sudden commotion and Kit Kat stalked in with a great posse of cats. I recognised some of them, Dark Daniel, Mickey, Ruby, Lola, Mitch and Moss. All the cats dropped food onto the ground until there was quite a pile. I could see mice, rats, tiny birds like sparrows and tits and robins, their red breasts glowing brightly, large birds like pheasants and pigeons, cartons containing left over fried chicken and chips, half empty yogurt pots, half full curry cartons, glassy eyed silvery fish heads, half opened cans of pilchards and tuna and even slices of holey rubbery cheese and some sort of pie! Kit Kat proudly put a large bottle on top of the pile. It looked like the wine bottle that the Jones’ drank from on a Saturday night. Had they stolen from a pet’s picnic?

Kit Kat came towards me. “Hey Teddy, how you doin man?” We high fived then hugged real tight. He nodded to Gracie and solemnly kissed her on both cheeks, continental style. “Real pleased to meet you Miss Gracie,” he said.

“Real pleased to meet you too Mr Kit Kat,” replied Gracie. “Where did you get such a name?” she asked.

“Oh … that’s a long story, but, if you want me to, Miss Gracie, I’ll tell you one day.”

Kit Kat is only a small cat. Somewhere in between a kitten size and fully grown. His fur is white and close cropped with jagged ginger patches dotted here and there like a crazy paving path. I couldn’t say he was handsome, but interesting, yes, his saving grace being his eyes that stand out in his face like two patches of bluebells in a fragrant summer wood. It doesn’t matter that he’s small in stature because he’s big in everything that matters, personality, bravery and heart.

“Hey everyone,” said Jasmine. “We have a guest for lunch.” She pointed with her paw. “You all know Teddy, but this here is Gracie.” All the cats clapped and cheered as Gracie did a little mock curtsey and swayed from side to side, raising her paws.

“Hey Teddy, you got a honey there,” said a voice. Dark Daniel raised his paw in a salute and all the other male cats joined in, whilst the females, including Ruby and Lola, kept uncharacteristically quiet. “Hmm,” … I thought. “Is it jealously between females that keeps them so quiet?”

Lunch was a raucous affair with plenty of good food and, yeah, wine from the large bottle that Kit Kat had brought in. There was also beer (they sure must have stolen from a pet’s picnic) which got everybody tiddly and talkative, including Gracie who asked Clyde point blank, “Hey Clyde, how come you got an earring?”

Clyde thought for a moment or two then said, “Hey … Gracie, it’s a long story …”

“I got plenty of time,” she replied.

Gracie watched as Clyde stalked away from the food area and paced around restlessly. Up and down, up and down, his movements causing the willow tree branches to swish and flutter. After a while he sat down next to Jasmine on his willow leaf bed, his head resting on his paws. The other cats had either gone to sleep or gone out strolling or hunting. There was just Clyde and Jasmine and me, Kit Kat and Gracie.

“Well it’s like this, and it ain’t a pretty story,” said Clyde. He looked around at us, his grey blue eyes hard. “My pet was a cruel man. A big man running to fat with a large belly that jutted out from under his black skull tee shirts and hoodies like rising dough. His jeans hung low and loose on his hips and when he bent down, he showed more than he should below the base of his spine, if you know what I mean?” We all nodded and tittered.

“He had dark eyes, which most times looked pretty vacant, and a black beard that hung to his chest. He was a biker and had a massive red Kawasaki motorbike that he revved more than he rode … vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom. Clyde sat up and put his paws out in front of himself, mimicking riding a motorbike. He used to put me on the back seat and ride real fast round and round the garden, tearing up the grass and flattening the flowers. Used to scare me half to death!”

“I was just a tiny kitten when he got me from the cat rescue. He wanted me to grow big, real big. I want you to be the biggest cat in the neighborhood; he used to say, as he dangled me from the skin on the back of my neck, like my ma used to when I was just a nipper. I felt safe with her, but with him … no way.”

“He loved piercings and tattoos, the more the merrier. He had “love” and “hate” tattooed in spiky blue on his knuckles and a red and yellow snake trailing sinuously from his thumb to halfway up his muscular arm. He also had the name “Rosie” etched on his chest. Heaven knows who she is! I never saw him with a woman. A gold stud glinted on his lip, a tiny silver hoop hung from his eyebrow and a massive gold hoop adorned one fleshy ear lobe.”

“It happened mid-week, a vicious day that lashed rain and a wind that blew at the trees so they bowed and scraped like servants. My pet had been drinking since early morning; empty bottles of strong cider and lager were strewn around the sitting room amidst greasy pizza boxes and curry cartons. It stank in there like a mixture of brewery and Indian takeaway. I remember he picked me up and told me I was a biker’s cat and had to look like a biker’s cat and act like a biker’s cat. He told me I should have an earring. He dangled this, he fingered his large golden earring, in my face and said real mean, “This is yours my boy Clyde, this is yours …”

Clyde stopped, took a breath and rested his head on his paws again. Gracie’s beautiful eyes were wide open. Clyde started talking again. “He boiled the kettle. Not an electric kettle but one of those on the gas ring, they take ages to boil and when they do, they whistle real shrill, till you take them off the flame. The kitchen filled with steam so I could barely see. I felt choked and scared. He poured the boiling water into a jug. I remember it being a pretty jug, china, decorated with flowers, daisies I think, big white daisies with an all seeing yellow eye. I remember wondering why a man like him had such a pretty jug.”

Clyde stopped talking and took another deep breath. Fluffy white clouds tinged with silver had piled up and hid the sun and a strengthening wind blew the willow tree branches so they slapped and fluttered against its enormous trunk. Rain spat through the willow curtain. Nobody moved or spoke for quite a while; then Clyde continued, his voice shaky now and quivering.

“He fumbled in the pocket of his mucky jeans and drew out a needle, a long silver needle that glinted and sparkled under the brash overhead kitchen light. He got hold of me tight around the neck, looked deep in my eyes and said, “This, my boy Clyde is for you.” “He placed the needle in the boiling water then quick as a flash pushed it through my ear lobe. My head took off like a rocket and I blacked out. When I woke the earring was there and it’s been there ever since.”

There was a long, long silence which Gracie broke by saying, “How did you get away Clyde? What happened next?”

“Well … my pet crashed out then like a dead man on the floor, bang, he went down like a felled tree, and my ear swelled to twice its’ size, to almost the same size as my pets’ great belly! And that’s a size! I think he thought that he’d done good and locked every door and every window so I couldn’t get out, but he hadn’t. I managed to squeeze through a tiny gap in the bathroom window and jump onto the conservatory roof below, then I was gone man … gone! I travelled around for days, in pain and delirious, but, hey, I met Jasmine, we found this place and I got better after a time.”

Gracie looked ready to cry, her beautiful eyes swimming like mini lagoons and tears teetering like tiny drops of rain on the very edge of her lashes. “Oh Clyde, you poor, poor thing … have you ever thought of taking the earring out?”

“No,” he replied, standing up and putting his paw to his chest. “I wear it as a badge of honor …” “And besides,” he said with a grin. “It makes me stand out from the crowd …”

Jasmine stood up and stretched just as Gracie had done earlier making Maisie Moo laugh so much. “We need droolies,” she stated. Clyde grinned and patted Jasmine on her furry shoulder. “Yeah I sure think we do. I’ll go get them …”

He placed a few innocent looking biscuits in front of each cat. They were round and sprinkled with something like sugar that had dried to a hard glaze. “There you go Gracie,” he said. “Your first droolies.”

Gracie nibbled the biscuits carefully, delicately. “Wow … these are delicious …” she exclaimed. “Can I have some more?”

We were gullible then, not seeing the harm, so everybody, even Kit Kat, and especially Jasmine, laughed at her and gave her some more.

CHAPTER FOUR

Gracie and I stayed pretty late under the willow tree that night and walked home as the sun was setting, filling the sky with a slow scarlet hue. We avoided the road and cut across the rutted field where the cows had been that morning but there was no sign of Maisie Moo or Melissa or the cute little calves, Gabriel and Zane. The wind and rain that had sprung up that afternoon had magically disappeared and it was now a balmy evening, the sky lit up as if it was blushing and stars, hidden behind wispy clouds, preparing to twinkle. Ned, Naylor and Nigel were nowhere to be seen either. They must be inside, warm and cosy, for the night.

I knew that Gracie was still upset about Clyde’s tale because she kept telling me how lucky she was to have such good, kind pets and that I didn’t know I was born with living with the Jones’.

“Clyde’s tale is few and far between,” I told her. “Most cats are well looked after and spoiled.”

“Huh, I don’t think so,” she replied. “What about Kit Kat … what’s his story?”

“What do you mean; Kit Kat’s story? I didn’t know he had a story.” It was true. Kit Kat hadn’t told me anything.

“I asked him earlier how he got his name and he said it was a long story and he would tell me some day …”

“I don’t think anything bad has happened to Kit Kat,” I told her.

“Don’t you be so sure. Why is he called Kit Kat? I wanna go visit them all again very soon … whoops …” Gracie stumbled drunkenly to one side and almost fell over. She giggled. “Hey, I feel so strange … is it the droolies?”

