This is a story for Subscribers, the story of a rather wild Scottish cat, who heard the call of the great Storm Cat as he left this world for new adventures
It was almost Christmas and folks were planning to begin cooking all manner of fish pies (and whatever else you cook with fish, I don’t know I’m a veggie), but the skies darkened as a great storm began to roar, which made it way too dangerous to go out to sea.
Mowzer was a clever cat and decided it was best to stay indoors when the storm cat growled. But as the storm roared the people couldn’t get their boats out to sea and soon they had eaten all their vegetables from their storm ravaged gardens and had nothing left.
Tom and Mouwzer decide to go fishing and face the great storm cat, but as they leave the small gap in the harbour wall Mowzer feels sorry for the great storm cat as it doesn’t have a warm range to sit by nor anyone to pour it cream, and so she begins to sing.
Short story shorter - as Tom draws in the fishing nets, Mouzer realises that while the great Storm Cat has been gently playing with them, she won’t let them return home - as so she begins to purr, louder and louder and the storm cat bends a head down to hear the purring. With the storm cat entranced Tom steers that boat home and back into the harbour.
While that’s Mouzels story, there is another cat story I want to tell. This cat is called Jude, and Jude was a rather wild Scottish cat. When he was wee he somehow got stuck under floorboards for two whole weeks. Jude ended up in a cat and dog home, and got rescued by some nice people. In his youth he’d head out prowling most nights, and liked nothing better than a good fight. He was most satisfied when he’d come home in the early hours, looking a little worse for wear, and perhaps a scratch or two on his nose, and a cut on his ear.
But by the time Jude got to about 18, 19 he was a very old man. He spend a whole year and a half thoroughly enjoying being old. He’d no longer lacerate your hand if you tried to scratch him behind the ear, and he began to even enjoy it. He took lots of naps, would eat just a little bit of the smorgasbord of cat food and treats that his human left out for him, and then if the weather was right he amble into the garden and sit in the sun.
Two nights ago we had a big storm, the storm cat had come to visit. It lashed at the land and towns with great clawed paws, crashing down trees, and overhead wires. This was the night that Jude heard the call of the great storm cat, but his story wasn’t like Mowzers, to tame the storm cat, Jude’s story was to join the storm cat. And so that night it was time for Jude to leave the kind people, and his wee old body, and journey on to travel with the storm cat.
When next storm comes around, I’ll watch the skies for a great black paw with a little white, and know he’s out there, playing with the storm cat.
Goodnight old man.