Phelicity in Writer's Society, page 3

March 2004

My Limerick

There was a white kitty called Nublin,
Whose lack of adventure was troublin'.
No longer serene,
She dyed her fur green
And went to a party in Dublin.

Essay: Women in History

The Fascinating Colette
~by Phelicity Marie Dauphine

Colette was the pen name of the famous French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. She was born in 1873 in the Burgundy Region of France. When she was 20, she married Henri Gauthier-Villars. Her career as a writer spanned from her early 20s to her mid-70s. But her first books, the Claudine series, were published under her husband's name!

She divorced that husband (I can certainly see why!) and worked in the music halls of Paris, until she married Henri de Jouvenel, a newspaper editor, in 1912. During World War I she was a freelance journalist, and she also converted her home into a hospital.

After the war, and the publication of her novel "Cheri", Colette's writing career bloomed. She divorced the second Henri and went on to write about fifty novels total. All her books were clever and intimate, and many had autobiographical elements. Her most popular novel, "Gigi," which she wrote at the age of 72, was made into a Broadway play and then a very successful movie, starring a young dancer named Leslie Caron as Gigi.

Meanwhile, she had married a man named Maurice Goudeket in 1935, making her full name Sidonie Gabrielle Claudine Colette Gauthier-Villars de Jouvanel Goudeket. What a remarkable name! It's way longer than mine. It might even be longer than Elizabeth Taylor's. She seems to have found happiness that time. At least she didn't divorce that one. Being a wise woman, perhaps she knew cats are superior to men. Because yes, Colette was owned by not just one cat, but many throught her life.

The main cat, and most easily proven, who owned Colette was a purebred French Chartreux who was actually named Franchette. Colette wrote one of her most popular books about that cat, in which she gave her the name "Saha". The book was "La Chatte", published in 1933. It is still in print today, over 70 years later.

Many other cats lived with Colette and were deeply loved by her during her life. Among them were Kiki-la-Doucette ("Doucette" is French for "gentle one"), La Chatte Derniere, La Touteu, Minionne, Muscat, Petiteu, and Toune.

When she died in Paris in 1954, Colette was only the second woman to have ever become a Grand Officier of the Legion of Honor, and she was given a state funeral, but she was refused church rites because of her lifestyle, which was quite daring for her time. She was a fascinating woman, a talented writer, and extremely quotable! I'm sure you have heard:

"There are no ordinary cats."
"By associating with the cat, one only risks becoming richer."
"Time spent with cats is never wasted."
all by Colette.

April 2004

Flight of Fancy
by Phelicity

It was the biggest bird I ever saw! All white, with huge long legs and a long, sharp beak.His wings spread out as wide as the big table I was on. He stopped to rest on the big trash can right outside my window.

"Hello, dearie. Getting a bit of sun?" the bird squawked. Oh. It was a she. If birds have grannies, that must be what they sound like.

"Ummm....., err,.." I stammered. I'd never been spoken to by a giant bird before. Then I saw she had a small blanket under her. "Is that your blankie?" I asked.

"Sure is, dearie. This what I wrap the babies in to deliver them to their new parents."

My wide blue eyes got wider. "Why does mew do that?" I asked her.

"Heehee!" she cackled, "That's my job. I'm a stork. But I only had one to deliver today, and tomorrow's my day off. Think I'll go sightseeing where the sun is warmer than it is here."

"Where would that be?" I mewed.

"My. my, you are full of questions," she twittered. And went on, as she saw me lower my eyes and blush, "That's all right. Ask questions, get answers. That's how you learn. Good girl."

"How does mew know I'm a girl?" I mewgiggled.

The stork cackled long and loud. "Dearie, I'm an expert. It's my business to know those things." Her blankie was blue and it looked soft. I wanted to reach out a paw and touch it, but the screen was in the way. She saw my eyes on it, reached over with her pointy beak, and ripped the bottom of the screen all loose! I backed away. "You can sit on my blanket if you like", she called.