I felt a big light headed myself but hadn’t mentioned it to Gracie. “Yeah,” I said. “I think it could be the droolies … they do have a strange effect …” Like Gracie I had the uncontrollable urge to giggle and stumble … now I wanted to sing … so I did in what I thought was a passably good baritone …

“I’m a cat, well fancy that,

I’m not fat, but I’m still a cat …

Yeah I’m a cat, well fancy that.”

“What sort of song is that?” asked Gracie. “That’s silly … listen to this …”

“My name’s Gracie, and I’m pretty racy,

Racy Gracie that’s what they name me,

I’m pretty racy and I’m named Gracie.”

“You think my song’s silly?” I mocked.

We laughed and meowed uncontrollably until we reached the garden wall of Fairview Cottage. There was no one around; not even Lucky curled up asleep as round as a Cumberland sausage. It was getting dusky; the moon a tiny sliver in the navy blue sky and poppies languishing in the flower beds shone like random splashes of blood. “Ssh,” said Gracie putting a paw to her mouth. “Behave now … good night Teddy … see you soon.”

“You coming to the river tomorrow, Gracie?”

“I’m not sure,” she replied as she stalked into the bushes surrounding the woods, her fluffy tail standing up to attention. “I’ll check my diary …” Disappointment must have shown on my face because Gracie took a deep breath and said, “Look Teddy, I gotta split …”

“Where you going now Gracie?”

“To see my mother …” she replied. “ … Babs …she’s not well …” She disappeared very quickly only bushes, shaking and quivering like jelly, showing that she’d been there at all.

I felt let down now that Gracie had gone, like a bright red balloon that had burst and fallen from a starry sky, or maybe it was just because the effect of the droolies had worn away. I jumped up onto the low stone wall that surrounded Fairview Cottage. Hmm, so Gracie really did have a mother called Babs … so it was probably true that she did have a sister called Tricky that had been killed on the road and a brother that had gone to the dogs (or cats).

Idly, I sat there, thinking and wondering, my thoughts centered on Gracie, when the back door of Fairview Cottage suddenly flung open and the two dogs, Rolo and Barbie, ran out yipping and yapping like they’d been let out of prison. Hastily, I jumped down from the wall and hid myself amongst a great mass of pom pom dahlias.

“Oh … this is Heaven!” cried Rolo, as he lifted his leg against a lavender bush, then the tea roses, then the hollyhocks. “I thought it would never happen. I thought the woman would never get up. We’re going to be late for our breakfast now; and our walk … and …,” He glanced at Barbie. “It’s just not good enough!”

“No, not good enough,” agreed Barbie. “Why our pets had to go away to Sardinia for a week, I have no idea!” She lowered her leg and began, discreetly, to shake her back end and adjust herself.

“Hmph,” agreed Rolo. “Absolutely ridiculous!”

“And Smartie going into the spare bedroom with the girl … well!”

“Hmph,” snorted Rolo. “It’s a sorry state of affairs … and it can only get worse … the man hasn’t even got out of bed yet!”

I peered at Rolo and Barbie through the brightly colored dahlias. “I wonder if Gracie knew about her pets going on holiday and the man, the woman and the girl taking over for a week. Hmm … interesting!”

“Let’s hope our breakfast is ready now,” moaned Rolo, as he and Barbie made their way across the bristly lawn to the back door of Fairview Cottage. “I don’t think we’re going to get the right amount of food, the woman was inspecting the scales earlier as if they were a medieval device!”

“I don’t know how we’re going to cope for a week if the woman can’t even use the scales, said Barbie sadly. “I do wish our pets would come back …”

“We need a meeting,” said Rolo. “We need to get word to Lucky and Gracie. I’m sure “Lady” Gracie will have plenty to say about this turn of events …I suggest

1 o’clock sharp in the study …”

I decided to go home for a little snack, so I prowled silently among the flower beds, the earth dry and crusty; my paws becoming entangled with tendrils of vines and clematis and a nasty yellow rose bush that nipped me with its thorns on my back end. Rolo and Barbie’s voices grew fainter and fainter as I padded along. It had been hours since breakfast under the willow tree and my tummy was making noises like the first rumble of thunder before a storm!

Farmer and Mrs Jones were sitting at the kitchen table drinking hot liquid from thick earthenware mugs when I sidled through the door. I noticed a plate of biscuits surrounded by crumbs on the scrubbed wooden table. Thick bands of sunshine pooled through the window and lay on the floorboards in warm yellow stripes. A couple of our more adventurous chickens strutted into the kitchen, jerking their heads in out, in out. “Cluck, cluck , cluck, cluck,” they said. “Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck.”

“Shoo, go on shoo,” said Mrs Jones, standing up and making batting motions with her hands. “Marigold, Chloe, go on shoo … out of my kitchen.” They bustled out of the open door, spreading their wings slightly, as their scrawny little feet clicked outside. My mouth watered slightly as I looked at the chickens, imagining the meat underneath the glossy feathers, but, no, far too close to home! Besides Marigold and Chloe were almost my sisters!

“Hey, here’s the boy,” said Farmer Jones. I went to him and flexed my claws on his brown corduroy work trousers; I climbed up his legs and onto his lap. Farmer Jones snuggled me into his arms like I was a little bitty baby. He stroked my head, my back and my tail in long sweeping motions, hard enough for me to feel the calluses on his palms. “Where you been then Teddy?” “Meow …” I replied, meaning … “out and about … to the river and the willow tree …”

“You sure spoil that cat,” said Mrs Jones. She sipped from her mug, leaving a shimmering half moon pink lipstick mark on the rim.

“He’s a fine, handsome cat who deserves a bit of spoiling,” replied Farmer Jones. Carrying me close to his chest, he went to the pantry and picked up a brightly colored packet from one of the shelves. “There you go boy,” he said, as he emptied a few biscuits onto the floor.

“Wow … droolies …” I thought as I munched heartily. I purred deep in my throat like a little motor as I ate.

“Yeah, you like them don’t you boy,” said Farmer Jones. He turned to Mrs Jones and held up the packet. “A brand new treat for cats … look at him … he’s eating them up as fast as we could hoover them up … He chuckled to himself, then frowned as the distant barking of a dog rang out throughout the hot, still morning air.

Mrs Jones tutted. “That dog sure is manic!!!” She picked up a biscuit and bit into it with strong, white teeth. The biscuit looked good. Two coffee colored squares with a yellow filling sandwiched in between … yum yum. “You wouldn’t like these Teddy,” she assured me, then laughed at my bright eyes staring at her so hard.

“Yeah, it’s Jake the border collie making such a racket. That dog is a menace to this village.”

“It must drive Alison and Les mad …”

“Yeah, fancy living next door to that noise all the time … and poor little Smartie must be terrified of Jake attacking again … old Jack Pollard should keep him on a tight leash …”

“Well, I’ve heard,” said Mrs Jones, as she took the dirty mugs to the sink and wiped the crumbs off the table with a bright yellow cloth. “That Alison and Les have gone on holiday and left Rolo, Barbie and Smartie with three strangers …”

“Three strangers? Never!”

“Oh yes,” said Mrs Jones. “And the cats too …Lucky … and the pretty stand offish one … hmm …oh yeah … Gracie …”

“Stand offish?” I thought. “Wait til I tell Gracie that …”

“Where have they gone?”

Mrs Jones rinsed the mugs under the tap and put them carefully on the shiny silver draining board. “Sardinia I think … well … somewhere hot …”

“Wow … Sardinia … lucky them, but leaving their pets with three strangers … I’ve never heard the like …what’s wrong with the kennels?” Farmer Jones picked up a couple of the biscuits and put them in his pocket. “Well, I gotta be getting on … got the cows to milk, the pig pens to clean and the eggs to collect …” He put an old worn checked cap over his thinning, grey hair and walked out into the sunshine.

Mrs Jones followed him to the door. “Some dogs don’t like the kennels; it’s too traumatic for them. They prefer to be at home. That’s why Alison and Les have left them with pet sitters. Do you see?”

Farmer Jones nodded. “Hmm … yes … now you put it like that …”

Mrs Jones smiled. “I’ll collect the eggs. Marigold… no,” she said, as the naughty chicken squawked and fluttered back into the kitchen.

I left them all to it and wandered back over to Gracie’s place. I felt nice and full from the droolies and sort of excited too at what adventures might be in store for me this afternoon. The droolies always made me feel that way. I went through the wide open gates of Fairview Cottage just in time to see Gracie disappearing into the house. Three people were sitting outside in the garden, a woman and a girl sunbathing on a bright pink blanket, with Smartie in between them, and a man, sitting on a green plastic garden chair, his face like a flower turned up to the sun. “Hm, these must be the three strangers, the man, the woman and the girl.”

Before I really thought about what I was doing, I followed Gracie into the house. Looking furtively from left to right, I padded through the kitchen and into the hallway. I peeked around the door of the sitting room. No sign of Gracie in there, so, silently, like a soft black shadow; I climbed the stairs, the moss green carpet firm yet springy beneath my paws.

