The Cat That Walked By Himself

Long, long ago, all the animals were wild. The Dog was wild. The Horse was wild. The Cow was wild. And the wildest of all was the Cat, who walked by himself, and to whom all places were the same.

Then one day, a Woman found a nice dry cave, and she lit a nice fire, and she laid clean sand on the floor, and she made the cave into a home. In the evening she cooked wild mutton on the stones, and the smell drifted out into the Wild Wood where the animals lived.

'What is that light?' said the animals. 'What is that smell?'

Dog said, 'I shall go and see.'

Dog trotted up to the cave, and the Woman gave him a beautiful roast mutton bone. 'Stay,' she said, 'if you will help my Man to hunt, and guard the cave at night.'

Dog ate the bone. He agreed. And he became the First Friend.

Next day, Horse came trotting up, drawn by the smell of the sweet dried hay the Woman had cut. The Woman gave him hay. 'Stay,' she said, 'if you will carry us on your back.'

Horse ate the hay. He agreed. And he became the First Servant.

Next day, Cow came, drawn by the same sweet hay. 'Stay,' said the Woman, 'if you will give us your milk each morning.'

Cow ate the hay. She agreed.

But the Cat watched all of this from the shadows.

'I do not want to be a friend,' Cat said to himself. 'I do not want to be a servant. But I DO want the warm fire, and the warm milk, and a soft place to sleep.'

So he padded up to the cave one evening.

'Please,' said Cat, most sweetly, 'may I sit by your fire?'

'No,' said the Woman. 'You are neither a friend nor a servant. Away with you.'

'Ah,' said the Cat. 'But I am clever. Let us make a bargain. If ever you say one kind word about me, I may sit inside the cave. If you say two, I may sit by the fire. If you say three, I may drink the warm milk.'

'Very well,' said the Woman, laughing. 'But I shall never say a single kind word.'

That night, a great fat baby was born in the cave. And the baby cried, and cried, and cried. The Woman was very tired.

The Cat padded in. He rubbed against the baby's cheek. He tickled the baby's chin with his tail. And the baby stopped crying, and laughed, and fell asleep.

'Oh,' said the Woman gratefully, 'what a wonderful thing you have done!'

And with those kind words, the Cat crept into the cave and sat quite comfy by the door.

Later, the Woman was spinning wool, and again the baby began to fuss. The Cat took the end of the wool and made it dance and skip and roll. The baby laughed and reached for the wool. And the Cat purred and purred until the baby fell asleep again.

'Oh,' said the Woman, 'you are wonderfully clever!'

And with those kind words, the Cat crept further in and sat by the warm fire.

Then a mouse ran across the floor, and the Woman screamed and jumped on a stool. Quick as a wink, the Cat caught the mouse.

'Oh!' said the Woman. 'Even the Dog cannot catch mice as fast as that. You are a marvel!'

And with those kind words, the Cat drank the warm white milk that stood beside the fire.

'I have kept my bargain,' said the Cat, purring. 'But I am not a friend, and I am not a servant. I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are the same to me.'

And so, from that day, the Cat sits by the fire, and drinks the warm milk, and lives half in the cave with the humans. But at night — when the moon rises — he goes out again into the Wild Wood, and walks alone.

That is why, my dear, every cat you meet does what he pleases. He belongs to no one. He is the Cat who walks by himself.