Friday 25 March 2016

The Mew - part two!

THE MEW MARTIANS



Meanwhile, the previous stowaways, ten to begin, then 16 by the time they arrived on Mars, were making arrangements for housing the next Mew. They knew that 100 had set off, but the total on arrival would be much higher.

Special screens were made to hide the Mew from the Bipeds, they managed to replicate the natural colours so well that they couldn't see them when they were finished. A Mew manned the radio constantly to keep in touch with Mew everywhere.  Fortunately they were able to augment their food via the computers and scraps rescued from the Bipeds waste system. Their finds had enabled the current voyagers to increase what they had with them for the journey and make a good effort at preparing for their future life on Mars. The Bipeds on the spaceship were not very good at utilising all their food stores, so waste was collected for examination and reuse. All-in-all, the Mew arrived on Mars with more food than they had at the start of their journey, despite having extra Mew to feed.

On board the ship, the 100 Mew had increased to 160, just enough for their quarters. The Matriarch's grandson was the oldest and more resourceful of all the Mew. Dusty had beautiful silvery grey hair and reminded his grandmother of her first husband, being fleet of foot and with a slim body. He constantly spied on the Bipeds, borrowing strange items for scientists to examine - and returning them without being caught - and was proficient at finding food. He even managed to arrange for the Biped's computer to have a hiccough on the first attempt to land on Mars, to give the stowaways time to leave unnoticed. Evem though their silver crafts were invisible, there was a chance that so  many Mew leaving at the same time would be noticeable because of the combined weight!

The Mew already on Mars were watching the sky eagerly, of course the silver craft were visible to them, and were pleased to see them arrive safely in the designated area. Ushering the newcomers to the living quarters didn't take long and all Mew found somewhere to watch the Bipeds land. They noticed that the original Bipeds went to greet the newcomers. Dusty took advantage to check the work area they left. All-in-all, there wasn't much that was new, although some plants were unknown, so he borrowed them for the scientists to inspect. It turned out they were very important food items. Very small samples were taken, then Dusty returned the plants.

A young Mew from the first group was quite interested in Dusty, and made herself known to his family. Tamsin was slightly younger than he was, but had the same silvery grey hair, and everyone soon realised that they would eventually be a good partnership.

When "spying" on the Bipeds, Dusty found there were some changes ahead. The original group were returning to Earth very soon, in the last ship, and then someone would rescue the last crew. There was a problem with the first ship, so it needed repairing before it could return to Earth. Little did anyone know that he had done the damage in order to find out what was happening. Three Mew would return to Earth with all the silver crafts they could find. Dusty had discovered that the Earth's plans for Mars had changed dramatically in that once the Bipeds had all left, there were only going to be sensors left in case of alien occupation. It was too costly to maintain manned visits and/or outposts.

Every Mew was delighted at the news, all Mew would be able to live on Mars in the near future - the Biped sensors could easily be manipulated to keep their presence from everyone. However they knew it wouldn't be possible for a grand reconciliation for a long time - how they wished the Bipeds had discovered how to have their ships fly more quickly!

The Mew were preparing for the influx that would arrive with the next Biped ship when they received a radio message - Bipeds were on their way, with new ships and fuel! And many Mew were with them! In order to take full advantage of the opportunity, 250 Mew had found space to hide from the Bipeds and used their silver crafts to ease the pressure of numbers cramped together! These |Mew would vow never to travel like that ever again!

There wasn't a lot of time to prepare for many new arrivals, so they had to make some kind of basic accommodations in an area unmonitored by the Bipeds and create hidden areas, just in case. They had a radio with them as they didn't want to miss the arrival of some family members. It wasn't too long before they returned to the landing site - and marvelled at the sight of so many silver craft leaving the spaceship. Plans had been made for as many silver craft as possible would return to Earth for the eventual return to Mars with all Mew.

The new Bipeds had thoroughly checked the old ship and discovered it had too much damage, so it was best left there. The Mew were intrigued by the attitude of the Bipeds - too much rubbish and waste strewn here, there and everywhere - a common trait of most of the Bipeds. However, the Mew decided to use the old ship as accommodation for those who were finding life on Mars difficult to cope with.

Meanwhile, Dusty and Tamsin approached the Matriarch to seek permission to marry each other. They were asked to wait a while longer as they were slightly on the young side for such an understanding. Instead there was a betrothal party, which marked their intentions for every Mew to see. This raised the spirits of those Mew who were bemoaning the fact that family members were still on Venus and Earth. There were no objections, every Mew could see that they were a natural couple.








DUSTY'S STORY



Born on the second journey to Mars, fleeing from Earth - which wasn't a good place for Mew to live, Dusty was the grandson of the Matriarch. With beautiful silvery grey hair, his stature reminded her of her first husband who had died many years before. She saw signs that Dusty would be a great leader of the Mew - a natural-born leader!

She told no-one of this, letting the future take care of itself as she had learned many years before. However she made sure Dusty, and other youngsters, learnt about their own planet and the proud history of the Mew. The older Mew realised what was happening and they took turns in passing on their knowledge. Some of them had heard about his grandsire from their elders, and could recognise the signs in Dusty.

As the large group of Mew grew eager to leave the confines of their quarters and relished the idea of 'fresh air' again!  Fortunately Mew were not ones to get over-excited, so no excessive celebrating took place. After all they weren't 'there' yet! And then they were in their silver crafts, flying down to an area of Mars where no Bipeds ever went  - or monitored. Welcome deep breaths of fresh air took up at least five minutes before they greeted each other, and then the original group made themselves known. 

Talks about conditions, etc, were left to the next day, it was more important to see what the Bipeds were doing before they settled down for their first night on solid ground in a long time. Some of the youngest Mew were having trouble, the newness after being in the spaceship for all of their short lives gave them problems.  Just before the Matriarch decided to talk to them, Dusty and a young female with the same stature and silvery grey hair went to talk to them - even though Dusty had landed with the youngsters, the two gravitated to each other at first sight. The yougsters were happy that Dusty joined them, they had grown very close to him on the long flight, and he could  discuss what was happening much easier than anyone older.

