Prudence the Persian cat lay in front of the unlit fire in Miss Diana’s writing room, waiting patiently to see how many offspring she would produce. She was a wee bit uncomfortable, but enjoyed basking in Miss Diana’s constant mothering and all the attention that merely having kittens could engender. Prudence rather liked being the centre of attention, she felt as if she were the only cat in the world to have a litter.
That was until a distant thunder-like rumble shattered the equilibrium of the mellow afternoon. Miss Diana raised her head from her busy tapping at the keyboard and gazed out the window,
“ Poor Delilah.” She murmured to herself.
“ Poor Delilah, my whiskers!” sniffed Prudence. This was just too much indignity to bear, not only did a zoo have the audacity to have itself establish right next door to the farm, than one of the ‘big cats’ Delilah by name, announces that she was in the family way— at the same time as Prudence.
To add insult to injury, who’s photo was being played on everyones television set or splashed across the newspapers? Delilah’s that’s who. Yes Prudence was feeling decidedly put out. She glowered at anyone who stopped to inquire how she felt and had become so objectionable that even Miss Diana had told her that she was behaving in a particularly catty manner that not even her delicate condition could excuse.
Truth was that like most expectant mothers Prudence had reached the end of her patience with all this waiting around for these kittens to make an appearance. Even the constant fuss and attention was getting on her nerves. After all a cat had a life to live, trees to climb ,mice to catch, chickens to chase. Yes life was passing her by, and after all kittens come and kittens go. She only had nine lives and if she had counted correctly, due to several mishaps during adventuring, she was on her sixth life already. One could simply not afford to fritter time away waiting for kittens to arrive. Prudence raised her furry head and looked around the room. She sniffed once or twice, then before Miss Diana had typed to the end of the line, and showing amazing agility for one in such a delicate position— Prudence torpedoed out of the room down the winding stairway, out the front door and up into the mulberry tree.
Here she clung on to the branch and planned what to do next. As she sat there panting just a little, Prudence surveyed the back yard. It really was quite amazing what one could see when elevated to this height. Gazing around Prudence thought she saw something moving in the tall weeds near the hen house. Her eyes narrowed and she tried to see what it was that had caught her attention. Just a worm, although a very plump one, she mused and was about to turn away when she realised that the worm was attached to something. Prudence felt her fur stand on end, every muscle in her feline body tensed. Mouse! If she was not mistaken (and she very rarely was) that was no worm, but the fat rear end of young juicy mouse.
