By Tuggerine
It was a day like any other
day on the junkyard, or rather an evening like any other, the moon was
full today and was creeping slowly up the sky. The queens were lying
around together dozing and purring and the Toms walked about rather
bored. Oh well, just a couple of them. Tugger and Mungojerrie marched
to and fro on the yard feeling bloody bored. All day it had been sunny
and mellow and the Jellicles had become rather lazy and drowsy, snoozing
in all the possible and impossible places of the junkyard. Except Tugger
and Mungo, who were rather restless. “Just look at them! Lying around
snoozing!” Tugger said sighing with boredom. “Yeah, oye can’t believe
it.” Mungo agreed. Both of them stood in the centre of the yard now
looking around turning their heads to all sides. Silla and Electra
were lying in a shadowy patch of grass, cuddling up to one another.
Etcetera was lying across Jellylorums back not far from them. How can
a cat sleep like that! Tugger thought, eyebrows raised. Bombalurina
was asleep on the old arm-chair that sat crooked in a niche of the yard
, as two of it’s legs were missing, and it being the legs of the opposite
corners, the arm-chair craddled to and fro as soon as Bomba moved herself
a little. Rather pleasant, she thought half asleep. Demeter lay under
a tree in the grass and Plato spread himself all over the car-boot of
the wrack. Cassandra gave him a little push just now, so he slowly sailed
off it and down onto a rubbish-bag like in slow-motion, where he sniffed
around for a moment with one eye half open , just staying put and then
dozed off again. Cassandra grinned superiorly and took over her favorite
place . She slouched herself on top of the boot. “What a miserable day.”
Tugger moaned meanwhile. He couldn’t even go and tease the queens and
steal some kisses cause all of them were dozing, not paying him any
attention at all, even though their eyelids raised a little, when he
was passing them by. “Hehehe! ‘ave a look ova thea’” Mungojerrie giggled
and pointed towards an old bedstead that lay oblong across the rubbish.
Tugger recognized Tumblebrutus kinda hanging over it in a strange position.
His back on the bars, with all the paws drawn close to his body and
his head dangling between the bars. “Hahahaaaa! Only he can find such
a position comfortable.” Tugger laughed. He turned to the left and saw
Munkustrap, but not even he was save of that awful mellowness of this
day and evening. He leaned on his pipe and stretched both legs wide
in front of him, with his paws resting on his lap. His eyes half closed
and his nose twitching ever so often. “Heavyside have mercy!” Tugger
exclaimed, standing broad-legged with his paws propped at his hips,
shaking his head in disbelief. “Even him!” Tugger moaned again. “And
it’s ge’in lyde in the evenin’, thy should wayke up now, really, innit,
Tuggs?” Mungo said. “Well, I’m not going to join them all hanging around
here like that, come on Mungo let’s go somewhere and have some fun.
I know that club called ‘Midnight CATSA”. Pretty queens, good fluids,
nice music. Your coming?” “Cor blimey, sounds grayte ter me, your on
mate. Let’s gowe!” Mungojerrie grinned rather pleased about this idea
and the two of them tottered off. Just before they dissappeard over
a heap of junk, they heard a voice behind them calling. “Wait!! Wait
for me!!” They turned their heads and saw Mistoffelees running after
them. “Mistowe, what yer want, we’re off ter town.” Mungo said. “I wanna
come along with you guys.” Misto grinned. “No way, Misto.” Tugger shook
his head. “We’re going clubbing, granting ourselves a couple a tins.
That’s no good for you.” “But that’s not true, Tugger, alcohol in small
doses does not harm a magical cat.” He argued. Tugger pointed to the
sky with his index-claw. “Look there, what do you see?” “The Moon!??”
Misto said ironically with a questioning tone in his voice, that seemed
to suggest he was not sure, if that would be what he saw. “Well done,
Misto, our clever little Wizzard.” Tugger said a bit bothered but padding
him on the back. “And at what stage is it now?” “It’s haft way up the
sky.” Misto said with a dry voice, knowing exactly that Tugger was refering
to something else. “No, dummy, it’s Full Moon today! You know what that
means for you? Only water while the moon is full.” “Come off it, Tugger.