In fact, Dusty and Tamsin were mainly found together, with the youngsters in tow. He had knowledge that surprised the older Mew - it covered the time before Planet Mew moved to the Milky Way Galaxy! Very few of the Mew remembered that time. Although he spent a lot of time with the youngsters, he still managed to check on the Bipeds areas and see what he could find.

After a good sleep, the Matriarch and her counterpart from the first group, not yet a Matriarch, discussed the conditions on Mars and how best to prepare for the eventual arrival of an unknown number of Venusian and Earth Mew - at least a thousand they thought!

Then everything changed, a message from outside the galaxy caused concerns far beyond their current problems. The message was from the Martians and Venusians - telling of changes in the Milky Way Galaxy, that all the planets would  disappear due to changes in the Sun. Maps and directions to a new planet and galaxy where the Martians and Venusians had created living quarters, etc, for their Mew friends. Only the older Mew remembered their friends, who had been perfect neighbours and were excited about the prospect of meeting up with them again.  At the same time there was sadness about the Mew who intended to stay with Bipeds on Earth. However, they didn't tell them about the future catastrophe, just gave them the news about moving elsewhere to meet up with their old friends again so they could make a final choice on what they did.

Meanwhile, the scientists were busy ensuring that food, etc, would be available to many more Mew, although one was tasked with creating bloodlines to show that Dusty and Tamsin were not related - they were so similar that even those who saw the lineage chart when Dusty was born were confused. At the same time two separate scientists were given the same task - all three unaware of the others. As the Matriarch had always said - they were not genetically linked - and so it was confirmed.

Meanwhile the last Biped ship from Earth was crammed with Mew, eager to finally be on Mars. The numbers were high, but with their silver crafts they could spend time alone for a while. Some wished they could just fly to Mars in them, but realised that it was easier for those already there to have the influx all at once - while the Bipeds on Mars were distracted by their ship arriving. Some Mew who relished the thought of being free just to be themselves, were happy to wait a little longer - just a little longer!

All the youngsters were given low-key lectures on how to ensure everyone's safety on Mars, and even some older Mew attended these classes, to give the impression that every Mew needed to know these important topics. It was expected that there would be no births in the last four months of their journey, the cramped conditions would be dangerous.

The Matriarch had sent radio messages to all the Mew to announce the nuptials of Dusty and Tamsin. The Mew en route were pleased to have something good to look forward to - the adults on board the ship and those on Venus had heard of the fate for the galaxy and hoped that every Mew would arrive on Mars before the Mew left for good. As was expected, the marriage ceremony managed to distract some Mew from the reason for the evacuation plans. And, despite the happy couple being slightly too young, all the adult Mew knew that it was a fitting end to their time in this galaxy and a great beginning to living near to the Martians and Venusians again.

As the final preparations for the Mew exodus from the galaxy, several silver craft arrived from Earth - tension between Biped and Mew was causing repeated attacks on the latter, for no apparent reasons. No-one knew the reason behind this, but thought it may be due to the disappearence of other Mew. In spite of not being allowed to talk to Bipeds, the Mew who had decided to leave at this late hour, told their 'friends' that they had enjoyed their lives together but had to leave because of problems on another planet - they couldn't bring themselves to tell the truth. Their Bipeds were very understanding - if somewhat taken aback to be spoken to in their own languages at this time - and some even gave small souvenirs and photos to their Mew, which nearly caused a change of plans. Fortunately, the sound of unruly Bipeds hitting Mew made them realise it was too dangerous to stay!

It wasn't the best news to arrive just after Dusty and Tamsin married each other, but at least they were to be together for ever and eager to start their own lives in their new home and on the new Planet Mew. All female Mew were asked to be celibate until they eventually reached it - but it was slightly too late for Tamsin, who had enjoyed the night after the wedding! However, there were one or two female Mew in the same position, and no-one could accuse them of breaking the rule! As it happened. it took longer than expected to leave Mars - and all of the new Mew were old enough to enjoy their first expedition when they did!

Over time there were several Mew resembling Dusty amd Tamsin, and they had the same traits, so it was only natural that, as time went by, they would be very involved in Mew life. Every Mew felt privileged to be their friends!





HOME, SWEET HOME


Finally the time had come for the Mew to leave the galaxy forever. They had enjoyed their short tenure on Mars, but radio communications from their 'old' friends, Venusians and Martians had whet their appetites for space expoloration. The fact that the Milky Way's Sun was changing and would rip the galaxy apart was the spur needed to move to their new Mew Home.

The Mew who had opted to stay on Earth were torn between leaving their Bipeds or rejoining their own kind. A deadline was given to them as the Mew wished to leave while there was still a measure of calm in the galaxy. Eventually just 100 Mew stayed behind while the others went to Mars. About half of them decided to leave after all, so they arrived just in time to join the exodus. Messages were left with details of the journey in case other Mew decided to go after all!

Some of the senior Mew could remember their journey to the Milky Way, on their own planet, and quite liked this different method. Their silver craft were so fast that they took little time before they were travelling through other galaxies until they came to their new home - slowing down en masse to take in all the items they could see! 

All too soon the planets were before them, the maps were so detailed and accurate that they knew their past friends hadn't forgotten some of their likes. A flashing beacon on one planet was the signal to tell them it was their new home. The Mew liked what they could see as they got nearer and ever nearer - everything was just right! Most of them were happy to be home again! 