On the landing, all the doors were firmly closed except one. I eyed the door. “That must be the study,” I thought. I remembered Rolo saying 1 o’clock sharp in the study. I peeped around the half open door. Lucky and Gracie lounged on an old sagging sofa whilst Rolo and Barbie sat on the floor. All four were deep in conversation. I caught snatches of it. “What about getting advice from the horses …” “Smartie is friendly with the girl …” “We want our pets back …”

All of a sudden there was the sound of paws hurrying up the stairs. Quickly, I moved away from the half open door and flattened myself against the wall just as Smartie bounded past me and shot through the study door like a bullet from a gun. “Oh no, this is all we need,” I heard Rolo say, then “It’s you lot, you’re being really mean …,” and “I want to go home with the girl when they leave …” in Smartie’s hysterical shriek. I could hear Barbie moaning as if in pain and saying, “Oh Smartie, how could you …” and then all five animals trooped out of the study and down the stairs. I followed them outside and watched as they set off on their journey.

The man, still sitting on the green plastic chair, binoculars now clamped to his face, watched as Rolo, Barbie, Smartie and Lucky walked through the garden, through the ménage and up into the fields. “Where are they going?” he asked the woman and the girl. Nobody answered. I knew where they were going; they were going to see the horses, to ask their advice about how they could get their pets back. The woman and the girl sat together on the bright pink blanket, the girl cradling Smartie like a baby in her arms.

I didn’t know what to do. Should I follow the four of them to see the horses or should I go to the willow tree and just hope that Gracie might turn up later? Hmm, the willow tree beckoned and I wanted to talk to Kit Kat. Maybe he would tell me the story that he hadn’t yet shared with me but was more than willing to share with Gracie.

CHAPTER FIVE

The heat from that great yellow ball in the sky became stronger and stronger as the day wore on. It blazed down from a startlingly blue cloud free sky. Before I set off to the river and the willow tree, I had a drink of cool water from Rolo and Barbie’s silver water bowl. I lapped at it for ages, my tongue curving into a spoon, water drops like tiny silver balls soaking into my black fur. It sure tasted good. You could almost say it was a rare vintage champagne especially for cats and dogs and it made me smile to think how disappointed Rolo and Barbie would be when they came back, so tired and thirsty from seeing the horses, to a half empty water bowl! Yeah, okay, I sure am being mean!

I passed the fields where I could see Rolo, Barbie, Lucky and Gracie talking to the three horses, Ned, Naylor and Nigel. I could see Gracie rolling about in the dusty field, and Barbie lapping water from the horses’ old tin bath whilst Lucky and Rolo relaxed in the shade of the mighty oak tree. The sound of Nigel neighing and snickering echoed all around the fields. He always was the noisiest of the horses.

I plodded on, leaving them to sort out what they were going to do, and soon arrived at the river bank. I ducked under the willow tree curtain to see who was around. There were quite a few cats in there having a snooze in the shade. Ruby was sucking on a blanket in her sleep like the kitten that she once was, pretty endearing I thought, and Lola had her mouth wide open as she snored. Clyde and Jasmine looked cute curled up together on their willow tree bed, Jasmine looking tiny against Clyde, and even Kit Kat looked relaxed, laid on his back, his paws under his head, staring up at the branches of the willow tree where the sun blazed and sizzled like an egg yolk in a frying pan.

“Teddy, my man,” he said. We high fived and hugged real tight, then he invited me to sit down with him. “Clyde and Jasmine might be out of it for some time. They went a bit mad on the droolies last night …”

“I had some at lunch time,” I told him. “They sure are tasty …”

“Who gave you them at lunch time Teddy my man … Clyde’s the only one with droolies round here …”

“My pet gave them to me.”

Kit Kat looked at me in disbelief. “Your pet gave them to you …?”

“Yeah, he had a big colored packet of them. Gets them from the supermarket …”

“Gets them from the supermarket?”

“Yeah … special offer at the moment, £1 a packet …”

“Special offer at the moment? £1 a packet?”

“Yeah … hey Kit Kat will you stop repeating everything I say?”

“Sorry man … but … have you told Clyde about this?”

“No, today’s the first time my pet has ever given me any … very tasty … I don’t know what’s in them but they sure make me feel good …”

“We must speak to Clyde when he comes round … and Jasmine … she’ll hit the roof …” I was gonna ask why Jasmine would be mad but Kit Kat changed the subject. “Where’s Gracie, Teddy my man?” he asked.

“Oh, she’s a bit busy.” I told him about Rolo, Barbie, Smartie and Lucky and their pets going on holiday. I told him all about the man, the woman and the girl taking over for a week and that they had all gone to get advice from the horses about what they should do. “I hope she’s gonna come down here later though …”

“But man, what can they do except wait for their pets to come home. It’s only a week!”

“Yeah I know,” I told him. “Seems simple to us, but they’re distraught, especially Rolo … I don’t think they’ve ever been left by their pets before …”

“They’ve got to harden up,” said Kit Kat. Then he sort of whispered to himself, “That’s all you can do in this life, harden up!” His beautiful blue eyes shone like sapphires.

“Yeah,” I said. “What’s your story Kit Kat? Have you got a story like Clyde?”

“What makes you say that man? Clyde’s been through hell!”

“Just something Gracie said …”

Kit Kat lay down again and put his paws behind his head. “Yeah, when Gracie comes I’ll tell you my story …but not until then … okay?”

“Why didn’t you tell me before Kit Kat? Why Gracie and not me?”

“Nothing personal Teddy my man, just didn’t feel like telling it before.”

I was just about to question Kit Kat further when a large grey head with deep set amber eyes poked through the willow tree curtain. “Sorry to bother you, but is there a Clyde around here … a big guy, a Maine Coon …?”

“There sure is.” Kit Kat stood up and held out his hand to the new arrival. “I’m Kit Kat, Clyde’s right hand man …”

“I’m Harrison … been travelling for days, looking for Clyde. I’m just passing through, had to leave my place on account of my pets getting themselves a dog that didn’t take too kindly to me …”

“But you were there first Harrison, before the dog?

“Oh yeah, been there years without the dog but no one seems to care about that. The dog had it in for me and I was scared … Ruth was her name … Rabid Ruth I used to call her … a Rottweiler …”

“A Rottweiler?” I shuddered. “No wonder you was scared …”

“Sit down Harrison,” said Kit Kat. “Take a load off your paws man.”

“Hey you two we got company,” said Kit Kat to Clyde and Jasmine. “Cat by the name of Harrison, old friend of yours Clyde.”

Clyde sat up on his leafy bed, one of his paws still around Jasmine’s shoulders. “Well, what do you know, Harrison my man …” They high fived and hugged. “Ha ha,” said Clyde. “You still got your whiskers decorated with those funky beads. Good on you man. You got all the colors of the rainbow.” Harrison twisted his whiskers and the colored beads clinked together. “My pet put these beads on my whiskers … before the dog came … beautiful aren’t they?”

Jasmine got up then and started to fuss around, panicking because she had no lunch prepared to give to Harrison, or anybody else for that matter. She didn’t feel well, still slow and irritable from last night’s overload of droolies. She went into the food area and started banging and crashing around in a temper.

“Come on Ruby,” she meowed. “No good lying around sucking at your blanket while you sleep. You’re not a kitten any more but a fully grown cat. You need to start acting like one and get yourself out here and help me! And you, Lola, stop that annoying snoring and help me prepare something for our guests.” She prowled around; green eyes hard, claws out ready for action.

“Hey, hey Jazzy honey,” whispered Clyde, putting his large paw on her shoulder. “Don’t speak like that to the Ruby and Lola, you’re embarrassing them … we’ve guests here sweetheart …”

Ruby, her white bits blushing furiously, started chopping fish heads into tiny pieces and boiling water in a large pan in order to make a fish stew. “Hey, don’t fuss Jasmine,” she said in a tiny voice. “We can have fish stew for our mains and …” She peered into the depths of the ice box. “Cream and yogurt delight for dessert.”

“What about starters … Ruby?” asked Jasmine. “We have company, you know …”

“I can sort the starters,” said Lola. “Just leave it with me …hey … do I really snore?”

Nobody replied because at that moment Gracie came through the willow curtain carrying a crumpled paper bag in her paw. “Hi everyone,” she said. “I hope you’re all hungry cos I got some real nice prawns here for lunch …”

“Hey Gracie,” I said. She smiled at me and said, “Hey Teddy …”

“They’ll make a great starter,” said Ruby, taking the bag from Gracie. She and Lola peeked into the bag. “Wow, these are great, where did you get them Gracie?”

“They just happened to fall out of a pet’s shopping bag while they were having a nice old stroll along the river bank …”

“Oh … wow,” crowed Kit Kat. “Somebody’s gonna be disappointed when they get home tonight …”

“Hey,” said Gracie quietly, sidling closer to Kit Kat. “You any nearer to telling me your story?”

“Yeah I think I am,” said Kit Kat.

“Maybe later when everybody’s gone?”

“No, I don’t mind who hears,” said Kit Kat. “We’ve got Harrison just arrived, he’s got his story, Clyde’s got a story, and you, Gracie, what about you, have you got a story to tell … and you Teddy?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a story,” I said. “I was a street cat before I came here, mangy looking, starving most of the time. I had no pets … fended for myself … been like that since I ran away from home as a kitten …”

“Why did you run away from home Teddy?” asked Harrison.

“I’m not sure,” I said. “Just wanted to be by myself … and look after myself. My pet was okay but I guess I wanted to see the world …”arrison.

Ruby joined in. “I was a mouser way out at Woodlands Farm. I had pets, Farmer and Mrs George, but there were loads of us, loads of cats, so I made my own living mostly … it all depended on how much vermin I caught as to how much I was fed …”

Gracie kept real quiet, sat back on her haunches and wrapped her beautiful tail around her furry body. Kat Kat sat down, shuffled about a bit to make himself comfortable and then began his story.