I also want to have some fun. Nothing will happen to me, you can be
sure of that. I’ll stick to water or nothing.” “Oy dunnow ge’ it Wot’s
that s’ppowsed to mean?” Mungo looked from one to the other with his
beady little eyes. “Well everyone knows, that a magical cat must not
go drinking and eating or overexcite themselves in the night of the
full moon.” Tugger said looking rather important and puffing up his
chest to show it. “….except water.” Misto finished the sentence. “But
woy not, then?” Mungo asked curiously. Tugger lowered his eyebrows thoughtfully.
“..Uuuh..don’t know exactly, mucks up their conjuring powers or something,
right?” He looked at Misto, who just shrugged his shoulders, pretending
not to know anything about it. “Owe, can’t be that bad, oy’m sure affit.
Le’im cam along, Tuggs.” “Well, okay, if he must. You should know what
your doing, Misto, your not a kitten anymore.” Tugger shrugged. “I know,
I know! Well, nothing ever happened before.” Misto said, pretending
he had tried that sort of thing already, which of course he hadn’t.
He’s always headed these rules before. He quickly tried to change the
subject. “So, what’s that club like you said, Tugger? Let’s have some
fun!”
The three of them walked off the yard and towards town. The Club was a kind of place, that was known for it’s notorious reputation, having a wide variety of drink, naughty dancing queens on stage and other wicked things. Tugger knew that place from the time he still lived on the streets after he had run off from home never to return again. The 3 of them squeezed trough a gap of a wooden fence and followed a narrow gravel path to some stairs that led down into a cellar. At the door loud music could already be heard and two really butch toms stood either side of it with arms crossed over their chests and a grave _expression on their faces. Tugger giggled and nudged Misto. Tugger was just about to open his mouth and say something wicked to those bouncers when Misto quickly gave him a big push on his back that Tugger stumbled right into the big hall of the club. “Leave it alone, Tugger! Don’t start any trouble now.” Misto grumbled who was just dying to have some fun. Mungo followed them with a jolly smile on his face. This big dark hall was fully packed with lots of Toms and Queens from uncertain origin and breeding. A live band stood on stage tonight playing wild music and Tugger moaned. It meant, no sexy queen-dancers tonight. Mungo pushed himself through the clusters of cats to get to the Bar. He waved Misto and Tugger to follow. Tugger threw his arms up in the air, starting to sway his hips to the beat of the music, singing along with it and looking rather jolly. Misto broadly grinned. He hadn’t been in a place like this for yonks. His little black head wipped around from right to left and back again, to catch the gorgeous queen’s glances as they were passing him by. At the counter Tugger and Mungo got themselves some heavy brew. Misto went up there too and called out to the bar-keeper. “Oii, one for me too, mate.” “Nowe wye! Just wa’er for’im, oye sye!” Mungo shouted and the bar-keeper, a rough-looking black and grey tabby looked at him nastily, thinking they were trying to fool him.