The younger Mew were very excited and wanted to explore everything, however they were persuaded, quite easily, by Dusty and Tamsin to eat and have a sleep! And the older Mew needed no second telling to go to sleep - despite the short, yet fast, journey they had been worried and excited. The next morning was spent exploring their new planet, and they were delighted with the facilities provided by Martians and Venusians, and maps had been printed in all three languages. The young Mew would have to learn the two languages, which at first seemed a chore, but with Dusty and Tamsin being in the same boat they happily settled down.

A few weeks later a number of Mew arrived, with sad stories of the end of the Milky Way Galaxy. They had waited as long as possible, hoping others would join them or the destruction didn't happen. Signs of their experiences were visible on faces and in hair. Some had developed nervous tics in their faces, and all were haunted by the knowledge that many Mew had been lost. Fortunately, with time, their features relaxed and they lost the feelings of failure which the experience had caused.

These latecomers had interesting stories of life with Bipeds, both good and bad. However, they felt that the experiences were worthy of being a part of Mew history. The Martians and Venusians had always recognised the Mew as kindred spirits, but most of the Bipeds felt themselves to be vastly superior to others, even among themselves.

Some Mew had been fortunate in that their Bipeds felt the calm feelings that was a result of mutual spirits. Overall these Bipeds were females, and it had been difficult to leave them. Some Mew had nearly talked about feelings, etc. Luckily they didn't as it was difficult to part without any sadness and speaking of the disaster would make things worse, knowing that Mew could escape, but no other life could. Fortunately, some of these latecomers had brought photos of their Biped friends, and some diaries, to show that life there, for some, had been good. It was decided that a special Memories Museum would be built in which to display the photographs and other keepsakes - from their time in that galaxy, and as far back as could be found.

It was decided that it was time for the Mew to change some of their customs - for their new life! With total agreement Dusty and Tamsin were appointed leaders - First Lord Dustin and First Lady Tamsin! The celebrations helped everyone to overcome their recent problems and look forward to a new life - albeit not instantly.

In due course young Mew became restless, wanting to look further than the three planets. Some of their Martian and Venusian peers felt the same way too. They discussed their wanderlust feelings with the Elders - who had been waiting for such a request! A general meeting was held on Mars, the largest planet, the three groups were all in agreement. The only stipulations were to stay in the galaxy and that each silver craft comfortably carried one each of a Martian, Mew and Venusian. This would given them unique knowledge of their friends. They were given permission to set up semi-permanent dwellings on a suitable planet, where they could stay occasionally. There would be no adult supervision, but there could be surprise visits to check nothing untoward was happening. The Mew had, in collaberation with the others developed other crafts which were totally invisible whilst in space!





The end!


Written by
Virginia Kop
Kop's Kattery
copyright 20 March 2016

.



Thursday 17 March 2016

The Mew - part one



Planet of the Mew

Choices

Earth

New Martians

Dusty's Story

Home, Sweet Home



With grateful thanks to VG - who gave ideas about Earth and the Mew
and 
SW - who wanted to know more about Dusty






disclaimer: The muse who created these stories doesn't know the differences between galaxies, universes, etc, nor does the Human through whom this book was written. Those planets which are named are the ones around us every day, except for the Planet of the Mew! 
Any resemblance to anyone is pure coincidence!




Copyright - Virginia Kop
Kop's Katttery
17 March 2016







PLANET OF THE MEW!

Long, long ago, before life started in this galaxy, a planet arrived with sentient beings - the Mew!

Their planet no longer exists, it was slowly disintegrating but all their vast knowledge - especially science - had led to this galaxy, where they would eventually find their new home.

To pass the time until planets formed and lifeforms evolved, the Mew used their scientific skills in creating silver space crafts, which could be used for interplanetary purposes, with a special fuel the Mew never divulged to anybeing at all! These crafts were mainly for small numbers of Mew, but could easily be adapted for other lifeforms. Invisible to some eyes and undetectable by any means, the Mew realised that many crafts would be needed - and not just for themselves!

Whilst the Mew busied themselves in work and play, several planets formed and there was great interest in how they would develop. The only condition that would prevent the Mew for living on a planet was if it had an abundance of water. None of these planets had excessive water, so everyone was eagerly awaiting the development of life forms. There were three planets which would be suitable for Mew to live, Earth, Venus and Mars. Saturn and Jupiter were not suitable - the Mew could get no probe down to solid land.  Whilst life evolved fairly quickly on Venus and Mars, there were absolutely no signs of it on Earth. 

Sadly, Venus was found to be unsuitable for long-term inhabitation due to atmospheric problems. A temporary dome to cover the planet was created by Mew, Martians and Venusians. But the latter thought it was too claustrophobic and, after many debates, the Venusians decided to leave their planet and look for a more suitable one in another galaxy. Fortunately the Mew's silver crafts were quickly adapted, and goodbyes were said by all.

Shortly thereafter the Martians discovered that an enormous asteroid was heading straight for them, and couldn't be diverted, so their decision to leave was easy to make. They were hoping to meet up with the Venusians so they were assured of good neighbours. As the last craft left Mars, it made a quick visit to Earth and commenced life there with their own DNA, and the Mew awaited the result of  evolution.  Eventually lifeforms called Bipeds by the Mew seemed to be the final result.

Around that time, the Mew were aware of the faster disintegration of their planet, so had to make decisions as to where they went. Mars wasn't quite ready for occupation at that time, so there were only two choices available - Venus and Earth.




CHOICES


Many of Earth's Bipeds were not really suitable for the Mew way of life as they tended to be quite violent at times - for no apparent reason. However, Venus wasn't large enough for all of the Mew. After many meetings it was reluctantly agreed that some Mew had to go to Earth. They would have to make sure no-one heard them talk!

Unfortunately, there weren't enough crafts for all Mew, so some had to be returned by automatic systems which had never been tested before. Luckily it worked! And some of their equipment had to be stored on Mars, or it would have disintegrated with their planet. They had managed to find some caves, which could be disguised by false walls instead of doors. Luckily, they had discovered which parts of the planet were generally out of sight of other lifeforms. And a full survey had been undertaken to see how it would be as a future home once the Bipeds had stopped showing any interest in the planet. A small group of Mew on Earth had performed fact-finding missions which would be very useful indeed!

