My girl is still working on the Writing Outtakes series. I don’t know how she manages to keep on going, but I suppose she hasn’t run out of ideas. And I know how inspiring we cats can be to someone like her.
Day 2 of the creativity residency. Marmalade has trouble with puppy Snow and tries to tell his boy Matteo who is distracted by Ali.
*Please note: The Viscount is played by a different doll even though his voice and clothes are the same.
If you like this video, feel free to subscribe to my girl’s YouTube channel to get updates for upcoming episodes. For more information check out: https://alinoelvyain.wordpress.com
My girl has been busy learning how to do short films. This is the result. The first episode of her series entitled Writing Outtakes. It features one of her books per episode and of course several cats. Oh, and it includes herself and a friend of hers and a few others who show up from time to time. I know I’m excited to see how it will turn out. I do know that I will appear in the series at least once. Perhaps more.
Details on the first episode:
How Ali & her four cats get to Fairy Tale Heights.
I’ve always been a loner. When I was young I spent hours playing by myself, and would find my own secret hiding places where I could stay undercover and eavesdrop on my big brother and two little sisters. I liked that they didn’t know me very well but I knew their secrets. You could say I was an introvert, because I spent most of my time observing the world while my brother and sisters spent their time rough-housing. I would sit and think about philosophy and science while my brother would tease us and pick fights all the time. Sometimes the three of us girls would band together to fight back, but he was the biggest and the oldest and before long we decided it wasn’t worth it.
We didn’t have a role model growing up. Our mother wasn’t around much, and we didn’t know our father because he was never home. Some would say that’s sad, but to us it seemed normal. We were just four siblings trying to get by, and we did pretty well on our own, considering.
My big brother was the head of our family. He was strong and athletic, and despite his meanness, my sisters and I looked up to him. As for me, I could run fast and jump like most kids, but I didn’t have much athletic prowess. Still, I admired those who did. My favorite shows to watch on television were sports programs, especially the kind that involved running and jumping. I was always curious about what those track and field stars were thinking about as they sat motionless on the field waiting their turn to sprint and jump as far and as high as they could.
One Saturday I was lying on the sofa watching the Olympics channel and an athlete was being interviewed. He said, “The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself—the invisible, inevitable battle inside all of us—that’s where it’s at.” I’ve never forgotten those words, and if you asked me to describe myself today I’d say I’m a deep thinker. A philosopher of sorts. I have dreams that one day I’ll have a big impact on the world.
As I think about it, I lied before. My favorite thing to watch on television isn’t sports. What I really love more than anything is nature programming. Turn on any channel that shows movies and other stuff about the natural world, and you’ve got my attention. Birds. My all-time favorite film is March of the Penguins. I watch it over and over. I’m fascinated by birds, especially ones that can’t fly.
There’s a show on PBS called Nature that’s fantastic too. They do specials on plants, animals, birds, insects…you name it. I saw an episode recently that was all about butterflies. They showed striped caterpillars that spin themselves into a cocoon that’s called a chrysalis. It’s part of a process called metamorphosis. The caterpillars hang upside down from the bottom of a leaf for a week or two inside their chrysalis, and then just like a miracle, they emerge as a monarch butterfly. One of the most beautiful and thrilling experiences is watching these fancy creatures flit and fly about on their newly acquired orange and black wings.
I’ve never been lucky enough to see a monarch butterfly in person, but I hope to one day. I imagine chasing her around the back yard and wishing that I had wings of my own. If I did I’d be an owl. There’s an owl that lives somewhere in the trees behind my house. When I’m awake at night I can hear him who-whooing somewhere far off. Owls are really good hunters, and they do it mostly at night. They silently swoop down on mice and snitch them before they know what hit. Deep down I’m jealous of owls.
I love science too. You might even say I’m a bit of a science geek. My brother teased me about that more than anything, because he said a girl can’t be a scientist. That really made me mad and I decided I’ll show him, so I started studying up. The monarch butterfly is known by scientists as Danaus plexippus, which in Greek literally means “sleepy transformation.” I love, love, love that concept. Franz Kafka wrote a story about it. About going to sleep and then waking up to find oneself transformed into a totally different creature.
I imagine one day taking my afternoon catnap and then waking up to find that my fur is gone, I walk upright on two legs, and call myself Homo sapiens. At long last I’ll be ready to set into motion my secret aspiration to take over the world.
Have you ever met anyone who is completely nondescript? You have now! I want to introduce you to Sheila. Sheila lives a completely boring life in a small village, twenty miles east of the outskirts of London. She has lived in this village, called Upper Rayford, for all of the 56 years of her life.