I looked at that strong, pointy beak. "Is mew gonna peck me?"

"Oh, of course not, dearie. I may be big, but I'd never hurt you. Storks have to be very trustworthy and gentle, you know." So I crept slowly through the big flap in the screen to jump over and sit on the blankie. Oh my, it was soft.

"My name's Madeline," the stork said. "What's yours, dearie?" I told her my name is Fancy, which it is. "What do you weigh, little Fancy?" she asked. "Doesn't look like much to me."

"My mommy says I weigh seven pounds," I replied. Did she cock her head at me? Real quizzical? "My mommy's a human", I explained.

Did she raise her eyebrows? Well, she would have if she had any. But she only said, "That's just what I'm used to carrying. How would you like to come with me and see some pretty sights?"

"But...but...well,....umm," I stammered, as Madeline folded first one, then the other blankie corner over my paws. She stopped, cocked her big head at me, and waited. "My mommy will miss me", I mewed.

"That human who just drove away in the car?" she asked. "We'll be back before she gets home." She folded the third blankie corner up over my head, but I could see her little black eyes twinkling. "Okay," I gulped. "What I gotta do?"

"Just lie down and get comfy," she said, lifting the fourth blankie corner. So I did, and I felt her drape it over me and gather all four corners in her beak. Then I heard her giant wings flutter and whisper loud, and felt myself lifted up into the air!

"Dick your head oud da side", she hollered with a beak full of blankie, and I did. Swoosh! We lifted way above the elm trees - all of me but my tummy! My tummy soon caught up, though; I was so enchanted with all the beautiful sights below. Flowering trees that looked like balls of pink or white feathers from up high, little bitty houses and, in the distance, a bright blue lake!

"You eder see da ocean?" Madeline croaked.

"N..n...no, I nefur did," I mewed breathlessly. "Is that it?"

"Naahh", she replied, "Hold on!" Well, I dug my claws into that blankie and rested my chin on the side opening just in time. Swooosh again, and we flew even higher.

The sun was brighter and warmer. We flew over little tiny cities and patches of brown earth and green grass, and then I saw the white tops of some high mountains! "Eeeek!" I squeaked, "those are big!" Soon we dipped and flew lower, and I could see a riot of colors down there. It must have been a jillion miles of flower gardens, pink, red and purple, yellow, white and blue. Oh, it was beautiful!

Up ahead was big stretches of sandy looking ground, and deep, dark green patches of growth that seemed to be steaming, then more sandy stuff, and then.... I saw it! It covered the whole edge of the world, all greenish blue with white foam and dark shadows rolling and moving on it! The ocean! Madeline swooped low, lower, with the earth and ocean rising up to meet me, and I squealed and closed my eyes!

Then I felt something solid under me, and Madeline scrabbled about, folding her wings. I peeked out. We was on a roof top. The sun was warm and nice, the whole world was pink and blue and sandy, and the ocean was purring! It had a low, swishy, rumbly purr. "I didn't know the ocean could purr!" I mewed in wonder.

Madeline cocked her head at me. "Well, I guess all the best things can purr, little Fancy," she said. She flew down without me and brought back a nice fresh fish. We shared it for dinner. We watched the sun roll lower in the sky, turning it pink and gold and red, shimmering on the far edge of the ocean.

"It's getting late!" she croaked suddenly, and hurriedly gathered the four blankie corners again. We lifted off with a turn, and started away from the glorious ocean. I got so dreamy and sleepy, I think I slept and purred all the way home. Before I knew it, I was plopped on the trash can outside my window again. I yawned and stretched, wiggled my tail, and looked at Madeline. She looked furry pleased. Did she smile? Well, if storks could smile, she would have.

"Thank mew for that wonderful adventure, and showing me the ocean!" I meowed.

"Thank you for the company, little Fancy," she croaked, gathered her blankie, and wafted herself gracefully into the air. I crept back in my window and watched till she was out of sight. Then I heard my mommy calling me. I jumped off the table and ran to tell her about it. Oh, how I do wish she could understand me!