Once every Mew was settled in their new locations, those on Earth were delighted to find they could gather intelligence regarding the intentions of the Bipeds. Along with their new neighbours they saw the end of Planet Mew, which was a very sad day. Fortunately, the Bipeds weren't aware of any inhabitants on Planet Mew at any time at all - they didn't appear to be interested in neighbouring lifeforms! The Mew found out that there were plans for Bipeds to visit Mars to check if it was suitable for inhabitation, and the first rocket was due to leave quite soon - 4-6 weeks away!

Fortunately, the Mew had thought about this possibility, and ten were assigned to the flight, having to hide in empty spaces found on the plans. They were amused to find that the journey would take many moons to reach Mars - their silver crafts would be able to do this in less than an hour! However, the extra time gave them the opportunity to get to know each other, find out good - or not -  how the Bipeds lived  and prepare for life on Mars.Radio contact with Earth and Venus helpted to pass some of the time and the information was priceless.

The Mew Venusians were eager to leave Venus, the novelty of living under a dome had quickly dissipated, but they didn't want to go to Earth. They were hoping that they would be able to move to Mars quite soon, and bemoaned the Bipeds' journey time!  However they knew that they would have to be patient, the day would eventually come.

Meanwhile, life on Earth was "interesting" for the Mew. They knew that another spaceship was being built to go to Mars very soon and, armed with a copy of the plans, they were able to disguise areas which would be good to hide 100+ Mew, store supplies and hide some silver crafts. They planned to exit the spaceship before it landed on Mars.

Whilst the planning on Earth for the trip to Mars was afoot, the Mew Venusians were working hard in readiness for their journey to Mars. They knew they had to be patient for several years, until the second group of Mew landed there. There were many tasks for them to have completed ready for that time - more silver crafts, designing and manufacturing computers to use in the future. Their work on better communication devices were hailed by the top scientists. Speaking to other Mews wherever they were at the same time helped to keep those on Venus positive about the future.





EARTH


The Mew who had gone to Earth were finding Bipeds to be unlike any other beings they had ever found, and were looking forward to leaving them behind as soon as possible!

Violence on Earth was rife, even amongst the Bipeds, although there were quite a few who were against it. Fortunately most of the Mew had been able to find loving homes, whilst other Mew decided to live apart from Bipeds. These generally managed to find enough food to keep them alive, although most of it was alien to them. All longed for the day when they could find their own planet, away from this Galaxy, and even the Mew Venusians appreciated their superior lifestyles - despite wanting to leave as soon as possible!

With limited freedom, the Mew on Earth found it difficult to prepare for their future life on Mars. However, there were some who were able to find areas where they could work on their silver crafts and computer programmes. Meanwhile, most of the other Mew on Earth had to suffer at the hands - and/or feet - of Bipeds. Some Mew even wished they were living on Venus! They vowed that they would ensure no other Mew ever had any contact at all with Bipeds in the future. After millennia of peaceful contact with other species, it was a shock to all that mainly heartless behaviour was rife on Earth! And they just couldn't comprehend how the Bipeds had evolved from Martian dna in such a cruel fashion.

Being banned from speaking to the Bipeds in their language[s], the Mew had limited information on the causes of violence, but eventually understood that most of the cruelty was a trait handed down from generation to generation. However they found that not every member of a family was cruel, and that pleased them.

As the day for the spaceship to leave Earth for Mars, almost every Mew wished they were on board. However, they knew it was only a matter of time before they could escape. There were sufficient crafts for almost all of the Mew to leave Earth, but they were not certain if there was enough fuel for that. They hadn't been able to find any of the minerals they needed, but knew that the equipment stored on Mars included stocks of everything required! Once they reached Mars they would be able to refuel every silver craft, then there would be no need to rely on foreign spaceships.

The Mew were preparing for the second Biped ship to Mars, carefully selecting those who were not related, although an exception was made for the Matriarch, the leader, as her bloodline was very important and she could not bear young. So her youngest daughter was chosen. All the females were asked to be pregnant when they left Earth to keep the bloodlines going. Lineage charts were drawn so every Mew could see the importance of their choices - and it avoided any complaints of nepotism.

Meanwhile the Mew who were not going to Mars tried to keep their minds off it, but weren't happy with what was happening. Groups of Bipeds were being extremely vicious. No-one could find out why this was happening, nothing had changed. Just as suddenly, the behaviour stopped. Those Mew in the area tried to find out why it had begun, but not a word about it was said in their presence - and they knew 'their' Bipeds weren't hiding secrets. Eventually they discovered it was a group of Bipeds from another part of Earth who had vowed to rid themselves of Mew - for no apparent reason.

Eventually some of the beleagured Mew left Earth and moved to Venus, although  there wasn't enough room for all those who wished to go! To keep some measure of safety, there was a ban on any Mew going to Mars independedly, so several had to scrap their plans to do this - although not the supplies they had amassed. They were kept under scrutiny for a while to ensure they didn't take matters into their own hands.

This situation made the Mew leaders think long and hard about what would happen once the 100 Mew left Earth. Different options were seriously investigated, and finally one was chosen which they hoped would pacify all dissenters! The 100 Mew would take their silver crafts with them as they were invisible to Biped eyes, use them to reach the surface, then return all of them to Earth along with all those hidden on Mars. One or two Mew would accompany them, and they would boost the numbers for the Mew to reach Mars in due course. The proposition found favour with all Mew, which meant a huge sigh of relief - which could have blown them all to Mars very quickly indeed, and although it would take several Biped years the Mew could just wait for the happy day when they left for Mars.
At roughly the sane time, the Mew discovered the reason why the Bipeds had been so violent - as well as alcohol  they had recently discovered drugs, which gave them feelings of bravery and they had taken it out on the Mew. Fortunately the drugs had disappeared, thanks to some brave Mew who risked their lives to get rid of them - and a few female Bipeds had helped with that by distracting the males. All types of drugs were tested by the top Mew scientists and some actually could be used for fuel in their silver crafts. That delighted the total Mew populace in the galaxy! In fact, the sigh of relief could have made the Biped's spaceship reach Mars in a very short time!