There is nothing I can tell you about Sheila that would interest you. She is pale, with fluffy, medium-long, gray hair. She has a few freckles on her face. She is of a medium height, and wears gray, longish skirts, with gray cardigans over crumpled grayish white cotton blouses. She also wears gray socks with worn blackish gray shoes. Sheila has no family or friends. She is on a fixed income, and has very few pleasures. That’s Sheila!
Sheila has something very special in her life, though, and that is Hector, The Cat! Hector is the opposite of Sheila. He is the most beautiful ginger (orange) tabby cat you could ever hope to see. He is growing into approximately 20 pounds in weight, and it is all muscle. He has a broad face and amazingly long whiskers. Of course, Hector has the classic “M” sign on his forehead.
Everything about Hector is perfect. Many times when Sheila and Hector are in the garden together, and people walk by, they see only Hector, and speak only to Hector. Sheila does not mind, though, because she sees and speaks only to Hector as well.
As I mentioned, Hector has a different life to Sheila. So far, he has lived ten lives, and he is still counting. He has lived the life of an Aztecan, a Buddhist monk, a Japanese Samurai, and an Indian rajah. He has traveled to some of the most interesting countries of the world. This story is about one of the ten lives of Hector, The Cat!
Hector’s life began inauspiciously. He can only vaguely remember now the warmth of his mother. Something terrible had happened to her, and he could not bear to think about it. He agreed for Sheila to take him into her home because she had lovely warm hands, and stroked him in such a beautifully kind way. Although Sheila tended to appear to be relatively nondescript, she had a warm and generous heart, and loved cats more than her own life.
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Before I begin to tell you about Hector’s first life, he would want me to mention his very close cat friends. He found them when exploring the neighborhood one day, after he had grown into a confident and friendly young cat. There were three of them, and he spent quite a good deal of time making friends with them because as all cats know, and some humans know, cats tend to be very selective about who they choose as their friends and family.
The names of Hector’s very close cat friends are Doogy, Sammi, and Charlie. Hector remembers quite clearly, many years ago, when he first met Doogy. Doogy was a true beauty! She had long, luxurious fur, and perfect black and white markings. It was love at first sight for Hector! Doogy, though, was somewhat timid at first, and ran away from the window every time he went towards her. Over time, he broke down her reserve, and she began to trust him.
As for Sammi, she was three times the size of petite Doogy. She was completely black, with dense fur, and the brightest green eyes he had ever seen. She was more of a queen of cats than a princess like Doogy. From time to time, Hector would meet with his girlfriends, and he would tell stories about his exploits. It was difficult to tell these two friends stories, though, because Doogy was impressed by daring and adventure, but Sammi was impressed by achievements.
Similar to Queen Elizabeth I, Sammi wanted Hector to not only explore and have adventures, but also, to return and bring riches for her to enjoy. She especially liked the spicy tuna dishes he had returned from India with. (Of course, it was Hector’s secret that this food actually came from the Indian restaurant in their village, called, “The Magical Sambar.” In this restaurant, he had made friends with one of the waiters who would regularly save spicy dishes for him. He loved Indian food!)
Hector’s third friend was Charlie. They met almost by accident as Charlie was making his rounds one day through the village alleyways. The beautiful thing about Charlie was that he did not have an aggressive bone in his body. He was built like a giant—much larger than Hector—with lots of white and sandy-colored fluffy fur. He was a peaceful soul, though, and liked nothing better than spending the day with friends in the sun. Hector had taken Charlie on a few voyages, but Charlie only wanted to make friends with others and lie in the sun with them. Hector sometimes found this quite aggravating, but, because Hector had such a generous nature, he accepted Charlie as he was and loved him for it.
So, this was Hector’s group: Doogy, Sammi, and Charlie. Hector knew many other cats, as he did dogs, and other animals, and even humans, and some of these were very important to him. His nature was such that he enjoyed meeting and learning from others. This special group of friends, though, comprised his family, together with Sheila, although there was a major difference, between his friends and Sheila. He could trust his friends with the knowledge of his adventures, but he did not feel he could trust Sheila. She was not a particularly imaginative human being, and preferred him to be a more traditional type of cat. He would not want to upset her in any way by something so different as being a time-traveling cat!
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Artwork by Kayla Phan.
When Hector began his travels, he would always share his experiences with Sammi and Doogy. It was quite miraculous really for Hector to have found a magical way to travel from his home with Sheila. Sheila had a very large dictionary which she left open on her desk. This desk sometimes (as much as is possible in England, given that it rains often) was flooded with sun rays and warmth, which came through the window above the desk.
Similar to most cats, Hector loved sunshine, and he loved the warmth it produced. This is how he began his journeys: through a deep sleep, induced by the sunshine and the warmth. He would lie on the large open book, and drift away into a pleasurable world of dreams.
