The Rescuer

by Leo

I was sitting on my devoted slave's lap while she was watching a video of the musical "Carousel" which I'd heard her tell her friends was marvelous and her favourite musical. I couldn't understand why she liked it as she always cried at the end but then humans are strange creatures who are most illogical. At least I wasn't having to endure one of her favourite opera which she often played loudly enough to make my fur stand on end and yet she has the cheek to complain if I mew too loudly and my voice is far nicer than any opera singers' ! "It's going dark early tonight. " my devoted slave remarked as she got up to draw the curtains and put the light on, cruelly ejecting me from her lap in the process. She then went into the kitchen to get a drink and I followed her hoping she'll fill my dish. She did as she's well trained, though it was only ordinary tuna flavoured cat food and not my favourite gourmet variety, I was just wondering whether I ought to go on hunger strike but decided against it as the food isn't too bad really and I was very hungry, when there was a loud clap of thunder overhead and all the lights went out. Ginger, who is very nervous, scuttled under his chair at the sound, while I calmly continued eating. I was surprised to hear my devoted slave shriek, as I know she's no more afraid of storms than I am but then I realised it was because she's fallen over the table leg. I'd momentarily forgotten than yet another way in which humans are inferior to cats, is their inability to see in very dim light. My mother Queenie and my sister Josephine had come to investigate what was going on and the darkness was illuminated by four pairs of shining eyes. My devoted slave started to move round the room holding on to the furniture and fumbling around until she found a torch and switched it on. She shut us in the kitchen while she went out through the front door to brave the tempest. We could hear the echo of her voice as she called "Is anyone there?" A few minutes later she returned shaking her head and dripping wet. "It seems the whole street is without power." she said "the storm must have brought the cables down." It was starting to get very cold in the house as all the electric heaters had gone off with the power. Our devoted slave knocked over several ornaments while looking for a towel, as she'd forgotten to take the torch with her. I felt rather sorry for her, as humans are so hopeless without all the luxuries of modern life. We cats like our comforts but if we had to live rough we could as we have our fur coats to keep us warm and our hunting skills so that we don't go hungry. " I can't even make a cup of tea or cook a hot meal !" our devoted slave was grumbling. "I feel wretched. Let's go to bed." She picked up the torch, which had grown noticeable dimmer in the last few moments and now was starting to flicker. "Oh no! " she exclaimed", the battery is going and I haven't got another. I'll have to get a candle." We watched her anxiously as she fumbled around in the cellar where the candles are kept, hoping she wouldn't fall down the steps, as humans don't land on their feet as we do and who would feed us if she were injured? Luckily, she'd left the candles and the matches near the door and with a few minutes, the room was eerily illuminated by flickering candlelight. I followed her as she cautiously made her way upstairs and climbed into bed fully dressed. As her electric blanket wasn't working, I felt it was my duty to keep her warm as she doesn't have a fur coat like I do. I was rather taken aback though when instead of blowing the candle out once she was safely in bed, she left it burning on the bedside table. I have a confession to make. I've been rather scared of candles since I once went too near one and scorched my beautiful tale. I still shudder at the shame of it ! Almost as if she sensed my thoughts, she said, "Don't worry, Leo, I won't fall asleep. It's too dark to blow out the candle without the streetlights on outside. The power should be back soon and I want to have my supper . I'm too hungry to sleep." She settled down and I made myself comfortable too. We sat and waited and waited and waited but apart from the flickering candle, everywhere was in pitch darkness. Then to my dismay, I realised she had fallen asleep. I waited for a while hoping she would wake up as it was now dawn and some light was starting to creep into the room through the chinks in the curtains, but still she slept. I realised I had to act as the candle was burning low. I tried mewing but she only stirred a little, then I patted her nose with my paw. "Go back to sleep, Leo!" she said drowsily obviously having forgotten our situation. Drastic action was called for. I unsheathed my savage claws and hit her hard on the nose again. The effect was instantaneous as she woke up with a start and sat bolt upright. "Leo whatever are you doing?" She exclaimed and then realised the peril she was in and hastily blew out the candle. She hugged me tight. "You clever cat! I should never have fallen asleep. You're the best cat in the world, Leo." She said. I felt so proud and wished my mother and Josephine and Ginger could see how I'd saved them all from danger. "I wonder when the power will come back on." My devoted slave said as she scrambled out of bed in search of something to eat. I was pleased when I saw she was having cereal as I like to lick the bowl afterwards but the milk was frozen so I had to wait a while, but then as suddenly as it had gone off the power returned. Later that day, my devoted slave went to the shop and bought me a tin of fresh tuna to thank me for waking her up. I was relieved to see she'd bought some batteries for the torch as well. Humans are very foolish at times, I thought as I tucked into the tuna. Word List Provided by: Mewsette