The ship had just left Earth and the Mew were settling down in their quarters, planning activities for the rest of their long journey and their eventual arrival on Mars!


TO BE CONTINUED!










Saturday 20 February 2016

The Mousetown Chronicles

THE MOUSETOWN CHRONICLES





Welcome to Mousetown

Perils at Mousetown

Making Amends

Changes

Boys Will Be Boys!

Will She, Won't She









I don't know where Mousetown is! Did I ever? - that is anyone's guess!




Welcome to Mousetown - a quaint English village with houses for mice and men.

You won't find it on Google or anywhere else, so please don't waste your time looking for it. Only two people always know where it is - with tenants forgetting the location after a month or two.

Mousetown is unique - stone houses for humans, with stone staircases on the outside and inside of human occupation, These latter were generally only used in emergencies or by the mice who couldn't cope with the weather and space was already limited.

An emergency had been caused by many mice coming for shelter when their houses had been demolished by floods and heavy rain. It wasn't always easy to cater for lots of mice, but they managed to find somewhere to stay if only for a week.

There had been plans to add 25 new free-standing houses for the mice, but the number had had to be changed to 50 - with more to come when the risk of heavy rain was over. Luckily there was a window of 10-14 days of dry weather to come when construction could be undertaken. An ambitious plan for such a short time, but all were sure that providing the weather, didn't change it could be managed - just!

As the building work was completed there was an unforeseen happenstance which didn't bode well for any mouse at all!

*************


Perils at Mousetown

For as long as anymouse could remember, the houses of Mousetown had been safe from predators and other dangers - except for floods, of course! However there had been an alarming change in conditions and everyone was affected.

Mousetown has two areas, one outdoors and the other indoors, with direct access between the two. Everymouse was free to decide where to live. There was no rivalry, they knew that they were safe from predators - or they had been. The last tenant of the stone houses had recently moved away, and the new one brought two cats with her. [All the other stone houses had been changed to accommodate mice in emergencies and were full.]

The cats had, of course, investigated the house and discovered the inside part of Mousetown, but hadn't shown any interest in the mice. The main problem was a possible attack, so the inside part of Mousetown was very quiet, the residents spending as much time outside as they could. It wasn't ideal, they discussed all their options but found no easy solutions. There were no empty houses at all, except for those the scared mice had vacated.

The new human contacted the previous tenant, being puzzled about the mice refusing to access the indoor houses, explaining what had happened. At the end of the call, she mentioned the cats and was so upset when told they were the problem. However, she was very willing to change the situation. After a few failed attempts to solve the problem, Katy asked a family member to take them - a good solution all round!


*************

Making Amends

After all the 'excitements', life in Mousetown returned to normal. Until one of several baby mice born just after the building boom developed a nasty rash all over her body and fevers. Her littermates were feverish, but had no signs of a rash. The adults were puzzled as they had never seen anything like it in the past.

Katy thought she could help the mice by taking the mouseling to the Vet clinic,  and see if they could find the cause. After many hours of discussion, the whole population were keen to have help for the baby. However, they were most anxious for the mouseling not to talk to the Vet - or any human at all - they didn't want outsiders to learn of their linguistic talents. 

The appointment with the Vet was very interesting all round! After many samples were taken and tested for this, that and the other, everything was ruled out. However, the Vet discovered a small amount of concrete in the pet carrier and soon discovered it was the cause of her problems. Suitsable medicine and ointment were prescribed, and strict instructions for Katy on cleaning out everywhere the mouseling went to prevent a recurrence.

Returning to Mousetown they found everymouse waiting the news. At the end of the account, two mice stepped forward to take responsibility for the illness. They had seen a snail urinating on the cement they were using and had not known it was poisonous. As the baby was recovering already, she forgave them and said she hoped everymouse would be more careful in future - and refused to let anyone punish the workers.

*************


Changes

The new houses in Mousetown had been well received, but there was a problem with the location - heavy flooding of the river spread further than ever before.

An emergency meeting was held to discuss what could be done as a temporary fix - and permanent solution. The mice felt very comfortable with Katy, and invited her to all their meetings. Once again, she was able to help them out, having been friendly with an architect for several years and was able to come up with several solutions. After telling the mice to use her house, Katy went shopping and returned with several boxes and bags, which she left in her car overnight. The next morning they went to the flood area and Katy used a special gadget to test the extent of the floodwater. There was no point in building anything there - or within 10 feet. Fortunately the news was good, so work could start immediately on laying the foundations. As they went to collect their tools, Katy stopped them, and brought out the items from her car. Some she put to one side, the rest were opened and, to the excitement of everymouse, there were toy machines which would save them from the hard work. Excavators, cement mixers, and lots of other equipment were so helpful that they could start more houses than they could have done by hand. Some of the flooded houses were so lightly damaged that they could be lifted off their bases and transferred to the new site. 

There was a problem in that new houses wouldn't be available immediately and nomouse wanted to be too crowded - building a house was tiring and space was needed to get a good night's sleep. Katy saw this and unwrapped the other items she had brought, the mouselings couldn't believe what they were seeing - doll-sized caravans, tents, etc. Although there was no working cooking equipment, the mice were quite happy to allocate one house for communal cooking, with items provided by Katy.

Despite her bad beginning, she was now a treasured member of the community, and it was hoped Katy would be able to stay there permanently. Would she? Stay tuned for further news - your guess is as good as mine!