As Hector dreamed in the sunshine, something truly amazing happened—as he often tells me. There would be a word on one of the two pages which would transform his life into something quite beyond belief. I want to give you an example, and this was the first time that Hector time-travelled. One day when Hector was asleep on the dictionary, it was open to the “E” section. One of the words in this section was, “Egypt…….”
As an aside, it just so happens that Hector has a great interest in Egypt. He is not an intellectual and certainly not an academic—like his distant cousin, Professor Topsy Turvey. He had learned a lot from Professor Turvey, though, because she is from Egypt. She is from the ancient Mau tribe of cats that guarded the pyramids. He knew, then, about the cats in ancient Egypt and the pyramids, and the pharaohs. But, he didn’t know much more than this.
Another interesting fact is that Hector traced his roots to ancient Greece. Catistorians had long believed that Hector of Troy was part cat. This was due to the influence of the ancient Egyptian Cat Goddess—Bastet. Cat scholars had worked for many years in their efforts to prove this connection. Everyone knows that Hector was a courageous and virtuous Trojan. His parents reputedly were King Priam and Queen Hecuba. Catistorians, though, believed that his mother was actually Bastet.
The First Life of Hector, The Cat!
Returning to our story, then, Hector’s first experience with time-travelling was to Egypt. As you will remember, this began when Hector fell asleep on the dictionary in Sheila’s study, and as often happens to humans as well when they look in a dictionary, the word, “Egypt,” entered into his mind. For humans, this might lead to discovering more information about Egypt, but for our Hector, he was actually transported to Egypt.
When I asked him if he knew he was traveling to Egypt, he told me that he did not really know about it, or experience it. Cats have a special sense that allows them to travel through space and human time, and they are completely unseen. When they travel in this way, they simply dream the journey, and many time-travelling cats will be seen moving their paws and flicking their tails, plus meowing slightly as they travel. Many times they are interrupted in their journeys because humans wake them up. Fortunately, Sheila was much too respectful of Hector to wake him up. She loved to look in the room, and to see him asleep in the sun on the book. It made her heart feel as warm as toast.
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Imagine Hector, then, swooshing through time and space, making his way to Egypt. This was not intentional in any way. Because he left himself open to travelling anywhere, the page of the dictionary and the entries on it determined his journey. Imagine if we all did this, and were completely spontaneous about our journeys? If you were to be free in this way, where would you go at this very moment?
Artwork by Kayla Phan.
When Hector finally arrived in Egypt, he woke up suddenly in a very warm climate, on a carpet of soft sand. As he came to, he almost immediately became aware of a massive stone structure looming at some distance in front of him. When he saw this, he stood up, and slowly looked at the building, beginning at the bottom and following it all the way to the top. He had never seen such an enormous structure. And, it was very wide at the bottom, tapering to a point at the top.
At first, Hector thought he had found his way to the mythical land of the giants. He was relieved then to see some humans walking about who were of a normal size. He noticed, though, that these humans were wearing different types of clothes than he was used to seeing. Most of the men wore white short skirts tied at the waist, and the women wore dresses made of the same material. Both women and men wore sandals. Some of the people looked important, and had thick black hair, although this hair looked more like a wig. Some people carried goods on top of their heads, and he saw oxen pulling carts. From looking at these people and their activities, there was no doubt in Hector’s mind that he had traveled back in time to another century. He had no idea at this point, though, how far in time he had traveled.
As he looked again at the massive stone structure, he suddenly remembered seeing the picture of a pyramid that his cousin, Professor Turvey, had shown him in England. As he walked around this area, he could see other pyramids in the distance, and something stunning that looked as though it was a giant lion. The face of this massive statue, though, was human. He was seeing the amazing Sphinx! All cats knew about the Sphinx, and could recognize it because it represented the body of a lion—king of all cats. (Castistorians, as well, in the present age, used this statue to help prove the connection between Hector of Troy and the Egyptian cat goddess, Bastet.)
It felt to him like a sacred place. He remembered Professor Turvey telling him about the pyramids, and that they were, in essence, the largest type of graves in the world. Although pyramids were built in other parts of the world, the ones familiar to most of us are those in Egypt. Hector had time-travelled, then, to Egypt. Hector could not have been happier. He was so interested in everything, and to have come to this country with its incredible history and civilization thrilled him. Hector was curious to learn and to know everything about this new world. As we all know, curiosity is something all cats have. It leads them to have wonderful adventures, but can also be risky because they have no fear about the final possible result if one wrong turn is taken.
Artwork by Kayla Phan.