“Don’t worry about it mate.” Misto grinned at the grim-looking barkeeper who just gave him a nasty look. “Misto, watch it, don’t fool around with that brew, I tell you.” Tugger warned him. “Yes,yes,yes, Dad!” Misto groaned about this constant sermoning. Why could they not just let him have a good time. Meanwhile a couple of pretty queens started swarming around Tugger. “Hi, Super-Stud! Long time no see!” one of them said to him. She was a gorgous white queen with black paws and ears. Tugger grew 30 cm in height with pride to that remark. He gave Mungo and Misto the kinda look that meant to say ‘Well-hope-you-got-that-guys’. The beauty snuggled up to Tuggers shoulder, as another red-tabby Queen was clinging onto his other arm. “Who’s that cute black Tom there with you, Tuggs?” she whispered into his ear. Tugger grinned broadly when he heard that. “That’s our master conjurer Mr. Mistoffelees.” He explained and the Red-Tabby was rather impressed. “Well, Fizzle-Top…” Tugger put a paw to his mouth, considering giving Fizzle-Top a job. “…you could do me a favour. Why not look after Misto’s needs tonight?” “oh, gladly, Tugger, gladly. If he is as charming as you.” Her eyes sparkled. “Well, maybe not quite,” Tugger said full of himself, “but it will do, and this is very important, Don’t let him get any alcohol, right? And don’t overexcite him, you hear?” “Oh, do you think that will be fun like that then?” Fizzle said a little disappointed. “I’m quite sure your just the perfect Lady for this job.” Tugger flattered her with one of his charming smiles and Fizzle melted away. She was a bit of the naive kind, but cute. She would be perfect to watch it with Misto. He padded her on her butt and said: “Well, Sweetie, run along then.” Tugger nudged Mungojerrie who was just about to eye up a black beauty, and nodded with his head into the direction of Mistoffelees and Fizzle-Top, who just hooked up to his arm and led him away with her. “Well, Tugga, are yer sure, it’s ay good oydea?” Mungo wondered. “Yeah! Don’t worry, Fizzles’ harmless.” Tugger said and the white cat with the black paws and ears pulled Tugger away with her. “Oh, so eager, Pyritena, I’m coming! I’m coming.” Tugger poured the rest of brew in his tin down his throat and winked at Mungo, who laughed and followed that pitch-black Beauty with the unusual blue eyes. Let’s just have a little talk with her, he thought, feeling slightly guilty about it, when Rumpleteazer came to mind. “Oye! Saye, Pre’y, cam me waye!”
Such the three of them spend the night dancing, flirting, drinking, laughing and lots of other…*cough-cough*…lovely things, the latter they would probably pretend to not remember the next morning.
It was dawning already when Tugger staggered around that club-hall to pick up Mungo and Misto. He turned his head slowly for it not too get too dizzy and spotted Mungo in a corner of the hall in a very delicate position with that black queen. “Ma-ma-aango..Letsh gooo, mate! Ish late..hahahaa..I mean-ish early..” Tugger giggled to himself and wiped his nose. Mungo looked up dazed. “Do oye ‘av to shus nowe?” “Yesh, getshour buttup not-shour tool, mate!” Tugger laughed loud and naughtily. “Whersh Mishdow?” he asked now. “Howsh’d oye nowe!” Mungo mumbled struggling to his paws. “Boye, me shwee..shwee…..shweetie, shee yerlay’er.” Tugger and Mungo swayed around the floor searching for Misto calling out his name loud. Finally a small black Tom with a white ‘bib’ came into view staggering towards them grinning incredibly broadly. “Wotshup mayte.” Mungo babbled. But Misto only kept on grinning all over his face with sparkling eyes and just walked past them and out through the door. “Oii, wayforush..” Tugger called and tried to follow him as quickly as his rubber-legs would take him, pulling Mungo along with him.
All the way home,
Tugger had this weird idea passing through his momentary befuddled brain,
that Misto might be drunk, the way he seemed to stagger along in front
of him and Mungo, who’s arm was trying to grasp Tugger’s shoulder so
they could kinda support each other, so they hoped. But maybe it was
just his own gait that presented him with this unusual sight. They staggered
together in a zick-zack-line towards home, bawling loudly at the top
of their voices. “Mungowberry an’ Rumplesneeza are ay boiste—rous cuppla
queeeens….” “Oye, Tugga! Oye ffink, sumffin’s no’ quoyte royte wiff
thee words!” Mungo stopped singing. “Ish allright, Mungow, trushme.”
Tugger answered and warbbled on: “…on arseful joints, botties an’ queens,
and the bugga would appear from behind the feet.. and saye wiffa cloth
that’s soaken with marrow….I’m afraid youmus wait’n have thinner ones
’morrow….and the fami’ly say ish that horrible fat…” “Naaa, Tugga,
oye ffink yer muddled, mayte.” Mungo giggled. “Rubbisssshh!” Tugger
laughed loudly as they entered the junkyard.