“Well, it’s like this … I had great pets, Becky and Sam. They hadn’t been together long, had a whirlwind romance and got married out of the blue. Becky all in white, her long dark hair covering her bare shoulders and Sam, smart, in a tuxedo. They showed me the pictures; they sure was smiling, showing all their teeth, and there was multi-colored confetti floating down in front of their eyes. They got me from a cat rescue place. I couldn’t believe it when they chose me. I was just a little scrap, all skin and bone, but, Becky, she took one look at me and said, “Wow, he’s got the most beautiful blue eyes.” And that was it; they put me in this little carrying cage wrapped in a soft rose blanket and took me home.”

“They didn’t know what to call me for ages, said they couldn’t think of a name good enough for such a beautiful kitten. Dithered with Leo, Jake, George, Freddy. In the end just called me Kitty, Kitty Kat sometimes, but mostly Kitty. I used to sit with Becky in the evenings on our big old settee, cuddled up in her soft arms, dozing or watching the TV. They fed me choice pieces of chicken and liver, only the best tinned cat food and good crunchy biscuits. I grew up, filled out, became sleek and lovely. I was a confident, happy cat.”

“Now one day, Becky and Sam seemed preoccupied and distant. I meowed to Becky and wound myself sinuously around her legs in the way that she liked; she patted my head and smoothed my back but not as she usually did, it was like her heart wasn’t in it. I felt hurt … and afraid. She and Sam whispered together, heads close, and I heard her say, “There was a pink dot Sam … sure it’s positive.” And I sure didn’t know what that meant!

“Anyway, couple of days later, they told me Becky was gonna have a baby. A baby … wow, was I happy? We were all over the moon cos there was gonna be a baby in the house.” Kit Kat looked around at us and nodded his head. “It was a real good happy time, and I realised then why they’d been distant with me before …”

“What happened next Kit Kat?” asked Gracie.

“Well … she got bigger and bigger with the baby … her belly sure swelled. She used to lay me on that great mound so I could feel the baby moving around. “Feel that Kitty,” she used to say to me. “That’s our baby …” Yeah, she was close to me again … didn’t want to go anywhere without me.

Then, she started wanting chocolate all the time. Always saying to Sam, “Hey, Sam, you going to the shop? If you are, get me a kit kat …” That’s why they ended up calling me Kit Kat. She ate them all the time she was carrying. She got loads of teasing from Sam, him saying that she’d end up the size of a house if she carried on eating all them kit kat’s. She didn’t care, just laughed and said, “I’m feeding two here …”

“Anyway, the months went by and the baby was born. It was a little girl. A tiny thing; her face like a slice of cream cheese peeking out her shawl and tiny hands like starfish wiggling about. Aimee they called her, Aimee Louise, and in no time at all it seemed like she’d always been there. I loved her. I loved her sweet face, and the soft black hair that lay in tiny swirls on her head. I used to sit by her cot watching her breathe”. Kit Kat paused for a moment, took a deep breath.

“Now next door lived two cats. Both big, one grey and skinny with long limbs known as Fred and the other not so skinny, hefty, a red head called Ginger. They were always together, if you saw Fred, after two minutes you’d see Ginger and vice versa. I saw them watching little Aimee Louise many times. I saw them sneak in her bedroom and get inside her cot. I tried to tell Becky and Sam but they couldn’t tell what I was saying. My meows, hisses, mews and yowls left them cold. It was them two that hurt her … not me. I swear … I would never hurt Aimee Louise.” Kit Kat stopped talking and burst into noisy sobs.

“Hey Kit Kat my man,” said Clyde, putting a protective paw on his shoulder. “Want me to finish the story?” Kit Kat gulped and nodded.

“Well,” said Clyde. “Them two cats sure hurt that little girl. They scratched her pretty face and clawed at her little starfish hands til she bled. Aimee Louise screamed and cried til Becky and Sam came running. Kit Kat was there just ahead of them and just as Fred and Ginger disappeared out the open window …”

“They thought it was me,” sobbed Kit Kat. “They thought I hurt Aimee Louise. Never seen such a look on Sam’s face, he got me by the scruff of the neck and chucked me out the window. I thought I was gonna lose one of my nine lives. Becky didn’t even try to stop him. They wouldn’t let me back in the house; they even locked the doors and windows. I laid low in the garden for a long time after that but no one came to look for me …”

There was a long silence broken by Gracie. “Oh Kit Kat … you poor thing …”

“Yeah, and if Clyde and Jasmine hadn’t found me, half dead on the river bank …” His words tailed off and Jasmine picked them up. “Yep, we found him, half starved; had nothing to eat or drink for days. Brought him straight here to the Willow Tree, wrapped him up good and warm in willow leaves, got fresh creamy milk from Maisie Moo and Melissa, then he soon got better …”

Gracie and I exchanged glances. “Maisie Moo and Melissa? Why … we met them two just the other day …”

“Yeah … their milk was life saving for Kit Kat …”

Jasmine stood up and stretched. “I think after that story, we should party … is the food ready yet Ruby, Lola?”

“Yeah … all done … gather round …”

“Come on Kit Kat,” I said. “Let’s go get some good food …”

“Yeah, let’s do that,” replied Kit Kat. He looked at Gracie. “Well, Gracie, now you know why my name’s Kit Kat.”

Gracie nodded. “Yeah, I do, thanks Kit Kat, that took a lot of telling, it’s a sad story …” “Hey,” She looked around at everybody. “Will there be droolies tonight?”

CHAPTER SIX

Both Clyde’s and Kit Kat’s stories brought to light how cruel some pets can be, but, from what I was told, not the man, the woman and the girl.

“Rolo and Barbie are still moaning on about them,” Gracie told me. “But they seem okay to me … “

“What advice did the horses give?” I asked her.

“Hey … said, just go with it guys. It’s only a week … just go with it.”

“Sounds good advice to me,” I said, as a licked my long black fur into shape. I sure needed regular grooming.

“Yeah it is. Rolo’s just an old fuss pot …”

Gracie had come to the Jones’ place to visit and we were sitting in the garden in the shade of an old drooping lilac tree. The sweet smelling scent hung in the air like a mist. It was another beautiful day … with a clear blue sky and bright yellow sun. The lawn was burnt bristly brown and even the pretty white daisies had curled up in the heat. The chickens, Marigold and Chloe, were cluck, clucking around the farmyard, clicking around on their skinny little feet, and I had to keep telling Gracie not to look at them that way, not to keep licking her lips. I explained that they were more like sisters to me and definitely not on the menu!

Farmer Jones must have seen us because he came out into the garden carrying a very familiar brightly colored packet. “Well, well, what have we here then?” he said. “Have you gone and found yourself a girlfriend there Teddy?” He crouched down and peered at us through the long, lower hanging branches of the tree and stroked us gently with his finger tips. I stood up and sniffed at the packet he was holding … yeah … droolies …

“That’s Gracie there with Teddy,” said Mrs Jones, coming up behind him. “Alison and Les’s cat …”

“The stand offish one?”

Gracie looked a bit put out. “Stand offish?” she pouted.

“Yeah, but she sure is a pretty one …”

She smiled now … yeah she sure was a pretty one …

Farmer Jones sprinkled a few droolies onto the grass and both Gracie and I gobbled them up straight away. “They loves those droolies,” said Farmer Jones.

The droolies took effect more or less straight away. Gracie and I felt like dancing and singing. “How come I feel this way when I’ve had droolies?” I asked Gracie.

“I don’t know,” she replied. Then she giggled. “I know Teddy; let’s go down to the river.”

“Yeah, let’s go see Clyde and Jasmine and Kit Kat …”

“Yeah, and visit Maisie Moo and Melissa on the way.”

We set off at a run, out of the Jones’ place, across the village green and into Gracie’s garden. Meowing with delight, we jumped up onto the wall, the stones warm as toast beneath our paws. The sun was a brighter yellow; the sky a brighter blue, the birds flying above our heads looked fatter, meatier, and if it was possible, Gracie looked even more beautiful than ever … Lucky running towards us looked blacker and whiter than ever … “Hey Gracie … hey Gracie … come quick, it’s your mother, Babs, she’s having kittens … she’s having kittens … she’s having kittens …”

“Is that Lucky calling for you Gracie? Why is she saying everything three times?”

“I don’t know about that Teddy but my mother’s having kittens … I gotta split!” She turned to Lucky. “I gotta go get Aunty Beryl and Cousin Scully first. I promised I’d tell them when the kittens started to come …”

“Well, you better hurry up,” said Lucky. “I don’t think there’s much time … the man, the woman and the girl are there waiting for the vet …”

Lucky and Gracie suddenly disappeared, leaving me sitting all alone on the garden wall. I felt a bit let down and lonely so thought I’d go along to the river bank anyway and see what Clyde, Jasmine and Kit Kat were up to. They might want to sit and chat or go for a stroll or even go hunting. It would take my mind off whatever was happening with Gracie and, hopefully, she’d turn up later anyway. Once again the effect of the droolies seemed to have worn off right away.

I took the route through the rutted cow field and hey, who should I see but Maisie Moo and Melissa with the two little calves, Gabriel and Zane. I noticed there were a few sheep around too nibbling frantically at the sparse grass … sparse grass! Hey that sounds so good! The grass sure was sparse! Maisie Moo saw me straight away.