*************


Boys will be Boys!


After the new houses were complete and inhabited, some of the mouselings were making plans to have some fun, using the equipment now stored in Katy's house. One mouseling refused to join in their antics, but said she would not tell anyone about it. She had been saved by the Vet, and was grateful that Katy had helped her out. The others knew she would not inform anyone of their plans, unless asked specifically.

However, one who had recently moved to Mousetown with his parents, was known to be a troublemaker, and everyone hoped they would move away soon. Indeed, his parents were tired of his behaviour and really wanted to stay where they were. Their son was determined to leave as his idea of a suitable place to live was in a town or city - where he thought, quite erroneously, that mice were more respected, especially mouselings.  

Little did he know that all of the adults, including his parents, were making plans to have him visit some city mice for a month and see firsthand exactly how life really was there. Fortunately he was taken away before he could cause any serious trouble in Mousetown, and the mouselings who had planned to have fun with the equipment realised it wasn't such a good idea after all!

Everyone was enjoying the peace and quiet, although the elders were worried about possible consequences from sending him away. However, three weeks' later a very subdued mouseling returned and apologised to each and every mouse for his previous behaviour. He had had several narrow escapes from rats, cats and some people, and those made him realise it was better - and safer - to be good. Everymouse was pleased to see that his experiences had caused such a big change and, after the first week he was officially welcomed back home.

*************


Will She? Won't She?

It had been nine months since Katy had moved to Mousetown and everymouse was waiting for news about her future tenancy. There had been a special bond for most of the time, and Katy had even sent her cats away to stop any problem from them. Without her help Mousetown would be a shadow of its former self - probably even abandoned with all the flooding.

Katy knew the mice were wondering if she would stay or go when the tenancy agreement expired. It had been difficult to decide but, the fact the cats were very happy where they were, helped her to make the best decision for mice and herself. The rent was very low, partly because of the distance to towns and cities alike and the rent would remain at the same level for as long as she wished to stay there. Or so she had thought! In fact the mice were worried without cause - she had signed a document in which she became the houseowner for a nominal amount. 

The solicitor who dealt with Mousetown affairs had been approached by the elders to see if there was a way to keep Katy there for the near future - and beyond. Fortunately the solicitor had been instructed by Mousetown's human owner to find someone suitable to take over everything; both the owner and solicitor both knew of the sacrifices Katy had made, and the deep friendship between rodents and human. Together they decided to offer her the ownership of houses and land for a low sum - one peppercorn.

The offer made, they awaited Katy's response, knowing it could change everything. If she didn't accept, there was every likelihood that Mousetown would be demolished as developers were keen to own all the land and build up the area for housing for people - cheap housing! The important meeting had been arranged, the time set and only three humans needing to know what the future would bring. Katy arrived slightly early, with a large parcel. Once the pleasantries had been made, Katy opened the parcel, making the two people laugh out loud. Inside were a baker's dozen of large peppercorns [13], which fell on the desk and floor.

There was also a signed contract for ownership, and her agreement to find a replacement owner in due course. Katy was asked if she missed her cats, laughing she said 'who would want two selfish pets when there was a village full of mice with whom she could talk, help and enjoy'.

Trying not to let her feelings show, she returned to her house, Two mice were aware of her simmering excitement, and wondered what it was - they didn't know of the elders' meeting with the solicitor. Very soon thereafter a meeting was arranged, which was a very joyous occasion when the mice learnt that Katy was staying permanently - and they all enjoyed a feast she had brought.

The End


Virginia Kop
Kop's Kattery
February 2016











Tuesday 23 June 2015

THE CAT'S JOURNEY


It would take many weeks for the cat to get back to her home. She had been put in a van and then left in a remote area of the country two days later. She didn't know where she was, but was able to catch wildlife to keep going on her long journey home. Occasionally, small ponds gave her all the water she needed, which wasn't a lot.

Home - she wondered how long it would take to get there, and what she would find when she eventually did. The men who broke their way into the house were not very good to her Human and the smell all round them was vile! The cat knew that her sense of smell was stronger than anyone else's - but her Human was badly affected by it and could hardly breathe.

Occasionally a human saw her on her journey, but she walked purposefully towards her goal. As long as she seemingly ignored them, no-one tried to catch her. The days had started to become colder and she knew she would soon have to find somewhere suitable to hide from the snow and cold. Suddenly she came across a farm, which could be her refuge for the winter. The farmer's wife saw the visitor and gave her some cat food, there was a cat already living there, but he was old and no longer able to catch mice and rats. He told the newcomer that the farm was a good place to pass time, with good humans who would feed them regularly. All they had to do was to catch and kill mice and rats, leaving the bodies in a special place so the humans knew rhey were doing their job. He was slow, and would love to have an active partner.

They became very good friends and it wasn't too long before there were four kittens to nurture. The cat was eager to resume her journey, so was happy to find that spring was approaching quickly. Her friend was no longer able to catch mice and rats, so the two male kittens were left with him after being trained to help out.  Their sisters would travel with their mother and find good homes for themselves, They were told about how to live in loving homes with humans, so they could settle into homes without too much stress.

Their journey was slow as the kittens wanted to know about everything - people, dogs, cats, and what their lives could be like in the future. One day they came across another farm, but the mother persuaded her daughters to move quickly and quietly, and get away. She had seen two dogs on the premises, one of whom had lots of scars on its face, and fresh wounds as well.  It was clearly no place for a cat at all!

Soon they discovered another friendly farm, and the resident cat said the family were very friendly and would welcome them all. However, the mother had a mission ahead of her, so one kitten was left to help with the necessary rodent control.  Some weeks later the remaining kitten found a home for life with a lovely family, and the cat was able to continue her journey back home.