Some of the jellicles stuck
out their head from their dens when they heared that noise. “Oh! It’s
our missing Toms, obviously pissed.” Bombalurina said to Demeter sighing,
who lived right next pipe to her. “Oh dear, lets get back in, don’t
wanna meet any of them when they’re legless like that.” Demeter muttered
and both of them withdrew again. “Shuuut uuuup!!” Cassandra shouted
as loud as she could. “Some cats like to sleep here!!!” “Oops!” Tugger
put his paw to his mouth and giggled, then a loud hollow burp followed.
“Oh! Disgusting!!” Cassandra withdrew her head and crawled back into
her pipe rather annoyed. “heheheheheh!!!!” Mungojerrie giggled now,
while Misto just carried on walking across the yard like a sleep-walker
towards his den grinning broadly, showing a line of white sharp teeth,
eyes sparkling! “Whats the matter with Misto?” Victoria said to Jellylorum
astonished, “he looks weird.” Jelly smiled at her: “They’re all bloody
pissed.” Jelly said and both of them returned to their hide-aways.
Tugger and Mungo now sneaked noisily towards their own dens and slowly
peace and quiet settled back onto the junkyard, interrupted just for
a moment by Rumple’s angry voice telling Mungo off, who only seemed
to giggle in reply. Tugger tried invain to gain entry at Bomba’s
pipe, he hardly set a paw across the threshold when he was chased away
again. “Get out, Tugger!!!! You smell awful! Sober up before you stick
your nose in here again.” Bomba shouted from inside, so Tugger slowly
staggered back to his own place still giggling, to sleep it off.
Next morning promised to
be a perfect day. Everything seemed rather peaceful. Forgotten was the
noise at night and the sun was shining warm and mellow on the early
jellicles on the yard. The sky was clear and blue, no cloud at all to
be seen and the sunlight started to raise the frosty temperature of
the night. Tugger crawled out of his den holding his head. He had a
real hang-over and was glad that everything was so peaceful. “Serves
you right!” Demeter called out to him, when she saw his faced screwed
up in pain. She really didn’t like this kinda thing at all. Mungo seemed
to have no problems whatsoever he walked about sluggishly looking for
something to eat. It seemed that the white patch around one of his eyes
had darkend a little, who knows why. Then Misto appeared in the centre
of the yard like out of the blue. “Aaaaah!!” Electra screamed startled
as Misto appear right in front of her. But Misto looked a little strange,
still with that weird smile on his face. “Are you alright, dear?” Jennyanydots
tried to adress him, putting her paw on his shoulder. “Yes!” Misto
answered somehow rather absent-minded then walked off without another
word. Jenny shook her head. Strange that Tom, but with magical Toms
one could not ever be sure anyway.
Tantomile, Coricopat, Demeter
and Plato were just standing together sniffing the air and looking
at each other unsure. “I say, there is something strange in the air.”
Demeter said worried. The others sniffed the air again and pricked up
their ears to listen for anything suspicious. “Well, I suppose your
right, Demeter. The atmosphere is unusual, even though the sky is blue
and clear.” Corico said to her looking up into the sky checking for
a strange sign. “Yeees! I can feel it, too.” Plato agreed with them.
“I think…..there will be a thunderstorm, oh yes.” Tanto said with surprise
in her voice. All four of them looked up into the sky, but it was all
blue and clear, not a cloud to be seen, the sun shining down onto their
faces. They looked at each other and shrugged. “Oh well,” Corico said,
“how odd!” he added and took Tanto by her paw to walk away with her.
Plato rolled his eyes for a moment deep in thought, then also decided
to look for Munkustrap. Demeter walked off into another direction looking
for Bomba.