“Hey, Teddy, come over here and say hello to Maisie Moo and Melissa. “

“Hello Maisie Moo, Hello Melissa.”

“Oh my, you sure are a cute one. Where’s you girlfriend then Teddy, the lovely Gracie?”

“Gracie’s had to go look after her ma,” I told them. “Cos she’s having kittens …”

“Kittens!” breathed Melissa. “I hope those kittens gonna be as cute as our Zane and Gabriel here …”

“I hope so … I’ll bring them to see you when they been born …”

For some reason this made both cows burst into hysterical laughter, their great bodies shaking and the ground rocking and trembling beneath us. “That would be real good Teddy,” said Melissa.

Maisie Moo came closer to me. “Hey Teddy, come and meet some friends of ours,” She pointed with her head at the sheep. “This here’s Ivy, and this here’s Ingrid.”

The two sheep, their long pale faces jutting out from round woolly bodies, bleated at me, “Hey, good to meet you Teddy …” Their pointed hooves dug into the dry earth like tiny spades.

A light wind ruffled my fur and I noticed that masses of fluffy white clouds had appeared blocking the intense heat of the sun. I shivered, raising my shoulders up to my ears. Maisie Moo looked up at the rapidly darkening sky. “Hey, looks like it gonna pour down. Let’s get our babies under shelter.”

“I’d get on your way soon as, Teddy, or you gonna get wet,” said Melissa. The two cows, Gabriel and Zane trailing close behind, walked ponderously across the field, their thin tails twitching and teats wobbling, to the shelter of a massive oak tree.

“See you soon, Maisie Moo, see you soon Melissa,” I said. As I made my way across the field rain began to fall, sliding down my long silky fur like tears. I ran as fast as I could until I reached the river bank and from there into the safe enclosure of the willow tree. There was no one inside except for Clyde and Kit Kat, heads close, talking quietly together.

“Teddy my man,” said Clyde. “Just the cat I want to see … come join us my man …”

“Hey Teddy,” said Kit Kat.

Clyde faced me full on, his eyes, somewhere between a grey and an ice blue, looking kindly at me. Rain, falling real heavy now, beat down on the wide spreading branches of the willow tree and drops hanging from the leaves glinted like Clyde’s earring in the meager light. I don’t know why but I felt as if I had a million butterflies fluttering around in my stomach.

“Kit Kat told me that you been having droolies at home … that your pet gives them to you?”

“Yeah, he gets them from the supermarket. £1 a packet I think …”

“But Teddy my man, don’t you know that droolies are made here with a special recipe. No one else knows about them … “

“I didn’t know that,” I said. “I didn’t know where they came from. I sure haven’t told no one about them …”

Kit Kat paced up and down, his beautiful sapphire eyes gleaming. “Well someone sure has … someone’s blabbed … someone’s taken them to their pet …”

“We gotta find out who it is,” said Clyde.

“Too late to stop it now,” I said. “Droolies are all over the place. In all shops and supermarkets … how you gonna stop it now?”

“Maybe we can’t stop it now,” said Clyde. “But we sure can find out who it is!”

“Anyway,” I meowed. “They sure don’t always make me feel good.”

“What do you mean?” asked Clyde.

“Well, I don’t always feel good the day after … but I still can’t help having more … and more … they’re addictive, man …”

“Yeah, that’ll be the nip nip in them. Most cats can’t help themselves. I know some cats rub themselves against them before they eat … they sure make you act like crazy …”

We all looked up as Jasmine came through the willow curtain, several silvery fish heads protruding from her mouth. She dropped them on the floor and then shook herself so that raindrops flew from her fur and soaked us all.

Clyde and Kit Kat picked up large willow leaves and began drying themselves. “Jasmine … honey …”

She giggled as she picked up a willow leaf and began patting her long fur. “I been out hunting to get something for our tea and what you three been doing but sitting around and talking …”

“We been talking about droolies Jasmine Honey … Teddy’s been given them at home by his pet …”

She looked at us shocked. “Given them by his pet?” she repeated.

“Hmm,” I thought. “I hope we’re not on the endless cycle of repetition that I’d had with Kit Kat the day before.”

I told Jasmine what I’d told Clyde and Kit Kat earlier. “Someone’s blabbed,” repeated Kit Kat.

“Huh, it’ll be that Dark Daniel,” said Jasmine. “I just don’t trust that cat …”

“Why him?” asked Clyde. “What about Mitch or Moss … or Mickey?”

“Or Ruby or Lola?” asked Kit Kat.

Jasmine shook her head. “No … none of them … it’ll be Dark Daniel. He was brought up feral you know …”

“What difference does that make?” I asked, thinking of Gracie. “That don’t mean nothing …”

“Trust me,” mewed Jasmine. “It’s Dark Daniel …”

I poked my head around the willow tree curtain to look outside. The rain had stopped and a weak sun filtered through the dripping trees. The river and the paths, festooned with gleaming puddles, looked a clear pale green. Everything looked freshly washed like the Jones’ kitchen floor on cleaning day.

“I better be getting back,” I told them. “See if Gracie’s okay and see if the kittens have been born yet …”

“Kittens?” asked Jasmine.

“Oh yeah, Gracie’s ma, Babs, is having kittens.”

“Huh,” Jasmine said maliciously. “Who’s the father?”

We all ignored that comment and just as I was about to leave the willow tree to go in search of Gracie, I felt kinda weird and had to sit back real quick on my haunches.

Kit Kat put his paws around me. “You okay, Teddy my man?”

“Hey just a bit dizzy man …”

“Here,” said Clyde. He put a few droolies down on the floor. I gobbled them up pretty quick; then padded outside and lapped thirstily from a fresh looking puddle.

“I need to stop eating droolies,” I said. “But it’s so hard to do … and it’s so weird that they’ve made me feel better now …”

“Yeah, I thought maybe they’d make you feel better,” said Clyde. “Look, I’m gonna have a talk with Dark Daniel, Mitch, Moss and Mickey when they get back from hunting. See what they got to say for themselves …”

“Come back tomorrow if you can Teddy my man,” said Kit Kat. “Let us know if Gracie’s ma is okay …” I nodded, we high fived and I set off back to Fairview Cottage to see if I could find Gracie.

I padded stealthily away from the river bank and back into the fields. I could see the two sheep, Ivy and Ingrid, grazing at the wet grass; both of them crouched down on their front knees, gummy mouths working. Maisie Moo and Melissa, the two calves clinging to their sides like barnacles, stood with the massive black bull who snorted and bellowed as I slunk by. He sure looked mean! Maisie Moo glared at him and said, “Don’t you be bellowing at our friend, Teddy … Rory …” Rory hung his head and snorted real loud through his gigantic nostrils til I thought I was gonna see smoke! I slunk by even faster!

I was nearly back at Fairview Cottage when I saw Gracie in the distance. I knew it was her straight away. She looked even more beautiful with all her long grey fur and shining blue eyes, but as I got closer I noticed that she looked real tired and a bit unkempt for Gracie. She was with two ginger cats who I assumed were Aunty Beryl and Cousin Scully.

“Hey Teddy,” she called out. “We was just coming to find you at the willow tree …”

“Well, how about that, I was just coming to find you at Fairview Cottage …”

“Aunty Beryl, Cousin Scully, this is Teddy …”

“Well, pleased to meet you I’m sure,” said Aunty Beryl. She was long haired and pale ginger streaked with cream. Scully was the colour of marmalade on toast and real shy. He hung his head and said quietly, “Hello Teddy …”

“Pleased to meet you both,” I said. “What happened? “How’s Babs?”

“Four beautiful kittens,” said Aunty Beryl. “And Babs is fine.”

“Two grey tabbies and two black, one with white paws like little boots,” said Scully shyly.

“Wow, sounds good, got names yet?” I asked.

“Not yet,” said Gracie. “And the vet took Mother for “the operation” just before we left.”

I nodded wordlessly, not wanting to get into a conversation about “the operation” with Aunty Beryl and Cousin Scully. A warm breeze had sprung up, chasing away the clouds so the sun shone hot and heavy in a clear blue sky. It was a beautiful evening.

“Well, we must be getting back to our pets,” said Aunty Beryl. “Come on Scully.” She touched noses with Gracie and said she would be in touch. “Hope to see you again soon Teddy …”

Gracie and I walked back towards Fairview Cottage. I knew that I had to speak to her about the droolies but just as I was going to say something Gracie stopped walking, turned to me and said, “Teddy, I’ve not been feeling good … I think it’s the droolies … I’ve got to stop eating them …”

“Yeah,” I replied. “I thought you didn’t look your usual self … I’ve not been good either … had quite a dizzy spell earlier at the willow tree … “

Gracie burst into tears. “Oh Teddy … what we gonna do? Where do the droolies come from?”

“Hey, hey, Gracie … stop crying now …” I put a sympathetic paw on her shoulder. “I didn’t know … but the droolies are made secretly at the willow tree … now everybody knows about them … have you been given any by your pets?”