As Hector was looking around, and shading his eyes because the sun was so bright, he did not notice that he had been seen, and that he had been quickly and quietly surrounded by Egyptian cats, carrying bows and arrows. There were probably ten of them looking at him. And, they all looked similar, and that is, a lot like Professor Turvey. As mentioned, she had come from Egypt, and was an Egyptian Mau. They looked like extremely smart tabby cats but with the most erect cat body type he had ever seen. He could see clearly that, although their backs were striped, the other side of their bodies was a golden desert color with beautiful black spots—similar to his cousin but even more dramatic. Their heads were more narrow, and upright, than his own. They looked positively regal!
It was interesting that these cats had such an important role in Egypt. They were obviously guards in this impressive region of pyramids and monuments. Hector knew, though, that these cats had not been given this role; they had taken it. Cats are well-known to be independent and capable of living in the wild. When they live with humans, this is a choice. This has always been true throughout their long history on Earth. They are not like dogs and other animals who have been domesticated by humans.
Here was our Hector, then, surrounded by Mau cat warriors, who were looking at him directly with their bright yellow-green eyes–with interest, but also with daring and courage. They were ready to take the action necessary to protect themselves and the sacred area they guarded. The leader of this group of cats spoke first to Hector, saying, “Who are you and where have you come from? I am the leader of the cats here in this sacred place.”
(Hector was thinking how stately this leader of cats looked, with her perfect posture, and her large, piercing blue eyes. There was a sense about her that she was extremely intelligent. She was taller than the cats she commanded. Her language was precise, and she was obviously well-educated.)
Hector spoke slowly, “My name, is Hector, and I am from England. I am pleased to be here, and to meet you.”
The leader said, “Where is England? We have never heard of that place.”
Hector said, “I want to ask you something first, if you don’t mind. Where am I, and what year is it?”
“You are in Giza in Egypt, and the year is 1469.”
Hector took a moment to think about this, knowing that he was in an ancient place because life was so very different. He looked about him again, glancing at the Sphinx, and at the pyramids close by and in the distance. He recognized them from photographs, but these looked different—they looked almost new, and the Sphinx was intact. Its face was perfect. He quickly deduced then that this was 1469 B.C.E., or approximately 3,500 years in the past.
Hector was not shocked by this knowledge. For a cat who time travels, there is no sense of surprise, and our Hector was fearless as well. He could not wait to find out more, and to make friends with these ancient Egyptian cats.
These cats, of course, knew about time-travelling cats. They had never seen, though, such a beautiful cat—with his bright orange and sandy-colored striped perfectly-marked fur. In fact, Hector could see that some of the cats were looking at him amorously.
“So,” he said to the leader, “may I ask your name?”
“My name is Purrosophos. I am the leader of the cats who guard the pyramids, the connected buildings, and the statues in Giza. We have been appointed to do this work by Queen Hatshepsut, who is Pharaoh of all Egypt and beyond.”
Hector bowed. She then asked him again, “Where is England?” Hector replied, “It is a country a great distance from Egypt. On behalf of our leader, I would like to invite you to visit me there in the future.” Purrosophos replied, “That is very gracious of you. Thank you.”
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Many of you will know that in ancient Egypt, cats were revered. They were viewed as having special powers, and were allowed and even encouraged to participate in the lives of Egyptians as they pleased. Similar to the cows in India, they were treated as very special because they had a close connection with the Gods and Goddesses. In fact, cats in ancient Egypt represented them (including the Goddess, Bastet, of course).
I want you to imagine with me how humans felt about cats in Ancient Egypt. They believed they were divine in nature, and should be cherished for their special place in this world—somewhere between the Earth and Eternity. When you look at cats today, can you imagine a time when they were uniformly treated by humans with such respect and kindness? Perhaps we can learn an important lesson from those ancient times.
Returning to our story now and Hector, I am sure you can imagine the reaction of Egyptians to this orange (ginger) cat from England. Purrosophos was quick to introduce Hector to other cat leaders, as well as to some humans who had connections in the court of the Pharaoh. It was not long then before Hector was invited to meet Queen Hatshepsut.
When he went to the palace, which was the grandest place he had ever seen, with gold and marble everywhere, he was amazed by it. As he walked into the grand hall, where the Queen met her subjects, he could see her in the distance at the end of the room, sitting on a massive throne made of gold. She wore a tall white crown, and her eyes looked very large, with a black line painted around each of them, and thick black eyebrows. Black lines extended from her eyes and eyebrows towards her ears. The effect of this was mesmerizing.
As he walked towards her, he could see that she had noticed him, and everyone made a space for him to walk forward. She beckoned him onwards, and was looking at him as though he was something very special. Then, she spoke to him: “I have heard of you. You are Hector, The Cat! I have never seen a cat who is so completely the color of gold. Come closer to me and let me stroke your fur.” Hector moved towards her, kissed the ground, and climbed the steps up to her feet.
Artwork by Kayla Phan.