Suddenly the air was shook
by loud thunder rumpling right above their heads, and lightning flashing
around in the sky and heavy raindrops poured onto our psychic cats like
in the middle of a bad storm. “What the hell….!” Bomba came rushing
up the hill from the brook when she heard that thundering, since she
could see nothing in the sky above her. Jenny, Munkus, Tugger, Vici,
Cassandra and many more also turned their heads towards the scene. They
all stared into the sky with awe. “Aaawwww!!!” they exclaimed as
if it was a lovely firework they were watching. Three fat dark-grey
rain-clouds had appeared in the sky with wild lightning flashing around
each one and loud thundering to follow. The unnatural thing was, that
each cloud followed one of the psychic jellicles (counting Tanto and
Corico as one). It didn’t matter where they tried to run, the rain-clouds
followed pattering down their raindrops over them to leave them soaking
wet. Tanto and Demeter screaming loudly trying to get away from the
rain. As last resort they crawled into their dens to hide, but the rain-clouds
hovered over them raining only onto that patch, which at the moment,
was the roof of their homes.
Tugger thought it was rather
funny and slapped his thighs with laughter, but Munkus looked at him
gravely, at which Tugger just shrugged and carried on giggling. Suddenly
something banged him on the head, which stopped his laughter after all.
He turned around and saw Pounz and Tumble. “Oii, you cheeky prats! What
you think your doing there?” Pounz looked at him with biiig eyes nearly
in shock, cause he didn’t know how the ball he just found got to Tugger’s
head. Tumble put his paw to his mouth hoping Tugger wouldn’t notice
him if he stayed quiet. Pounz pointed at himself with his index-claw
then shaking his head. “Don’t fool around Pounz and you, Tumble, don’t
pretend to look so terribly innocent.” “We didn’t throw it at you,
Tugger, cross my heart and hope to die.” Tumble now muttered. “Yeah,
I guess your telling me now, it flew through the air all by itself.”
Tugger moaned, his head was still hurting from the loaded night before
and he really wasn’t keen to get it battered even more by a stupid ball.
Tugger picked it up and threw it back to them. “Right, now don’t do
it again.” Tugger turned to Munkustrap. “Well, about them clouds. It’s
rather myst…” Booiiinng!!! The ball hit Tugger’s head again. “Blast!
Leave it alone boys, don’t get me mad!” he gave them a buggered look
and kicked the ball back angrily, rubbing his head again. “Well, Munkus,
as I was saying maybe we should….” Baaanggg!!!!! Right onto Tuggers
head again, with such power, that it knocked him off balance and he
nearly fell forward just about able to keep himself on his feet. Now
Tugger got really furious, he grabbed the ball, stomped over to the
young Toms, who were looking rather worried now but innocent. “Hey,
you comics. What did I tell ya, ey?” “No! it really wasn’t me!” Tumble
said pouting. “Nor me!” Pounz nearly screeched these words, but looked
just a little guilty now. Tugger noticed and raised a brow! “I only
was saying to Tumble…I was wondering..whether I could kick that ball
far enough to…uh..to…to…hit Tugger’s head..” Pounz put his paw to his
mouth. “Ah! Well you did it, Pounz! And not just once!” Tugger shouted
annoyed. “But I never touched the ball, I swear!” “Sure, Pounz, sure,
It grew little paws and jumped through the air by itself. Lame excuse.”
Tugger took the ball and trampled onto it so fiercely it immediately
got flat with a pufffffff!!!! Then he threw it somewhere on the rubbish.
“Right, that’s the end of that, you two little….” Tugger, Pounz and
Tumble were pushed aside by three young charging queens, screaming and
yelling and running like mad around the yard in circles. It was non
other than Sillabub, Electra and Etcetera, the latter one yelling at
the top of her voice while running: “Heelllpp!! These naughty rats won’t
leave us alone!” Most of the jellicles looked up and turned towards
that scene. Three young queens being followed by an armee of black
rats. What was going on? As soon as any of the three stopped for a breather
the rats started climbing all over them, nibbling on their ears and
necks and paws and tails. “What the heck..!” Munkus was lost for words,
“are we not …. Supposed to chase them?” He scratched his ear and shook
his head, his face a blank _expression. “We were chasing a rat, Munkus,
and I only said to Silla, wouldn’t it be weird if they would chase us
instead.” Electra said with a scream as a rat bit her paw, and some
others hanging round her back clinging to her as if they were special
decoration. “the rat heard that, I think and called her mates…” Etcetera
said to Electra trying to make her feel guilty, then jumped up and ran,
as another rat just bit her butt. Munkus held both paws to his temples
and shook his head in disbelief. “I just don’t get it!” Bomba looked
at him and opened her mouth to say her bit, when suddenly Mungojerry
and Rumpleteazer nearly colllided with the racing young queens being
followed by a swarm of bees buzzing round their heads. They waved their
paws about, jumped up and down and through the air, slapping their ears
and swishing through the air with wild movements of their paws and tails.