Gracie sniffed. “No …”

“Well, I have … and you just earlier … Clyde ain’t happy as to how this has come about.” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Jasmine thinks it’s Dark Daniel that’s gone and blabbed … Clyde’s gonna have a word with him, and Mickey, Mitch and Moss …”

“There must be someone who can help.” Gracie looked desperate and now that I looked at her properly, I could see that she looked ill. Her nose was dry and chapped, her fur matted and dirty … not like Gracie at all …

“Well Gracie,” I said, sounding a lot more cheerful than I felt. “We sure will try and find out …”

CHAPTER SEVEN

I left Gracie at Fairview Cottage. She said she wanted to go and see Lucky, thought that maybe she would know what we could do about our addiction to the droolies. “Lucky sure is knowledgeable …”said Gracie. I watched her as she sashayed along the garden path and into the open door of Fairview Cottage. Yeah … she still sashayed … she was still Gracie … even though a bit subdued at the moment. She also said that she wanted to go and see her ma to make sure she was okay after “the operation.”

Strange how Gracie calls her ma “Mother”. “I’ve got to go see Mother,” she said.

I always called my ma … well, Ma. Sometimes I wondered about my ma … where she was … what she was doing. Yeah … I know I told Clyde and Kit Kat that I left home of my own accord when I was a kitten but that didn’t really happen … oh no …you see … my ma chucked me out. I don’t know why. I didn’t do nothing wrong … she just didn’t want me. Kept my brother and sister but not me. Still hurts a bit to talk about it so I’m gonna change the subject.

After Gracie had gone to look for Lucky, I went back to the Jones’ place and spent the night there. I didn’t go out hunting, not even strolling. Just laid in my bed and slept like a log. Perhaps that’s what I needed cos next morning I felt fighting fit and ready to go til Farmer Jones came along holding a brightly colored packet of droolies.

“Here you go Teddy boy,” he said. “Your morning droolies.” I looked up at him and meowed and mewed, and growled deep in my throat. I was trying to tell him, hey don’t give me those things, they’re addictive, but he didn’t understand.

“Hey boy, what’s up with you this morning … go on and eat your droolies …”

In the end I couldn’t resist and gobbled them up real quick, even asked for more. He also fed me good wet food and crunchy biscuits heaped real high in my blue bowl with Teddy spelt out around the rim in thick black letters. Yeah, okay, I sure am a spoiled cat! After that I had a good wash with my scratchy little tongue, did a few stretches, and dozed in the sunshine beneath the old drooping lilac tree. The droolies made me feel warm and lethargic. I watched the chickens, Marigold and Chloe, tip tapping around the farm yard on their bony feet. It amused me to think of Gracie licking her lips and imagining the two of them as her dinner!

I decided that I’d go on to the willow tree and see if Clyde had questioned Dark Daniel, Mitch, Moss and Mickey. It sure would be good to know who had blabbed about the droolies. Clouds, swollen with rain, had gathered in the sky while I’d been resting. They were black around the edges, like they were turning rotten. Farmer Jones came out into the garden, a frown furrowing his brow.

“Do you hear that Teddy?”

I heard a series of yips, yowls, barks and growls and then an almighty squealing like somebody or something was being hurt real bad. I ran behind Farmer Jones as he hurried across the village green and then in the dusty road right outside Fairview Cottage we saw the little manic dog Smartie fighting with Jake the Border Collie. Smartie was bleeding from a gash on her leg and Jake’s face was pretty messed up with cuts and bruises. The man, the woman and the girl came running out of Fairview Cottage, the girl crying noisily. She ran forward and tried to catch hold of Smartie but the man held her back.

“No,” he said. “I’ll do it. I don’t want you hurt.” The man stepped forward and got hold of Jake by his ragged collar. The dog struggled and howled but the man held on real tight. The girl stood watching biting nervously on her finger nails.

“Try to hold on to that collar for a bit longer, Farmer Pollard’s coming,” said the woman. Farmer Pollard sure looked mad as he took Jake the Border Collie from the man. He had a long length of rope with him that he tied in a good old knot around the struggling dog’s neck. “You’re grounded,” he said as he dragged him down the road and back to Pollard Place.

The girl rushed to Smartie and picked her up cradling her like a baby. Blood ran in a sluggish stream from Smartie’s leg, soaking into the girl’s pretty top and the waistband of her trousers. “We’ll have to get Smartie to the vet really quickly,” said the woman.

“Yes,” said the man. “I’ll go and get the car keys …”

Farmer Jones walked towards them. “I knew this would happen,” he said. “It was just a matter of time before that dog attacked Smartie again.”

The man nodded. “I know, Alison and Les did warn us … but Smartie ran out of the gate before we could stop her …we were playing hide-and-seek …”

“Oh, wasn’t your fault, just bound to happen. Here, I’ll take you to the vet, save you going in and getting your keys.” He pointed across the village green. “I live just there.”

“Oh you’re so kind,” said the woman. They all hurried to the Jones place, Smartie whimpering and moaning in the girl’s arms.

Spots of rain began to fall as I went into the garden of Fairview Cottage. I noticed that the man, the woman and the girl had left the back door open and there was a pink blanket laid on the grass which was sure gonna get wet. The rain started to get heavier soaking into the parched grass in long silver rods. I peeked in at the back door and slid silently into the kitchen.

With a start I saw what I thought was a cat basket on the floor shaking and quivering like it was alive. I looked in and there was Babs, well I assumed it was Gracie’s ma, sound asleep, her tiny chest rising and falling like bellows, with the four kittens tumbling all over her like a moving furry blanket. I pushed at the basket with my nose but Babs didn’t wake up and the kittens just squeaked and mewed. I stayed and stared a while. They sure were cute. There was no sign of Rolo and Barbie.

I set off at a run to the willow tree. The rain teeming down now and the wind howling like ghosts in the air. There was no sign of Maisie Moo and Melissa in the fields, and not even the sheep, Ivy and Ingrid grazing greedily. I arrived way out of breath, soaked through and cold right to my bones. Jasmine dried me off straight away with large willow tree leaves. Rain water puddled on the floor around my paws and the wind raged, angry and tormented, outside.

“You okay there Teddy my man?” asked Kit Kat.

“Yeah, sure am … now … just seen Smartie fighting with Jake the border collie and the kittens have been born … four of them …”

“Fighting?” exclaimed Clyde.

“The man saved her. He sure is a hero …”

“What happened?” asked Jasmine. “Tell us the whole tale Teddy … here.” She handed me a few droolies. I tried to resist but, hey man, I was cold and wet and I needed something.” I munched on the droolies as I told them the story of Smartie and Jake and the man’s bravery. They also asked about Gracie’s ma and the kittens and I told them the whole story.

“Wow, the man, the woman and the girl sure sound like good pets to me,” said Kit Kat.

“They sure do,” agreed Clyde. “Where’s Gracie, Teddy?”

“She went to see Lucky, the black and white that lives in Fairview Cottage, and …” I hesitated, not sure how to tell them about Gracie and the droolies.

“What is it Teddy man?” asked Clyde.

“Well Gracie’s not well … she looked terrible when I saw her last night. She says it’s the droolies … that she’s addicted … and needs to go see someone …”

“Gracie not looking well?” said Jasmine sarcastically. “Well, waddya know!”

“Now, now Jasmine … there’s no need for that,” said Clyde. Jasmine made an ugly face behind Clyde’s back. I didn’t think that Jasmine could ever look ugly but she sure did ... and mad too! Clyde turned to Teddy. “Yeah, I can understand that, they can be addictive. I’ve heard of a Farmer Jack … but not sure where he is … “

“I think I need help too,” I said. “Hey, did you find out who blabbed?”

“Ah … yeah,” said Clyde. He looked at Jasmine. “She was right …” Jasmine smiled and preened a little. “It was Dark Daniel, with a little help from Mickey. Moss and Mitch couldn’t believe it! I told the two of them to get out and go make a new home somewhere else.”

“They was real upset,” said Kit Kat.

“Wow, so you were right Jasmine. Dark Daniel and Mickey? Wow.”

“Yeah,” said Kit Kat. “He just showed the biscuits to his pet, Farmer Timmins. Farmer Timmins saw how cats go crazy for them … and …”

Jasmine cut in. “He thought to himself; hey I can make my fortune here! I knew it was Dark Daniel … I knew because he was brought up feral …”

“That’s stupid,” I said. “It don’t mean nothin … Gracie was brought up …” As soon as the words were almost out of my mouth, I knew I’d made a mistake.

“Oh yeah,” said Jasmine. “Gracie was brought up … what?”

“Nothin,” I said. “I didn’t say nothin …”

“Gracie brought up feral?” she persisted.

I looked Jasmine straight in the eye. “No, I wasn’t gonna say that!”

Clyde butted in. “Gracie brought up feral? He screwed up his furry face. No way. Gracie’s a lady! Leave him alone Jazzy honey … anyway, what about Mickey, why’d he do it, he brought up feral too?”

“I don’t know about Mickey,” she said nastily. “I can usually tell though. I’ll ask Gracie myself.”

There was a tense silence which I broke by saying, “Hey … why is Dark Daniel called that, he’s white as snow … not a dark bit on him!”

They all burst out laughing. “That’s the whole idea Teddy boy,” crowed Clyde. “He ain’t dark!!!”

“Hey it’s stopped raining,” said Kit Kat, as he peeped out of the willow tree curtain. “I might go out hunting or maybe just strolling.”

“Yeah me too,” said Clyde.