He was then lifted by her attendants so that she could look directly into his eyes. He could tell that this Queen was very special. She had an openness about her, and a warmth, although she was obviously bold at the same time. The Queen gently stroked Hector’s fur, and pronounced that he was her special cat, and she would make him a lord of Egypt. From now on he would be called Hectortutem I. She also told him that she had a mission for him, which he must accept, in order to prove his courage and his loyalty to her.
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It may be important to know that Queen Hatshepsut had pronounced herself as Pharaoh of Egypt. It was unusual for a woman to have this role. She was leading Egypt for an interim period because her stepson, Tuthmosis III, was too young to be the King. She appointed herself as Pharaoh by claiming the Gods required it. As Pharaoh, she was different from men who had ruled before her, focusing on exploration of other lands and creating a time of peace and prosperity—without war—in Egypt. When Hector heard this, it reminded him of England’s Queen Elizabeth I. Of course, similar to Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Hatshepsut had enemies who wanted to overthrow her and take the crown for themselves.
Hector was quite keen to learn about the Queen’s mission for him. He loved adventures, as you know. He told the Queen that he would undertake any mission she had in mind for him. The Queen told him that she wanted him to lead a special envoy into Nubia. She had decided to reach out to them because she wanted to make a trade deal with them. For this purpose, she would appoint him as the Ambassador to Nubia.
(Here, Hector was thinking to himself about Nubia. He had learned about the Nubians who were the most beautifully-colored humans, with an advanced civilization that existed at the same time as the Egyptian civilization. History tended to overlook the Nubians, though, and their contribution to history. He was pleased then to have the opportunity to learn all about this ancient civilization, and to learn about the cats and humans who had helped to build it.)
The Queen next instructed one of her cat lieutenants to prepare a ceremony for the appointment of Hectortutum I as the Ambassador to Nubia. She also instructed a scribe to prepare a document to represent her appointment of Hector. This document, full of hieroglyphs or pictures of the Queen, and the Palace, and Hector, would be given to the Nubians by Hector from the Queen. The ceremony was a grand affair in which flutes, lutes, drums, and other instruments were played, while a fine linen carpet was rolled out along the path to the Queen’s throne.
Hector was adorned with a full-length linen tunic. His tail was very carefully allowed to protrude through a hole cut out in the back of the tunic. He was given a spear made of gold, and an Egyptian headdress made of gold. Now, he was ready to walk on the carpet towards the Queen to accept this great honor of becoming ambassador to Nubia.
As he walked toward the Queen, the cats and the humans to the right and the left of the carpet bowed down to him. They stayed in this position until the Queen had held his two top paws in her hands, and slowly pronounced him Ambassador to Nubia. She then placed a necklace around his neck with a wadjet eye to keep him safe.
Following the ceremony, delicious food was served for every cat and human in attendance, together with large cups of wine. After dinner, they enjoyed performers who played music and danced for their pleasure.
At the end of the evening, Hector was shown to his beautiful room in the palace. This was especially built for important cat guests. It contained the softest bed possible, together with a private area for personal hygiene. There were thick carpets for scratching purposes, and running water for drinking. The food was the most delicious he had ever tasted. Hector was sure that it had been imported from Cat Heaven.
Now, will you join with me in imagining Hector in this beautiful room? Have you ever noticed how cats make everything around them even more beautiful? What magical qualities do you believe they have to make this possible?
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After his appointment, and a good night’s sleep, on the next morning, Hector had the challenging task of planning his trip to Nubia and choosing those who would accompany him. He needed some Egyptian cats who were familiar with the Nubians and could communicate with Nubian cats to pave the way for him. As a first step, then, he sent a messenger to Purrosophos to ask her to come to the palace to meet with him. When she arrived, these two cats from different worlds greeted each other warmly. Purrosophos first told Hector that he must call her, Purro. This was the short name used by her family and very close friends.
“Purro,” Hector said, “I’m sure you’ve heard that I have been appointed to go to Nubia on behalf of the Queen.”
“Yes, I know,” she said. “This is a very great honor.”
“Can you help me prepare the way so that my visit can be successful?”
“I will be pleased to help you in any way I can. I do know of three cats who would be excellent for you to work with. They are originally from Nubia, and I am sure would be pleased to share their knowledge and advice with you.”
“Thank you, Purro. Will you send them to meet with me here in the palace?”
“Yes, of course, my dear Hector. I will take my leave for now.”
The two cats who had become close friends parted company.
Over the course of two weeks, Hector met with and worked with the three Nubian cats, who were invaluable to him as he gradually formed the plan for his visit. Finally, the day for his journey arrived, and everyone assembled at the Palace loading point along the Nile River. For this journey, the explorers would travel in a boat up the River (which was southwards into the continent of Africa).
