I love little pussy, her coat is so warm; And if I don’t
hurt her she’ll do me no harm. So I’ll not pull her tail nor drive her away,
But pussy and I very gently will play.
(traditional nursery rhyme)
My cat Gafa and I are the best of friends. We got her on St.
Patrick’s Day, which happens to be my birthday, and it was the greatest present
of all. We found her in an alley and instantly knew that she belonged in our
family. She used to be cranky and scratch me when I would pet her too much.
And if I don’t hurt her she’ll do me no harm.
I am beginning to understand what Gafa likes and dislikes,
but now I am starting to wonder what is going on in her head. It’s like she
communicates with me and can understand what I am saying.
Help! Help! I'm a human trapped in a cat's body! I can’t take this anymore. I have been placed in this body by the evil Leprechaun, Charlie, and there is only one way to get
me back to my 20 year old self. I must return to the alley where I was found. I
do not know why Charlie turned me into a cat of all things, but all I know is
that I want out. If I continue to gain Taylor's trust (my owner), then I can
hopefully get out of this body. All I need is for Taylor to understand the
signs I have been giving her. These signs include trying to eat human food,
meowing at every human, and sitting in every pair of shoes I can find. So far
it has been a bust, but if I continue then hopefully she will one day
understand. I truly love Taylor, but I am ready to go back to my human body.
But pussy and I very gently will play
I find it very strange that Gafa tends to sit in my shoes,
and she loves eating my pizza. I feel like every time she does one of these
weird things, she is telling me something. I haven’t quite put my finger on it.
My favorite part of hanging out with Gafa is that she sleeps with me every
night and makes me feel loved. I hope I never lose her.
Author's note
The original nursery rhyme is about an owner and a cat and they share a special bond. The owner quickly learns the things that the cat likes and dislikes and creates a relationship based on this. This relationship reminded me of the movie "Hocus Pocus" and how the cat in the movie was actually a teenage boy trapped in the cat's body by the witch. I used this and tweaked it some to put my own twist on it. The name Gafa means trapped in Irish. There is a tie to Ireland because of this and because of the evil Leprechaun.
Bibliography
This traditional nursery rhyme is called "Pussy and I Very Gently Will Play". It is from The Nursery Rhyme by Andrew Lang Web Source
I like that you picked a rhyme about a cat because I know you like animals. I loved that you really thought outside of the box and referenced Hocus Pocus. I did not remember it at first and then it came to me that there was a guy stuck in a cat's body in the movie. I think it is interesting that way you mentioned that the cat likes to sit in human shoes and eat pizza. I can see how that could be perceived as a human stuck in a cat's body.
ReplyDeleteAh, I love how you put a Hocus Pocus spin on this! My favorite thing was the way you interwove your narrative with appropriate lines of the nursery rhyme, giving it a really cool weight and resonance. The juxtaposition of both of the narrators’ last lines is really nice, too: “Gafa” wanting to leave, and Taylor wanting to be together forever. It ends with that bittersweet promise of an unhappy ending for someone being on the horizon, but doesn’t quite take it there yet, which is my favorite kind of ending. Nicely done.
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