“I’ll stay here,” I told them. “I’m waiting for Gracie. I’m hoping she’ll come here when she’s spoken to Lucky.”

Just as Clyde and Kit Kat were about to go hunting, Mitch, Moss, Ruby and Lola arrived home.

“Hey, there’s some strange stuff going on out there today,” said Moss.

“Yeah,” said Lola. “We heard some strange yippings and yowlings and growlings and real loud barking.”

“Hmm,” said Clyde. “Sounds to me like a dog’s SOS call.”

“Wow,” I said. “I wonder what’s happened. Let’s go have a look.”

We all moved outside and stood along by the river bank. It was a real nice afternoon. The rain had disappeared and the raging wind earlier had blown away the swollen black clouds so the sun could shine hot and heavy in a clear pale blue sky. Very faintly in the distance we could hear loud manic barking, then yip yip yip, yow, yow, yow … Yip, yip, yip, yow, yow, yow! What was going on?

Before we knew what was happening; a group of dogs came tearing along the river bank. Three little dogs that looked just like Smartie led the way yapping real loud, followed by a great lolloping woolly creature with piercing blue eyes and then another smaller dog with long floppy ears just like one of those bunnies that are always running away from me. Lumbering along behind them was a dark dog and a light dog and bringing up the rear a little white fluffy thing, its’ tiny legs whirring round and round in a blur.

“Hey,” I said, looking real close at the dogs. “There’s Rolo and Barbie …”

“The dark dog and the light dog?” asked Kit Kat.

I nodded. “Yeah!”

“What they doing out on their own?”

“Yeah, thought they was with the man, the woman and the girl,” exclaimed Clyde.

“Well, they should be,” I said. “But don’t forget, the man, the woman and the girl were taking Smartie to the vet last time I saw them …”

Gradually, the dogs disappeared, their yipping and yapping growing fainter and fainter and the poor little white one still bringing up the rear and rushed off her feet trying to catch up. “Wow,” said Moss. “If them dogs are out for a walk, why don’t they walk and not be in such a hurry?”

We all stared at Moss, Clyde shaking his head. “No wonder you called Moss …you be acting kinda green man …” Hey; that did give me a fit of the giggles.

“Hey … what,” asked Moss. “What you laughing at man? …”

We all stood together meowing and mewing with laughter when Gracie and Lucky arrived.

“Hey,” said Gracie. “Teddy, we got advice from Ned, Naylor and Nigel about the droolies. I gotta go see Farmer Jack who lives way out yonder … he does cold cat. Will you come with me?”

“Yeah, sure I will, Gracie.”

“This here’s Lucky,” she said to everybody. “She’s going with me to Farmer Jack’s for moral support …”

They all high fived and welcomed Lucky to the willow tree. Ruby came forward and said quietly. “That’s where I went … Farmer Jack’s. I had a problem too and he cured me …he’s real good …” She touched Gracie’s nose with her own. “Good luck Gracie … and you too Teddy …”

“I knew it was a Farmer Jack,” said Clyde. “Just wasn’t sure where he was … them horses sure are clever …” Everybody murmured agreement and Gracie said, “Yeah, I don’t know what we’d do without them.”

“Just seen Rolo and Barbie,” I told Gracie and Lucky. “Running along the river bank with a band of dogs …”

“Rolo and Barbie with a band of dogs?” exclaimed Lucky. “That’s so weird … they never go out without their pets or the man, the woman and the girl.”

Gracie joined in. “Dogs just don’t do that … they’re not like us … they can’t go out on their own!”

“Well, it was definitely Rolo and Barbie …” I said. “Anyway, we’d better go Gracie …”

“Oh before you go, Gracie.” Jasmine walked towards Gracie. Her green eyes sure looked hard. “I got something to ask you …”

“No, not now, Jasmine.” Clyde put one of his great paws on her furry shoulder. “Another time … yeah …”

Jasmine hesitated slightly then smirked, “Yeah … okay … another time.”

“I need to get better before I can answer any questions from you, Jasmine,” meowed Gracie. “That,” I thought. “Was sure the cleverest answer I’d ever heard.”

We ducked under the long over hanging branches of the willow tree. I looked back at our friends, Clyde, Kit Kat, Moss, Mitch, Jasmine, Lola and Ruby all standing there in the hazy sunshine waving their paws and wishing us luck and, man, I sure had tears in my eyes.

“Come on you two,” meowed Lucky. “Let’s go see Farmer Jack …”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Gracie, Lucky and I set off on what was to be a long trek across country; up hills, down dales, through streams, down windy country lanes, across fields and through shady woods and beyond. It was hot again. The sun blazed down from a transparent sky that arched above us like the ceiling in a church. There was no wind, not even a breeze. My long black fur felt itchy and alive, like a swarm of ants was nesting in there. Gracie and Lucky said they felt the same. We passed the rutted field where Maisie Moo and Melissa stood, Gabriel and Zane feeding greedily from their great swollen teats, and Ivy and Ingrid baaing and bleating as we padded by. We raised our paws in a salute but kept right on going.

We rested for a while by a tiny stream that wound its way sluggishly in amongst the wilted fields. We sure were thirsty so had a good long drink of the cool, clear water, before collapsing, exhausted, on the baking ground.

“What was Jasmine going to ask me, Teddy?” asked Gracie.

“Well …” I said, not wanting to tell her that I’d more or less let her secret come hopping right out that sealed up bag.

“It’s not really anything to do with me,” said Lucky. “But you should be straight with Gracie, Teddy …”

“Yeah, I know,” I said. “Well, this is what happened. Jasmine was going on about her knowing that Dark Daniel was the one that blabbed about the droolies, because he was born feral. I got mad and said that was rubbish because Gracie was … I didn’t say no more. Stopped myself just in time … but she heard and kept on asking and asking … I never told her nothin else … she can be a bit malicious at times can Jasmine …”

I took a deep breath. I felt a bit shaky and wired … like I did when I took the droolies. Gracie didn’t say a word so I looked at her long and hard. “Don’t be mad at me Gracie. I didn’t mean to say it, just came out, that’s all …”

Gracie looked right at me with her luminous blue eyes. “I’m not mad Teddy, well, not with you. I know you didn’t mean no harm. Jasmine’s had it in for me from day one. That’s why she kept making sure I had plenty of droolies. She knew what could happen and that I might need to go see Farmer Jack. She did the same to Ruby. I didn’t know that right away …”

“Huh,” said Lucky. “Jasmine sounds like somebody we don’t want as a friend …”

“We sure don’t,” I replied. “But … well, it’s kinda awkward cos she’s with Clyde and he’s a good friend of mine …”

“Yeah, I can see that,” mewed Gracie. “But anyway, I know what I’m gonna say when she asks me …”

“What you gonna say?” Lucky and I asked in unison.

“I’m gonna say that, yeah, I was brought up feral and I’m proud of it. I love my ma and my new born half sisters and brother. I also loved my sister Tricky and my brother, Lucas, although they’re both gone now … cos my brother Lucas, well, he died too …” She grinned wickedly. “And then I’m gonna ask her what her story is … see what she says to that …”

Lucky and I couldn’t help ourselves; we high fived and danced a little jig.

“Do you know something Gracie? You said ma and not mother.”

“Yeah,” she replied. “I kinda like ma now …”

“I think you need to tell Babs that when we get back.”

The sun was setting when we arrived at Farmer Jack’s and the house was lit up real pretty in its crimson hue. It was a big imposing house with a massive shiny green painted door set with a brass knocker in the shape of a cat and surrounded by tall leafy trees and sweet smelling bushes. We eased open green painted curly gates and walked through into a paved courtyard set with outbuildings housing sheep and cows. We could sure hear a lot of loud mooing and baaing as we walked past them.

“Hey, are you okay? How can I help? My name’s Barney.” A large black and white border collie walked towards us holding out a friendly paw. “Are you all three here for treatment?”

“No, just these two,” said Lucky, pointing to Gracie and Teddy.

“Okay,” said Barney. “Follow me Gracie and Teddy; I’ll take you to see Farmer Jack. Now you, Lucky, can spend the night in here.” He ushered her into one of the outbuildings. “This is one of our best rooms, en-suite with complimentary water and treats, obviously not droolies.” Barney grinned as Lucky peered hesitantly around the door.

Farmer Jack sure looked pleased to see us. He picked us up in his wiry arms and gave us a good old hug and when he smiled, nice creases formed around his twinkly blue eyes. He wore a hat pushed rakishly to the back of his head, showing a smidgen of springy grey hair, and a worn old pair of trousers and a waistcoat coated in all the cat hairs in the world. He spoke kindly as he stroked us and petted us. “Well, hello there Gracie and Teddy. Now don’t look so scared. You’ve come to the right place. When you leave here in a couple of days, you won’t want to look at a droolie again, let alone eat one!”

He sat with us for quite a while stroking and petting, til we fell soft and quiet, then finally, he stood up and said so quietly, it was almost to himself, “Come on, let’s go cold cat.” He carried us to another outbuilding and from the noises we heard could tell it was full of mewing and mewling cats.

He laid us together in a comfortable pen, made cosy with a deep bed of straw, and put his hands softly, just barely touching, on our heads, on our backs and on our stomachs. He fondled our ears and caressed our whiskers. “Go to sleep there Teddy, and you Gracie … go to sleep. Sleep deep, sleep tight, sleep long, sleep with all your might. When you awake, droolies you won’t take, you won’t like the taste; you’ll back off in haste. Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep.”