They were meowing and moaning loudly. Everyone gasped. “Just said,
yes’adaye, moye ‘ead woz buzzin’ loyke a swarm of bees from thee brew
oye ‘ad..” Mungo shouted and the two of them ran down towards the brook
and threw themselves right into it with a loud splash!! Trying so keep
the bees at bay by sprinkling them with water. Jennyanydots came waddling
along moaning: “Take this fork away from my poor bottom, I ask you all
kindly.” Her face looked rather bothered. Alonzo grinned but walked
over to her trying to catch that gigantic silver fork, that kept on
pricking Jenny’s bottom, but whenever he tried to grab it, it moved
away to the side, up or down and it really was a hilarious sight to
watch Alonzo constantly grabbing thin air and Jenny’s cries. “Aaaah!
That’s not fair, I only said, a fork was no use for eating my lovely
soup, when I couldn’t find me spoon!” she cried. Munkustrap sighed loudly
wanting to reply but just then, Old Deuteronomy came stumbling along.
“Pray, dear friends, take away this darn boot that keeps on throwing
itself between my legs!” he called out and fell right over that blasted
boot onto his nose. “ummpf!!” Munkustrap and Tugger went over to help
the poor Tom up again. “I can’t do another step without falling over,”
Old Deuteronomy muttered, “It took a long time to get myself over here.
Now tell me please, what the heck your doing here.” Munkustrap looked
at him helplessly muttering: “No need to tell me what you were sayin’
about that boot, Old D. I can imagine.” Old Deuteronomy looked at him
surprised and Tugger’s face lit up with realization what this was all
about. He was quietly saying to himself: “These lovely queens around
here are no good to be pestered by, I say..” and all of a sudden Bomba,
Tantomile, Demeter, Jellylorum, Victoria and Cassandra felt themselves
incredibly attracted to Tugger and before he could think about the effect
of his mutterings, they all jumped on him hugging him, kissing him,
caressing him and he just lay there on the ground grinning and enjoying
that kinda magic. The ladies didn’t want to do that at all. “Help me
Munkus, I don’t want to kiss Tugger all day!! Do something before I
lose my reputation!!” Cassandra shouted. The other queens called out
similar. Then suddenly Mistoffelees appeared in the middle of the yard,
arms stretched out towards the front like a sleep-walker and his eyes
strangely widend and white, with a red spiralling light shining within
them. Munkustrap approached him slowly and…Misto dissappeared again.
“Oh! Hang on..” Munkus said and look around astonished. Misto appeared
again walking passed Old Deuteronomy who tried to catch him, but …puff!
and Misto was gone again. “I have the feeling this has something to
do with Misto. “ Old Deuteronomy said as his beard started growing fast
and turning green. “Your right,” Munkus said watching his fur turn ginger
with blue spots. “Oh! Dear, we need to do something about that quickly!”
Jenny shouted in between yelps as the fork still pricked her bottom
and Alonzo still jumping around to catch it with his paws turning to
fins like a fish and back to normal again and again. “No haste though,
“ Tugger grinned cuddling the ladies that really were soo loving towards
him. Two black clouds still hovering and raining heavily onto Tantomile
and Demeter, though not a drop touched Tugger.
