Cat Tails
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You can read a synopsis and a sample from this book in the following sections...
Hardback:
Paperback:
eBook:
978-1-915081-30-8
978-1-915081-31-5
978-1-915081-29-2
Story:
Cat Tails
synopsis
This volume, Cat Tails, collects a host of stories from around the world that feature our feline friends. It seems to me that cats hold a special place in folk tales, fairy tales, myths, and legends across various cultures.
Cats are, for example, often depicted as mysterious creatures, with their nocturnal habits and solitary nature adding an air of intrigue. This mystery makes them captivating figures in storytelling.
In many cultures, cats are associated with knowledge, secrets, and the supernatural. They are sometimes depicted as guardians of hidden realms or keepers of ancient wisdom.
Cats are also known for their independence and self-reliance, which can symbolize traits such as cunning, resourcefulness, and freedom. This makes them popular characters in stories where independence and cleverness are valued.
One of the more obvious cat themes is their long association with magic and witchcraft due to their enigmatic behaviour and their historical role in hunting pests like mice and rats, which were seen as carriers of disease and associated with the occult. In many tales, they are depicted as companions to witches or possessing supernatural abilities themselves. In European folklore in particular, cats are often portrayed as familiars, magical animals that assist witches or sorcerers in their spells and rituals. This further strengthens their association with the mystical and the otherworldly.
Cats' ability to adapt to various environments and their prowess as hunters contribute to their symbolic significance in stories as symbols of survival and resilience.
And let’s not forget that cats have been revered and even worshipped in certain cultures throughout history, such as ancient Egypt, where they were associated with the goddess Bastet. This cultural significance has definitely contributed to their prominence in mythology and folklore.
Overall, the multifaceted nature of cats, from their mysterious behaviours to their historical roles, makes them rich and versatile characters in folk tales, fairy tales, myths, and legends around the world.
A Sample...
The Fox And The Cat
In a certain forest there once lived a fox, and near to the fox lived a man who had a cat that had been a good mouser in its youth, but was now old and half blind. The man didn't want puss any longer, but not liking to kill it, took it out into the forest and lost it there.
Then the fox came up and said, "Why, Mr Shaggy Matthew! How do you do! What brings you here?"
"Alas!" said Pussy, "my master loved me as long as I could bite, but now that I can bite no longer and have left off catching mice - and I used to catch them finely once - he doesn't want to kill me, but he has left me in the wood where I must perish miserably."
"No, dear Pussy!" said the fox. "You leave it to me, and I'll help you to get your daily bread."
"You are very good, dear little sister foxy!" said the cat, and the fox built him a little shed with a garden round it to walk about in.
Now one day the hare came to steal the man's cabbage. "Kreem-kreem-kreem!" he squeaked. But the cat popped his head out of the window, and when he saw the hare, he put up his back and stuck up his tail and said, "Ft-t-t-t-t-Frrrrrrr!" The hare was frightened and ran away and told the bear, the wolf, and the wild boar all about it.
"Never mind," said the bear, "I tell you what, we'll all four give a banquet, and invite the fox and the cat, and do for the pair of them. Now, look here! I'll steal the man's mead, and you, Mr Wolf, steal his fat-pot, and you, Mr Wildboar, root up his fruit-trees, and you, Mr Bunny, go and invite the fox and the cat to dinner."
So they made everything ready as the bear had said, and the hare ran off to invite the guests. He came beneath the window and said, "We invite your little ladyship Foxey-Woxey, together with Mr Shaggy Matthew, to dinner" Then he ran back again...
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