Artwork by Kayla Phan.
For the trip southwards, the winds would carry them, similar to a sailboat in the modern world. For the trip back, they would row northwards. The boat was fully loaded with everything needed for this special trip, including very special presents from the Queen to the Nubians. All of the cats and the human guards had bows and arrows for defense.
After every cat and human had boarded the boat, and Hector had taken his place at the front of the boat, the captain of the boat steered it up the River Nile. All along the River, it was very green, and there was a great deal of activity. Hector was interested to see everything! He was excited beyond belief! (Imagine if you or I could have this experience? How wonderful would it be?!)
For two days, the boat moved along towards Nubia without any delays or difficulties. It was on the third day, though, that the boat was attacked from the shoreline by ferocious dogs. A stream of arrows was sent over from both sides of the river by humans, and the dogs were in small boats, rowing very quickly towards Hector’s boat.
Hector had to think fast to save his boat, his crew, himself, and his mission. He could only think of calling one of his dog friends from England. Although dogs do not time-travel naturally, Hector had discovered a way to bring his dog friends from England, from time to time, when it was important. He took a moment then to communicate through time and space with his friend, Alfie. Alfie was a black spaniel, but unlike many spaniels, he was large and very muscular. Hector could see that Alfie was sleeping, and fortunately, was alone. His human mother was out working, obviously.
Alfie loved adventure, but he always had to return to be sure that he was back by the time his mother arrived home. He loved his mother very much and always wanted to show her how much he loved her. Whenever she came home then, he would show his love by jumping and running about, and he would pick up and carry her slipper.
Alfie and his mother had a truly magical bond, but this meant that Alfie could time-travel for only limited periods. Because Hector had to use his own powers to bring dogs from England, time would pass for them in the new location the same as it would at home. This was not true for cats. Hector could be in Egypt for a long time, but Sheila would still see him sleeping on the book for just an afternoon.
Thankfully, Alfie was available, and appeared instantaneously at Hector’s side. When Alfie arrived, he quickly assessed the situation, and took charge of it. He began to howl and to become the largest dog you have ever seen. Alfie’s howling, by the way, was, when he projected his voice, as loud as a fog horn, but at a much higher pitch. When the ferocious dogs saw this giant warrior dog on the boat, they retreated quickly, as did the humans who instructed them, because they were all terrified. Humans and dogs then quickly disappeared, and Hector could continue the journey. Later, Hector would learn that a rival of the Queen’s was responsible for this attack. This rival did not want the Queen to be successful as Pharaoh so that it would be easier to overthrow her.
As for Alfie who had saved the day, he needed to quickly return home to his mother. She was due in at any moment. He would need to be howling when she drove around the corner to their house, so that she would know how much he had missed her. He embraced his friend, Hector, then, and quickly time-traveled back to England.
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Thanks to Alfie, the boat was now able to make good time as it headed toward Nubia. On the sixth day of their journey, Hector and his crew were met by a group of Nubian cats sent out by the Nubian leader to assess whether or not these visitors were trustworthy. Egypt had not been a good neighbor, and was not trusted by the Nubian leaders. They needed to be sure that the new Pharaoh was trustworthy.
The Nubian cats were sufficiently impressed by Hector to trust him to follow them to the Nubian leaders. When Hector saw the leaders, he was amazed by the beautiful dark color of their skin. They also wore bright colors, and unusual jewelry. Hector was not usually impressed by humans, but he could see that these humans were very special.
They asked him to join them in a circle to discuss his mission, and his proposals. As Hector sat with these humans, he was impressed with the way in which they conducted themselves, and interacted with him. They were kind and respectful, and in everything they said, it was clear that they had deeply-held beliefs about the importance of all life, and reverently worshipped their ancestors, Gods, and Goddesses. Given that the Nubian leaders were open to forming allegiances with other nations, and to promoting peace throughout their world, the meeting with Hector went very well. The Nubian leaders were impressed by Hector, and by the gifts he had brought from his Queen. They agreed to send a trade delegation back with him to see the Queen.
When Hector returned to the palace with the Nubian delegation, the Queen was very grateful. She honored him greatly–not only for his success on the trade mission but also for thwarting the plot. She told Hector that she loved him so much, she wanted him to be mummified when she leaves this earth, so that he will be with her forever.
As I am sure you know, this was the way cats and humans were preserved for eternity by the Egyptians. After being mummified, Hector would be entombed in the Valley of the Kings where the Queen was to be buried. After that, the Pharaoh and Hector would travel through the underworld passing tests as they went along, and eventually rising the next morning with the sun for Eternity.