It was very difficult to work out how long the journey would be, especially when signs of winter started yet again. She knew she was going in the right direction, but surely she would reach home soon! It hadn't seemed such a long journey by road, but she knew it would still take several months. Her best route was away from villages, but she could go there if there was no alternative. Any towns or cities were too dangerous. In villages people liked seeing a cat, and left bowls of milk out for her - however she avoided drinking any since she had been weaned. Some meat was welcome as she needed to eat as much as possible to be prepared for winter - which wasn't far away. One blessing she had was the ability to hibernate for about six weeks. Going through villages gave her the food her body needed to survive. Hibernation wasn't part of cat's normal talents, but a friend of her Human was a seer and able to find suitable spells to help the cat in any situation. What these were would remain unknown until needed

The cat was very confused , she didn't know why the seasons were changing so quickly. The tie to her Human was sometimes strong and sometimes weak. It was all such a mystery she decided to find somewhere safe to sleep for a week and see if her questions were answered. Eight days later, questions had been mainly answered, but not everything was clear. She tried to make sense out of the confusion and that wasn't very easy. The passage of time had become clear - instead of the normal several cat years = one human year - she was on a different timescale. She would experience human years but at an accelerated level. She decided to stop worrying about it and let that do what it needed to do. The main concern was about the link with her Human - it kept coming and going. She now knew things would be okay, although she had a sense of loss deeper than she had ever known.

The near future - a trial of some of her beliefs. She deciided to try to take each new day as happy as possible, and continue with her journey the next day, she had spent too much time in her current location. That night she had a dreadful nightmare, of the men who had taken her initially - looking for her because someone thought she had knowledge and skills to use. Instead of requests, she would be kicked, trod on and whipped - in front of her Human. At least she knew her Human was still alive, but where was she? Why wasn't she having thoughts from her human - this she craved!

Continuing with her journey was difficult, she was so suspicious whenever she was na humans, and there were so many of them - more than had ever seen in one location. She could have found a relatively safe place and hibernated, but she knew that would let her be found by the men. Most of her life had been spent with her Human, and she had become used to sleeping through the night, but didn't know if the men were aware of that. It depended on what information they had been given by her Human, friends and neighbours.

Out of nowhere came a feeling of total despair that she nearly screamed and ran away. She instinctively knew that the people who had catnapped her were nearby, but concentrating on farms. They didn't know she was living by her own means. The first winter had been excellent, although never to happen again, Her body was in the best condition ever and she knew she would meet up with her kittens when the time came for them all to be reunited. She was happy they were not with her, the countless questions "are we nearly there yet", "how long will it take", and others of that ilk, would have clouded her mind.

Days later there was a huge wave of relief, she had covered many miles and found a sense of carefree abandonment. And, out of the blue she found herself to be aware of where her Human was. They would meet again very soon. The meeting place came into view, and with it a sense of joyful relief. The men who had taken her away were no longer looking for her, Her Human had turned away and apologised  for the cat's problems with the men. The cat, using her last gift, quickly reassured her, it had been a very difficult time, but they were together again and no-one would ever bother them at all now.

The next morning, the cat woke and realised that her life was as it had always been, before the dreadful experiences. She was back to living a normal cat's life. Her Human was unaware of the cat's perilous journey, and would never know of it because it had all been a dream!



A novel written by
Virginia Kop
owner of Kop's Kattery
23 June 2015


Thursday 16 January 2014

A Blogger from Oz!

Whilst talking to a friend about my previous story - I Have A Dream - I mentioned part of a message from an Oz Blogger, saying she or someone would come over to the UK, ply me with vodka and take me over there! That prompted a title for another story - this one!



A BLOGGER FROM OZ!

Hello, Sonia from Life Love & Hiccups in Oz, blogging from the UK!

And what am I doing here, you ask? [If not, you are off my Christmas card list! Just joking!] I'm here as the special guest of a good supporter who also has her own Blog page - Virginia Kop and Kop's Kattery. For a very special reason - she is moving to Oz permanently and I volunteered to be her companion because it is a long flight for someone who has never flown before. There is such an undercurrent of excitement and a little fear  it feels as though she is going to pop any second. I cannot imagine how she managed to stay sane whilst arranging her first ever passport, and visiting the Australian Embassy in London to obtain her migration visa!!

We are travelling light, Virginia sent some crates by sea - books, pictures, ornaments, crockery and cutery, plus other special items. No furniture - is having all new items in her house in Cairns. Yes, she is bravely leaving the UK climate for the tropical one in Cairns! She has a wheeled case with clothes and a cabin bag with two Nevil Shute Books [In The Wet and The Far Country], a wordsearch book and a notebook to record experiences for her first Blog In Oz - 'A New Blogger in Oz' could well be the title!

The housing here is certainly different from what I've encountered before - a few areas with detached and semi-detached houses and bungalows - and it is intriguing to think that this house built in the 1890's, along with many others. It is one of 27 terraced houses, each one attached to its neighbours. There are several blocks to make up the whole odd-numbered side of the strret. Opposite the front is another block, the even-numbered, with smallish yards sorry, gardens, and a public footpath down the middle. The main room - a combination of sitting and dining room is large, as is the master bedroom. The second bedroom is small, but can hold a double bed. Virginia explains that the kitchen and bathroom were added on in the 1960's - cosy, yet practical. The landlords will probably modernise the kitchen, Virginia wasn't willing to put up with five days of noise, dirt and electrical interference to let them install a fitted kitchen.

Five empty bookcases, a cupboard and a lovely double bed are going to be collected for a charity shop tomorrow. All the carpets and various small pieces of furniture will be put in the front yard garden for collection and disposal.   

We have a limousine booked to take us to the airport, Virginia doesn't drive - and has no intention of learning! It will not be too long before I'm back home. Alicia [365 Moments of Gratitude] and her family will meet us when we arrive in Cairns. They have been a godsend - finding and buying a suitable house and basic furniture for Virginia, with money she sent over for that very purpose. Being in different time zones is a bit tricky, as I've found out this week away from MY family. I am looking forward to going home once we reach Cairns and I see the new abode. We have just heard from Alicia - Virginia's crates have arrived early! And she knows where there are two tabby kittens requiring a loving home!! It looks as though anyone wanting to meet Virginia will have to go to Cairns!!