Old D. closed his eyes and
muttered some words. “What’s he doing?” Victoria said sitting on Tuggers
tummy kissing and cuddling him. “He’s calling on Misto’s father in spirit
– ouch!!” Jenny yelled. Misto appeared and stepped right through the
ladies and across Tugger’s legs. “Ey, watch it Misto, that hurts.” Tugger
called out but then groped the ladies while he still could. The junkyard
took on a misty look seeming to dissappear and reappear again. The
sky turned purple and blue again, yellow and green. It all got absolutely
crazy. Suddenly in between a purple cloud forming in front of Old D.’s
face a black face with white snout appeared. “You called on me?” a spooky
voice vibrated through the air. “Yes, Meffistacolis! We need your help,
as you can see we are in trouble here, and I think your son has something
to do with it. “ Old Deuteronomy explained. Meffistacolis head turned
and looked around the yard and at his son, then laughing loud and hollow
that it echoed like a terrible sound across the junkyard. “You didn’t
head the rules with him.” He said. “He must have gone to party on a
full-moon, which was yesterday!” Meffistacolis laughed on. Munkustrap
threw Tugger a nasty look, who prefered to dissappear amongst the petting
queens. “You have to go and get the magical mushroom from the magical
wood. It’s easy to find your lucky. It shines bright blue in the darkness
of the wood. But if you don’t find it before midnight, you can carry
on like this for a month. Hahahaaa!!!!” Meffistacolis dissappeared.
“Let’s go and quickly get
that mushroom!” Munkustrap called out and a horn appeared on his forehead
like the one the unicorn carry and his eyes kinda squinted at it. “Who
comes along?” Alonzo volunteered and so did Tugger struggling to his
feet. “Ok, the rest of you I guess will have to suffer just a little
longer.” Munkustrap was pushed aside by Misto appearing right on the
spot where Munkus stood. “oofff!” “Let’s go!” Munkus started walking
off and Alonzo and Tugger following quickly. But Tugger couldn’t make
a step without the queen clinging on to him, hanging round his neck
and legs, kissing and nuzzling him so lovingly he hardly got ahead.
Munkustrap turned to watch that szene. “Well I guess you better stay,
Tugger. Enjoy this while you can. Alonzo and I will find the magic thing
alone.”
So they stomped off and out
of the yard towards the magic forrest. It was the most dark forrest
they had ever seen and entered. They couldn’t see a paw before their
eyes, though cats do really see at night quite well. With arms stretched
in front of them they felt their way around. Many times they screeched
out in surprise as weird things touched their faces and bodies. It was
soo sinister. They really didn’t know where to find that mushroom as
it was all pitch black. “I wondered if this is all just a joke of Meffistacolis!
He was known to be a bit of a joker when he still was in the physical
sphere.” Munkustrap said to Alonzo. “Are you still there at all, Alonzo?”
“Yes, yes, I am, look ahead, I can see a lightblue haze, could that
be it?” Indeed, not far away they saw a blue something, that took on
the shape of a mushroom as they got closer. When they stood in front
of it, they were sure that was the solution to their problems. “pick
it, Munkus quickly, we don’t have time.” Alonzo tried to hurry him.
Munkustrap stretched out his paw to pick it and it seemed to move away,
as if they hadn’t reached it yet at all and still needed to walk closer.
“Hey! Whats that?” Munkus exclaimed stunned. “Don’t ask, this is a magic
forrest, lets walk over to it quickly and then grab it straight away.”
Alonzo just advised him. That’s what they did, but just when they reached
the blasted thing, it again seemed miles away glowing in the dark to
attract them yet again, and again and again. The brave Toms were flabbergasted.
“By heavyside! We can carry on like that all evening and not catch it
in time to save Misto and particular the rest of us from our misery..not
including Tugger of course, who seems to enjoy himself.” Alonzo said.
“There must be a trick to it, I guess, but what could it be?” Munkustrap
wondered scratching his chin. “Magic works in all kinda ways, we can
guess until we’re old to find the trick.” Alonzo sighed. “Mushroom!
Stay put!” Munkus tried and grabbed the thing, but again it moved a
few yards further away and they had to follow it again. “Magic Mushroom
come for help!” Alonzo tried and stretched out his paw to watch the
mushroom zip away again. “Mushroom magic do your trick!” Munkus’ turn,
yanking his paw forward like a wild-tom ….swisssshh.. the mushroom moved
away some yards. Quickly the Toms followed. “What can we say? What
magic will make it let us pick it?” Alonzo was getting so desperate.