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Because Hector was now considered to be sacred by the Egyptians, it was very important for him to be protected from harm until the day of his departure from life with the Queen. This meant that he could only stay in his room in the palace. His days of adventure would be over, and he would never be able to return home to England. He was enclosed in this room in the palace, and everything was done to make him happy. Because of the thickness of the walls, he found he was unable to time travel out of the palace. At first, Hector felt overcome by sadness. He was upset to leave the Queen, and also, upset not to ever see Sheila and his family and friends again in England.
Hector, though, has the type of personality that will always allow him to rise up to a positive place, in order to solve problems and to be happy. As a first step to solve this problem, Hector tried to contact his cousin Professor Turvey, who is one of the most intelligent and knowledgeable cats he knows. Hector knew that she had special powers, and might just be able to help him to escape from Egypt.
He sat comfortably in his room in the morning, then, and concentrated very hard–searching for Professor Turvey in cat space. After a short time, he connected with her mind, and communicated his difficulty. Professor Turvey told him to stay quiet, and she would use some of her ancient powers to try to bring him home. As you will remember, Professor Turvey is an Egyptian Mau—directly descended from the ancient Egyptian cats. She carried their special powers within her, but did not need to use them very much in the modern time.
**********
“Hector, Hector…..” He could hear these words through his consciousness. He was being called. Was it the Queen? No, it was Sheila! (Sheila broke her rule of never disturbing Hector while he slept because he seemed to be having a nightmare.) Then, he felt her kissing his head, and gently stroking his back. He slowly opened his eyes, and there she was! He was home.
Can you imagine how happy and relieved Hector felt to be home again? Have you ever been away for a long time from home? How does it feel when you return? This was how Hector felt at this moment. He was especially relieved as well because he felt that his life was over in ancient Egypt.
Hector gradually woke up and stretched out on the dictionary, while Sheila stroked him, and talked to him. He rubbed her face, and purred a truly royal purr. He was completely content—having had such an amazing adventure, and now being back in his warm and comfortable home with Sheila. He jumped down from the desk, and followed her into the kitchen for his dinner which would taste of home, sweet, home. There was enough time to rest and to remember his adventures before he headed out tomorrow with his gifts for Sammi and his stories for Doogy.
After dinner, Hector sat in front of the fire, and enjoyed the comforts of his home. He did not spend too much time thinking about his close calls in Egypt, and how his curiosity had almost resulted in his mummification. One of his nine lives had been used, but now, he was safely home again.
Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Cheryl, who had a big flower garden that she tended every day. She had worked hard to collect and plant all the flowers. The whole process took years to complete with petunias, marigolds, impatiens, daffodils, tiger lilies, day lilies, jonquils, and tulips. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any roses. She wanted roses. She went out and looked everyday, but couldn’t find the right ones for her garden.
One day Cheryl was in the store searching in vain for roses. She sighed when she found all the ones the store had to offer. “Oh, these just won’t do! Why can’t I find the right roses for my garden?”
Dejected once again, she left the store and started walking through the little neighborhood back to her house and garden. She was distracted as she was busy thinking too hard about the roses she couldn’t find for her garden. She didn’t have any warning. Nor did the young man she walked right into. They almost fell over each other on the sidewalk.
“Ouch!” They both said at the same time.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I guess I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. Are you alright?” asked Cheryl.
“Oh, I think so, but I couldn’t see you until it was too late.”
“But you’re wearing glasses.”
“They don’t help that much. I’m legally blind.”
“Oh. Well, I’m even more sorry that I wasn’t looking.”
“Why weren’t you paying attention to where you were going?”
“Oh, I was just thinking about the roses that I can’t find for my garden. I’ve been looking a long time, but I haven’t found the ones my garden needs at the store.”
“You have a garden without roses? Is it a very big garden?”
“Yes, it’s quite big, but it’s beautiful.” She paused as she thought had for a moment. “You seem familiar to me. Haven’t we met before?”
“Well, that’s possible. I do walk around here quite often. I’m Jack, and you are?”
“Cheryl.”
“Nice to meet you, Cheryl. Would it be possible for me to see your garden someday?”
“Sure. I’m usually there tending it.”
*****
Later that same day, Cheryl was busying tending her garden once again. She was so absorbed that she didn’t notice when Jack came strolling down the garden path. He didn’t say anything for awhile as he watched her tend to her flowers. Finally, she stood up and turned around.
“Oh, my goodness! I didn’t know you were there. How long have you been standing there?”
“Oh, not long at all.” He paused to make sure she was alright. “I decided since I didn’t have anything to do today, that I would come by to see your beautiful garden.”
“Oh, okay. So what do you think of it?”
“It’s large and very beautiful, just like the gardener herself.”
Smiling she said, “Thank you. I’m glad you like it. Would you like something to drink? I was just about to get a lemonade for myself.”