Virginia Kop/Kop's Kattery
28 October 2013


Friday 10 January 2014

DUMB ANIMALS - NO WAY!!!

My name is Bracken, I am a cat who has lived here for nearly 16 years - nearly 112 in cat years! Since the beginning of my life here, I have demonstrated that I understand a lot of what is said to me, have routines I love and regularly practice Nurture Over Nature! 

As I arrived here with my brother, Juniper, and made friends with two older cats, Gem and Shushu, it was obvious that shouting our names to get our attention and come in from the garden, or come downstairs, would take too much time and be too noisy. So, my Human developed a whistle which clearly told all of us we are wanted. Now I am an 'only cat' it is still the best method of gaining my attention! Cats are natural hunters, but when my Human sees me preparing to chase a bird  she shouts 'NO, Bracken, NO' - and I obediently leave the bird to its own devices.

However, I have been known to bring some wildlife indoors - to play with! I am well fed, so don't need to eat birds or mice. In the past I have caught butterflies and ate them, Juniper used to catch them too, but didn't eat thems so I had a treat! Nearly every time I go out my Human tells me not to bring in any birds, anything else alive - except for myself, of course. She recently had to add 'nothing else at all' as I came in with a discarded cooked chicken leg!

There is a hedge nearby where blackbirds and other birds have nests, and I used to lie in the garden regularly, just watching the comings and goings. Was in trouble over a year ago as I caught one of the fledglings, but I willingly gave it to my Human. Sadly it died of shock. I had been good for many months so my Human hadn't warned me about catching creatures. Now she tells me at least once a day - better to be safe than sorry!! Sadly, the hedge is going to be removed some time this year.

Last year I was diagnosed with arthritis and have to take medicine every day. As it doesn't have an odour to it, it is generally put on some cat pate and the taste is quite nice - sweet! Unfortunately my Human ran out of my pate and couldn't go to the shop which sells it [due to her arthritis and other problems], so added it into my cat milk. Which had worked well before the pate was originally discovered, but I wasn't drinking it all quickly and just kept going back and forth for a little drink. On Wednesday she removed the cat milk and told me that she was going to the shop after lunch and would be buying pate, so I could have a little amount of medicine in it when she got back. Returning fully laden, she chased me into the house - I'd love to go out the back door, but only allowed if I am in my carrier! There are different places in our lounge where food, milk, biscuits and treats are placed, so I went to the part where I mainly get treats - unfortunately I couldn't wait patiently, so went into the kitchen and told my Human in loud tones that I wanted it NOW! One of my nicknames is 'NatteryBrack'! 

I don't have any experience with dogs, so cannot speak for them but - CATS ARE NOT DUMB ANIMALS!!!



Written for Bracken
Kop's Kattery member
Virginia Kop
10 January 2014

Tuesday 5 November 2013

The New Blogger In Town

Hello, all!

It is six weeks since I first set foot in this lovely house, but I really feel at home - despite the chaos. I have recovered from the seemingly never-ending flight, but shall never fly again! I've enjoyed some shopping trips for furniture, etc. Now have a workable kitchen, everything  had to be changed so I could work in there to suit my mobility problems. The guest bedroom and lounge are complete, my bedroom should be finished soon. The bookshelves are still under construction in my study, but I have found a carpenter to finish them for me. In the meantime my tabby kittens, Thyme and Tansy, love attacking each other through the books piled up on the floor, think shall have to sort them out into the right order again - once the bookshelves are ready. And am working with the carpenter on some special toys for the kittens after the books are well out of reach! 

I found a super guy to make a special structure to keep the kittens safe in the back yard, protect them from sun, keep other cats, etc, out. It covers about a third of the garden, includes a shelter with food, toys, water and catlit tray, and is accessible from the utility room. The cage is movable so we don't damage only one part of the grass - it is moved every three days. The kittens don't understand about the pool yet, try to follow me when I go out for a swim in the evening or early morning. They aren't allowed out overnight, and are nearly at the stage of sleeping all night, thank goodness!! They enjoy visitors, too, really love playing with Alicia's children, who visit us often. I'm glad they find it easier to relate to people than Bracken and Juniper did, and even Alicia has been their love victim when she brings me coffee! And they cope quite well with the heat - which is too much for me and summer is still a while away!! Thank goodness for air conditioning and the shaded part of the pool! And very cool clothing - which is okay for now, goodness knows what I'll be wearing in the summer!!!

Although had Broadband available soon after arriving, decided to wait until everything was nearly sorted and I had recovered from the long flight, acclimatised a little, and was nearly ready for visits from Bloggers from other parts of Oz. Without Alicia and her family I wouldn't be as far along as I am. Without their help and information about shops, etc, I would probably be sleeping, etc, in the lounge and trying to find things taken out from the crates and left in piles in the bedroom! Thank you very much, you are so sweet!! And, of course, they found me the cutest tabby kittens I have ever seen!! 

Really pleased to let you know that my first guest is coming very soon for a few days, am both nervous and excited in equal measures! The spunky blogger - Peggy, known as cake crumbs & beach sand - will be the very first person staying over. Have other Bloggers on my 'guest list'! Lisa, Two Point Five Kids, and Sonia, life love & hiccups, will arrive separately - Sonia first, with Lisa a day or two later. Should be great fun - and of course Alicia will pop over when she can! Stocking the larder with vodka, wine and other drinks, lots of coffee for me. Apart from just my meeting these lovely people, it will give Thyme and Tansy lots of socialising experience


Virginia Kop/Kop's Kattery
5 November 2013
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