“I am your Master magic Mushroom!” “Mushroom heal!” “Give me your
power Magic mushy!” “Mushroom stop and be my servant!” “Blasted Mushroom
don’t run off!” “Buggering Thing give magic!” “Sesam mushy open up!”
The ideas started to get really off the subject. The Toms got out of
breath yelling, grabbing and running after the mushroom and time passed
by quickly. Alonzo lay onto his tummy thumping his fists onto the ground.
“You darn, stupid Magic Mushroom, your blasted MINE!” Alonzo screamed
with anger and the mushroom hopped into his paw. Munkustrap would have
surely laughed out loud, if he was able to see Alonzo’s bewildered face
in the darkness. “I got it, Munkus, let’s go quickly.” Alonzo got to
his feet and felt around for Munkus’ paw. The two of them ran along
quickly until they realized they didn’t know where they were running.
“hang on, what now?” Alonzo wondered. “Say something stupid again, maybe
it works.” Munkustrap answered. “Blast! And bloody hell, we want to
be back at the yard, dammit!” A flash of bright light and the two of
them stood right in the middle of their junkyard. “Weird magic woods
these are, they only work if you swear at them.” Alonzo shrugged. “No
wonder, as Meffistacolis took care of it.” Munkustrap sighed.
On the yard the Helter-skelter
couldn’t have been greater. Rumple and Mungo sat on the ground shaking
with cold as they were wet from the brook and couldn’t cope sitting
in it any longer, but getting terribly tired of swishing and wiping
the bees away. They already had many stings, as had the three young
queens bites on them, and Plato, Corico and Demeter and Tanto who were
soaking wet and the latter terribly exhausted kissing Tugger, who still
spread himself on the ground to enjoy his magic. Jenny saw Munkus and
Alonzo appear. “Please, if you found it, give it to Misto quickly, I
can’t take no more pricking at my bottom!” which she hold with both
paws as the fork still jabbed at her. Old D. just stood still, he was
tired of rolling around on the floor cause of stumbling over a blasted
old boot. Alonzo looked for Misto, who still appeared and dissappeared
at all odd places on the yard. “How can we catch him to stuff that mushroom
down his throat?” Alonzo wondered. “Don’t stuff it,” Coricopat suddenly
called out sticking his head out of his den receiving a splash of heavy
rain on his head. “You have to just throw it at him!” It was his intution
that hat fed him this idea. Alonzo threw the mushroom at Misto and the
moment it touched him, the whole junkyard was bathed in bright light,
that stunned their eyes. Then a very loud explosive sound was heard,
it got pitch black and bright again, a whirlwind wrapped itself around
Misto spinning him around and throwing him up into the air. Another
explosion and pink light settled on the whole yard taking Misto gently
down like a feather falling to the floor. Then the pink turned orange
and finally into natural sunlight.
The Jellicles looked around.
The spook was over. Corico and Plato crawled out of their dens and walked
over towards the rest of them. The ladies finally could get off Tugger
and Demeter slapped his face for such an unfair wish he made. Tugger
only grinned at that and held his cheek. The boot was gone, so was the
fork. No rain-clouds to be seen, no bees and rats. They all sighed in
relief. Misto lay on the ground slowly moving himself as if he was just
awaking from a long night of deep sleep. He sat up rubbing his eyes
and looked up in surprise at all the jellicles surrounding him with
stern faces. “uh..good morning all, you wouldn’t believe the dream I
had!” he giggled. “Well, I bet we would!” Munkustrap said sharply and
dug his paws into his hips.
Of course Mistoffelees had
to listen to a long sermon by Munkustrap, and got quite a telling off,
that surely he would never forget. Everyone was rather glad that life
could finally continue as before. Except maybe Tugger. He sneaked over
to where Misto was sitting on a tyre taking in the mellow rays of the
setting sun a month later and put his paw on Misto’s shoulder whispering:
“Well, mate, how about a little brew or two? I pay!”
Fin
Tuggerine