“Sure, lemonade sounds good to me.”
Cheryl then turned to the house and went inside. Jack watched her and when she wasn’t looking, he pulled out his wand. He held it up and pointed in the garden where no flowers grew. He waved it a couple of times as he silently said a few words. Then he put the wand back inside his coat out of sight. By that time, Cheryl had returned with a couple of glasses of lemonade.
“We can drink our lemonade over here at the table.”
Jack followed her and sat down opposite of her.
While they chatted about what wasn’t so important, roses began to bloom in the garden where no flowers had ever grown before. Jack knew it was happening even though he couldn’t see them well. Cheryl was too busy drinking lemonade and talking with her guest to notice the newcomers.
Just before sunset, Jack told Cheryl he had to go home. She thanked him for a pleasant afternoon and then he walked out the way he came in. After he was gone some minutes, she looked over her garden and gasped when she saw the roses.
“Those are the exact roses I have been looking for a very long time! I wonder how they got here.” Baffled, she picked up the empty glasses and took them inside the house.
*****
At home, Jack was busy dictating to his quill about his daily adventures. He was thankful he didn’t have to write with the quill and that it wrote whatever he said. It was good to be a wizard, he thought. The only problem with the dictating quill was the cats. His two cats, Lilly and Spitter liked to swat at the quill when it was moving. So, Jack added a spell that would allow the quill to defend itself. That spell only made matters worse as the quill would swat back and the cats loved it even more. It was truly amazing how much writing Jack was able to do everyday.
He hoped Cheryl liked her present of roses in her garden. He knew he would have to tell her, a muggle, the truth sooner or later. He wasn’t sure what he would say to her, but he knew he would have to tell her. In the meantime, he thought it wouldn’t be a problem to keep visiting her in her garden and making sure all her flowers were healthy. So, that’s what he kept doing.
*****
Months passed by and Cheryl and Jack became the best of friends. The garden prospered under their friendship. All the flowers were healthy and beautiful. They seemed to never fade. Then one day as Jack was casting another spell on the garden, thinking he wasn’t seen as usual, but Cheryl has stepped back outside sooner than he had expected.
“Hey, Jack, what kind of sandwich did you want?” She walked over to him and saw him pointing his wand directly at the garden. Her eyes widen and she said, “What are you doing to my garden?”
Jack froze in place. He lowered his wand and then turned to face her. “Well, I thought you’d appreciate it. All the flowers that is.”
Cheryl just stared at him for a long time. “Did you plant those roses?”
“Yes, with my wand.”
“Oh, thank you, but I had no idea you were a wizard.”
“Well, yes, but I knew I would have to tell you sooner or later.” He paused. “You’re not mad, are you?”
“No, actually I’m shocked, but I love how beautiful my garden has been since you’ve been here.”
“I’m glad you like it. You have done a lot of work on it.”
*****
Later that evening, Jack talked to his cats about what had happened with Cheryl that day. They stopped playing with the quill and listened intently.
“Now, I’m afraid once she gets over her shock that she won’t want to see me anymore. What am I to do?”
Both cats wagged their tails and walked over to him and touched his face with a forepaw. Then they jumped down from the table and ran off. Jack heard them go and knew that they would be back before long.
*****
Cheryl was sitting in her garden, staring at the roses. She wasn’t so sure about Jack now that she knew he was a wizard. She had heard too many bad things about them and she hoped he wasn’t like that. As she sat musing, two housecats ran up her garden path. Without any warning they jumped on the table and starting meowing at her.
“What? Where did you come from?”
Both cats wouldn’t stop talking for several minutes. Then they got quiet. Lily jumped off the table and ran over to the roses. Spitter remained and lifted a forepaw to point to her sister.
That was when comprehension dawned on Cheryl. These two cats obviously lived with Jack and they were trying to tell her he gave her the very flowers she wanted because he loved her. “Hey, cats, where is Jack now?”
Both cats came together on the garden path and pointed their forepaws in the direction they needed to go. Cheryl stood up and followed the two all the way to Jack’s place.
Once there, she found him sighing.
“Oh, why did I have to get careless with the flower spells? If I hadn’t, Cheryl would still be happy with me and her garden…” He sighed again.
“Jack, it’s okay. I was just shocked. After what I’ve heard about some wizards, it made me pause. But then I thought about it and you haven’t done anything wrong. You’re not like those bad wizards. You even gave me the roses I’ve been wanting and searching for a long time.”
Jack turned around. “I’m so glad you’re not upset with me.”
“Would you like to come back and visit my garden again?”
“Yes, of course!”
The four of them, Cheryl, Jack, Lily, and Spitter, walked back to the flower garden. There they spent many happy times with a few occasional spell blow-ups.
Sir Socks Le Chat 