My eyelids drooped and I sure wished I had tooth picks to prop them up or maybe the tiny bones of a small bird, but I didn’t and I was dozing and floating and my eyelids fell and there was nothin I could do about it. Farmer Jacks voice was smooth and silky like Gracie’s long fur and I was with Gracie and we was running and running and running and the ground was soft beneath our paws. Maisie Moo and Melissa was there and the two little calves, Gabriel and Zane, their eyes big and liquid in their cute little faces. Then I saw our horses, all three of them, neighing and snorting and pawing at the earth, their great teeth glinting in the sunshine. Ivy and Ingrid bleated at me, “Hey Teddy, how are you today?” “Good,” I said. “I’m good, I’m good, I’m good.”

Rolo barked and barked and Barbie glared and ordered him to stop. Smartie squealed in pain and her tongue came out long and pink and licked the great red gash on her leg while the girl stood by, her hands over her face, crying and crying and crying. The man grabbed hold of Jake the border collie with great blue hands that looked swollen and hard. Jake bit the man on the neck and he screamed and the woman wrung her hands and the four kittens walked up the woman’s leg like it was a ladder and laid themselves around her neck like a multi-colored furry scarf. The woman laughed and put on trainers that flashed bright green and went sprinting along the dusty country lanes, her hair flying out behind her like a fluttering banner.

All the dogs ran along the river bank, the little white fluffy one bringing up the rear, then they sprouted wings, great silver wings, and they flew higher and higher and higher, over the tree tops and up into the sky, into the great big wide blue sky where the sun shone like a great golden ball and floating on a creamy cloud there was Clyde and Jasmine and Kit Kat and all the cats from the willow tree, even Dark Daniel, Mickey and Harrison with his beaded whiskers, and they was angels in cat Heaven!

I awoke, my eyelids fluttered, then closed, I still needed toothpicks or the tiny bones of a small bird to keep them open. I tried again, they fluttered again, then they opened, and they stayed open. I looked to the left, just a bed of straw squashed and flattened, I looked to the right, and there was Gracie. I gazed into her lustrous blue eyes and she gazed into mine. “Hey Teddy,” she said. “Hey Gracie,” I said. We high fived and rubbed noses and then smiled because we knew we’d won.

“Wow,” I said to her. “I had some weird dreams!”

“Me too,” she said. “I dreamed I was flying and I went to Heaven too.”

“I saw all the cats from the willow tree in Heaven … even Dark Daniel and Mickey and the cat, Harrison, with the beaded whiskers … remember him?”

“Yeah, sure I do …”

“Well, well, you’re both awake at last.” Farmer Jack leant casually on our pen, his kindly eyes smiling down at us like two blue pools. “You both feeling good now?”

“Meow, meow,” we replied meaning “Yes, we feel good.”

“Yep, I knew you’d soon be feeling good. Next time you see a droolie, you just won’t want it. You won’t like the smell and you won’t like the taste. If your pet offers you a droolie, you just say no!”

“Meow,” said Gracie.

“Meow,” I said.

“There’s some friends waiting outside for you, but there’s no rush. Both of you, take your time, have a stretch and a chat,” He spread his arms wide gesturing at all the cats around us either lazing or chatting in their pens. “Your friends are okay waiting … they’re relaxing in the sunshine, and having a snack before the journey back.”

Gracie and I stood and stretched and had a good look around. There must have been more than a hundred cats in that outhouse, all in comfortable pens bedded down with straw.

“Hey,” I said to the massive ginger striped cat in the pen next to us. “I’m Teddy and this here’s Gracie …”

“Hi, I’m Logan …” He stretched out a very large ginger paw. I noticed that his whiskers curled right up at the ends like they’d been waxed. “You two feeling better now? I suppose it was the droolies same as it always is?”

“Yeah, the droolies,” I told him.

He pointed to a skinny Siamese with different colored eyes, one blue and one grey. “That’s Celia. This is the third time she’s been in here!”

“The third time? But Farmer Jack says that all cats get better after one treatment for droolies.”

“Oh yeah, she got better alright after the treatment for droolies, but had to come back cos of addiction to other things … something called Mowsers … not sure what else … “

“Mowsers? Ain’t never heard of them …”

“Well, from what I heard they’re worse even than droolies … don’t go near them … no mowsers, no more, hahaha!”

Farmer Jack came in carrying bowls of food and water. That sure set everybody off, I ain’t never heard so many cats yowling and meowing and mewing all at the same time. Gracie frowned and put her paws over her ears. “Hey, you all just come on over and help yourselves here …” shouted Farmer Jack and we all went running.

Gracie got talking to an attractive blonde Persian with a chubby face and light blue eyes. She wore a red sparkly collar which was real nice but maybe not in the same league as mine. “Hey”, she said to Gracie. “Are you an indoor cat?” Gracie sure looked the part and said, “Why no, nothing beats a real good stroll in the sunshine … and I like to hunt …” The Persian looked kinda scared and wandered off without a word. Sure made me meow with delight.

After we’d eaten Farmer Jack came looking for us. “Your friends are ready to go now, Teddy and Gracie. I think you should go back home with them …” He hugged us both real tight to his chest; then said, “I’ll go get them for you.”

I had the feeling it might be Clyde and Kit Kat, maybe Jasmine too, so was real surprised when Farmer Jack led Rolo and Barbie, the two ginger cats Aunty Beryl and Cousin Scully and , of course, Lucky into the outhouse.

“Wow,” exclaimed Gracie, running over to them. “This is sure good of you to come meet us like this.”

“Oh you do look better Gracie dear,” said Aunty Beryl. “Babs has been so worried about you … “

“I’m fine now,” said Gracie, strutting around like a catwalk model (I really couldn’t resist that). “We just can’t wait to get home, can we Teddy?”

“It sure will be good to get back,” I said.

“Oh,” said Gracie. “Rolo, Barbie, this is Teddy …”

“Pleased to meet you,” they woofed. I gave them a high five but they just sat there, tongues lolling from their mouths, looking at me as if I’d lost my mind!

Farmer Jack and Barney waved to us as we set off once again on the long arduous journey back to Fairview Cottage and the Jones Place too. “You have a good journey there won’t you,” said Farmer Jack and Barney gave a salute, his paw to his forehead. It was another beautiful warm day with a gentle breeze that ruffled my fur as we padded along. It was good to feel the grass so soft beneath my paws and to know that Gracie and I were cured now and wouldn’t want droolies ever again.

We didn’t talk much on the way home. Nobody asked any questions. Nobody asked about our treatment or what had happened to us. We just travelled on and on, stopping to rest under broad shady trees and lapping water from cool silver streams. If Scully’s or Lucky’s legs tired, they hitched a ride on Rolo’s or Barbie’s back, clinging on tightly with their paws as we plodded along. We passed by the rutted field but there was no sign of Maisie Moo and Melissa and the two little calves, even Ivy and Ingrid had gone inside for the day. There was just Rory, the great black bull, standing like a huge silhouette against the darkening sky.

The sun was sinking fast like a stone into water, spreading crimson all over the sky, when we finally came to the fields where our horses hang out. All three were grazing, their necks long and their jaws going round and round in circles. They neighed and snorted, and pawed at the dry ground when they saw us but we just kept on going until Fairview Cottage came into view.

It sure looked cosy and welcoming, lights shining at the windows, as we came nearer and nearer. We walked through the ménage and into the back garden where the girl was kneeling down under the old apple tree picking up Babs and the kittens in the round cat basket.

“They’re back,” she shouted. “With an extra cat, a black fluffy one …”

The woman came out into the garden, her hands to her face. “Oh where have you been?” she exclaimed. “I’ve been so worried about you all …” Tears ran in little trails down her cheeks and her chin. The man stroked her hair. “Don’t get upset, they’re all home now and an extra cat as well.”

Gracie followed the girl, trying to get a peek at Babs and the kittens in the round cat basket. “I’m going to see my ma …” she told me.

I felt tired now after the long journey, so headed for home, padding across the village green and into the yard of the Jones place. Marigold and Chloe were picking and pecking around and sure squawked when they saw me. “Hey, don’t worry,” I said. “I ain’t gonna eat you … I’m almost your brother …”

Farmer Jones was busy sweeping the yard with a big old scratchy broom. “Hey Teddy boy, you’ve been gone a long time. Where you been?”

“Meow,” I said, meaning, “To see Farmer Jack …

“Here,” he said, pulling a brightly colored packet from his pocket. “Your evening droolies …” He sprinkled a few on the dusty ground.

“Meow, Meow” I said, meaning, “No thanks. I sure don’t like droolies.”

I started to pad away. “Hey, where you goin, don’t you want your droolies? …”

“Meowwww,” I said, meaning, “NO.!

Farmer Jones shook his head, put the brightly colored packet back into his pocket and went inside leaving the droolies just where he’d sprinkled them. He muttered to himself. “I’ll leave them there, he’s bound to change his mind and come back later for a little snack.”

I stretched, had a good old sniff of the dusty earth, then settled down for a nap beneath the old drooping lilac tree, watching idly as Marigold and Chloe strutting about the dusty yard on their skinny clawed feet, savagely thrust at the ground with their tiny beaks until all the droolies was gone!

THE END