April Poem

The Walk-along Robin

When I looked out the window
One rainy, springy day,
I saw a Robin Redbreast
Come walking this way.

Across the street on little legs,
He came into my yard.
I wondered if his wings were wet
And that made flying hard.

Only birds have wings to fly,
That's why they're hard to catch.
I'd love to have some wings myself,
I'd be the robin's match!

Robins walking in my yard
Always catch my eye,
But it's a puzzle to me.
Would you walk if you could fly?

May

The Afternoon of the Nyokat

I live on a planet called Mirror. Did you know there was such a place? Oh yes, and it's very much like another planet, but in a different dimension. Humans and kitties live here, too. No, I can't tell you how to find it. For one thing, I don't know. I'm only a kitty. My name is Yticilehp.

In the part of Mirror where I live, we speak the same languages as parts of Earth, English and Feline. That's why you can understand me.

One afternoon, when I had decided to gather my toys and put them away, I heard an enticing humming coming from a bunch of toys in the corner. I turned to look, and I saw a toy kind of like a fuzzy eisuom that I hadn't seen before. It spoke at me! "Play with me!" it said, showing pointy sharp teeth. "I'm soft and battable."

I ventured closer. I never had a toy that spoke before. "Play with me!", it said, and raised its paw, showing pointy sharp claws. "I'm fuzzy and chewable."

"What are you?" I asked in my best Feline.

"I'm your Nyokat", it said, with beady little eyes glittering.

It didn't act much like a toy to me, but you know what they say about curiosity? They say it here, too. I went to pat at the Nyokat. But when I touched it, it was hard like metal, and it tried to bite me! I barely jerked my paw away in time, and ran across the room. It came after me, chattering its pointy teeth like it really wanted to bite me! This was no kitty toy! I ran into the bedroom, and it ran after me, with a rat-a-tat-tat of hard, pointy feet. Scootching under the bed, I turned and I could see it coming after me. Its mouth grew wider, making scary "heh-heh-heh" sounds and its eyes blazed purple. What kind of a horrid little monster was this? I struggled out the other end from the bed and ran for the closet. Thank goodness my human leaves the closet door open! The Nyokat was right behind me, making awful noises and trying to bite my tail! I was so terrified, I made a huge leap to the highest shelf, scrabbling to get my hind feet up there, too.

I almost didn't make it. But as I got all of me up there, I knocked off a big hat, and it fell right on top of the Nyokat, plop! It began to growl fiercely, and the top of the hat was jumping as it tried to fight its way out. Any second the jumping was going to move the hat enough for it to get out! I meowwwed as loud as I could!

All the commotion brought my human running to see what in this world was going on. "What are you doing up there?" my human asked. "Why do you look so scared?"

"Mewww! Myowww!" I cried frantically. Then my human looked down at the noisy hat jumping and growling, and her eyes got wide as mine.

"Oh don't lift the hat!" I cried in terror, but she didn't understand me! I'm not furry good at English. She bent down to pick up the hat, but the raspy growls coming from beneath it stopped her. She stood up, lifted her leg, and Squoooosh! stomped her foot hard on the hat. Crack, rattle, whirrr, went the hat, and all was still. I held my breath when she bent down again to pick it up, sighing because the hat was ruined. Underneath it lay a furry small pile of little metal chips, short wires, and beads. Some of the beads looked like teeth to me, but nothing moved. My human looked so puzzled. Then she went to get the Busterdust and swerped up the whole little pile with that. It was gone.

My human reached up her arms for me, and I got a good, long cuddle. I was so relieved that scary Nyokat was gone! Later on, I went to bat my toys and started putting them all in a nice, neat pile in the doorway, cause that's where toys belong. But I looked up to where my human had hung the Busterdust. Was it humming? Was it rattling a little? Oh dear. Oh dear.