The King Cat Once upon a time,
Long ago,
There lived a widow in a small village at the edge of a forest.
She had very little in the world,
Only a tiny house,
A warm stove,
And a cat.
Now the cat was already old,
But he was just as greedy as a kitten.
Once morning,
The widow boiled a pot of milk and set it aside to cool.
But before she could turn around,
The cat had already licked every last drop from the pot.
When the widow saw what had happened,
She grew very angry.
You greedy creature,
She cried,
You eat more than a king,
Yet you do nothing to earn it.
In her anger,
She chased the cat from the house and sent him away.
So the cat wandered out of the village,
Past the last houses,
Past the gardens,
Until he reached a small bridge near the forest.
There he sat down sadly beside the road.
At the far end of the bridge sat a fox,
Lazily swishing her long bushy tail.
The cat noticed the tail first.
He crept closer,
Then pounced at it playfully.
The fox jumped in fright and spun around.
The cat jumped back too,
His fur standing up like a brush.
For a moment they stared at each other.
The fox had never seen a cat before.
The cat had never seen a fox.
Each one was afraid of the other,
But neither of them knew what to do.
At last the fox spoke politely.
Well now,
If I may ask without offense,
What kind of noble creature might you be?
The cat lifted his head proudly.
I,
He said,
Am Cater,
The king.
The king asked the fox surprised.
Cater the king?
I have never heard of such a ruler.
You should have,
Said the cat with great dignity.
I have the power to discipline every animal in the forest.
The fox became very nervous.
If such a mighty ruler had arrived in the forest,
She certainly didn't wish to anger him.
So she bowed her head respectfully.
Your majesty,
She said,
Please honor my home.
I would be delighted if you join me for some chicken.
By the time it was already close to noon and the cat was very hungry indeed,
So he didn't wait for a second invitation.
They walked together to the fox's den.
The cat quickly grew used to being treated like a great lord.
The fox served him with great respect as if he truly were a king.
And the cat behaved like one too.
He spoke very little,
But he ate a great deal.
After the meal,
He stretched himself comfortably and fell asleep.
Before closing his eyes,
He gave an order.
Stand guard,
He told the fox.
Do not let anyone disturb my rest.
So the fox stood at the entrance of the den like a watchful guard.
Just then,
A little rabbit came hopping along the forest path.
Stop right there,
Cried the fox.
My master,
Kato the king is sleeping inside.
If he wakes and sees you,
You will not know where to run.
He has the power to discipline every animal in the forest.
The little rabbit trembled with fear.
He quietly slipped away and sat down in a clearing,
Thinking deeply.
Who could this king cat be,
He wondered.
I have never heard of him before.
Soon,
A bear wandered by.
Where are you going,
Asked the rabbit.
Oh,
Nowhere in particular,
Said the bear.
I'm simply walking because I'm bored.
Then do not go that way,
Said the rabbit.
The fox says her master,
Kato the king,
Is sleeping there.
If he comes out,
You will not know where to run.
Kato the king,
Said the bear.
I have never heard of such a creature.
But now I must see him,
The bear added curiously.
So he walked toward the fox's den.
The fox shouted at him immediately.
Bear,
Do not come closer.
My master,
Kato the king,
Is sleeping.
If he comes out,
You will not know where to run.
At once,
The bear lost all his courage.
Without saying a word,
He turned around and hurried back to the rabbit.
There he found a wolf and a crow as well.
Each of them had heard the same warning.
Who could this Kato the king be,
They wondered.
We have never heard of him.
At last,
They decided on a plan.
Let us invite him to a dinner,
They said.
Then we will see what sort of ruler he truly is.
They sent the crow as their messenger.
When the fox saw the crow approaching,
She ran out angrily.
Go away,
She shouted.
Did I not warn you before?
My master is the mighty king cat.
I know,
Said the crow quickly.
I came only because the bear,
The wolf and the rabbit sent me.
They wish to invite you and your master to a dinner.
Well,
That is different,
Said the fox.
She went inside to speak to the king.
A moment later she returned.
My master gladly accepts the invitation,
She said proudly.
The crow promised to guide them the next day.
The bear,
The wolf and the rabbit immediately began preparing a great feast.
The rabbit became the cook because his tail was short and wouldn't easily burn in the fire.
The bear gathered wood and carried game to the kitchen.
The wolf set the table and turned the roasting meat.
When everything was ready,
The crow flew off to fetch the guests.
He flew from tree to tree but didn't dare land on the ground.
Instead he called down from the branches.
Wait a moment,
Said the fox.
My noble master is still twisting his whiskers.
At last,
Cato the king appeared.
He walked slowly and with great dignity.
But all the while he kept a careful eye on the crow.
For he didn't quite trust him.
The crow was nervous as well.
He hopped from branch to branch,
Guiding them through the forest.
Meanwhile the bear,
The wolf and the rabbit waited anxiously by the fire.
There he comes,
Cried the rabbit suddenly.
Oh dear,
Where shall I run?
In his fright the rabbit leaped straight into the fire.
His tail burned and he jumped out again in pain.
As he leaped he scratched the wolf across the face.
The wolf howled and believed the bear had struck him.
So he slapped the bear.
The bear tried to pass the blow to the rabbit.
But instead struck Cato the king.
Who had just arrived.
The bear froze in terror.
Oi,
Struck the king,
He cried.
Terrified the bear ran away at once.
The wolf ran after him.
The rabbit ran the other way.
The crow flew high into the sky.
And Cato the king,
Who had just been hit on the head,
Became so frightened that he also ran as fast as he could.
And they say that even today they might still be running.
If they have not stopped yet.
