Basil and the Pygmy Cats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Eve Titus
Illustrated by Paul Galdone

(c) 1971 by Eve Titus and Paul Galdone

12
The Pygmy Cats
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After journeying so far and waiting so long to see the pygmy cats, I must confess to disappointment.

The crude weapons beside them were typical of primitive cavecats--clubs, bows and arrows, stone axes. Some cats must have survived the volcanic eruption of Elyod's time, and these cats were their descendents. When they rose, I saw their faces.

Where were the alert, intelligent expressions of the pygmy cats on the golden goblet and on the vase? These cats looked dull-witted. Away from the civilizing influence of mice, the creatures had gone back to their barbaric ways.

Suddenly their leader pointed at Basil and began jabbering away to the others, who all nodded.

Then, to our utter amazement, all but the leader



flung themselves to the ground and covered their eyes, purring happily. The leader marched over to my friend, bowed three times, and spoke in an unfamiliar tongue. Basil understood it, however, for he answered. We knew he had refused a request, for shaking one's head side to side means no in any language.

Sadly the leader spoke to the cats on the ground, who stopped purring and began to weep and wail.

Basil explained matters. "Embarrassing, most embarrassing! These simple souls want me to be their king! The chief, Kahlúa the Strong, says it was once foretold that a tall mouse with piercing eyes would one day come to rule them. I refused politely, having no wish to rule them or anyone."

"Ah, but you have such a kingly bearing!" jested Lord Adrian, and we all bowed low before Basil.

Kahlúa thought my friend had changed his mind about being king, and said something to the cats. They stopped wailing and began purring again.

Basil frowned. "Now you've confused the poor things! They do speak ancient Euphorian, but right there ends any resemblance to Elyod's brilliant cats of bygone days. Without mice to guide them, the pygmy cats accomplished nothing, for they are of low intelligence."

A long talk with Kahlúa then took place, at the end of which Basil looked pleased.



"The Chief promises that the cats will not interfere with our digging, because they believe me to be their king, and a king can do no wrong. However, they are superstitious about disturbing the ground. They still worship gods and goddesses--the one they fear most is the God of the Smoking Mountain. They say he lives deep down in the volcano. Elotana, Goddess of Goodness, is loved the best.

He led us back to the digs, saying, "Our main trench runs from east to west. Now we'll cross it with one going north to south, after which I shall decide about minor trenches. Dig, friends, dig!"

So we dug, from morn 'til noon 'til night! In true British tradition we stopped for tea each afternoon. Even the American, Young Richard, grew to cherish the happy hours over the teacups.

The pygmy cats watched us curiously. We were amused to see them fall down and cover their faces whenever Basil walked toward them. They believed that only their chief was worthy enough to see a king's face. They rose after Basil passed, but if he turned his head, down they went! He protested to Kahlúa, but the cats continued their homage.

On the fourth day we unearthed a stone building. Basil translated an inscription on the front:

THE HALL OF THE LAWMAKERS



The roof had caved in under the heavy lava. We removed the debris, which the sailors carted off in wheelbarrows. We hollowed out the main chamber. Pillars supported a gallery for spectators. Below were white marble benches and a platform. One almost expected the lawmakers to enter!

We excavated many other buildings--a theater, temples, a stadium, a library. The theater seats were hewn of rock, with the stage far below. The city was built around a great square, with Elotana's statue in the center.

In a tent used as a storeroom Basil classified and tagged objects of art. Then sailors rowed the relics out to the Rosetta for safekeeping.

Elyod's palace was of classic beauty, inside and out. The architect's name was on the cornerstone--Sudipal Sirrom, a mouse of true genius.

The palace held enough works of art to fill a dozen museums--vases, figurines, golden goblets, armchairs of silver and gold, bowls of alabaster, jade ornaments, and beautiful sculpture. There were also bathtubs and a drainage system that would do credit to the mouse engineers of today.

Wall paintings appeared fresh and new, their colors bright and vivid against pale yellow backgrounds.

In one room a magnificent golden throne dazzled our eyes. A wall painting showed pygmy cats proudly carrying Elyod and his queen in bamboo chairs that trailed flowers. Another showed a parade of mouse and cat athletes. In a third, mouse lawmakers sat in session while cats listened from the gallery.

The fourth wall showed a banquet scene. King Elyod and Queen Nairda and guests sat at a long table. Next to Elyod was a handsome mouse, probably Semloh the Poet Prince, who had left Euphoria as a boy. Smiling pygmy cats served the guests, each bearing a golden platter heaped high with cheese.



Chief Kahlúa pointed out the remarkable resemblance between Basil and Semloh. We too, were amazed--the detective and the prince were both tall and thin, with hawklike profiles and deep-set eyes.

Kahlúa approached Basil and spoke earnestly for a few minutes. Naturally, we did not understand his words, but Basil did.

Nodding vigorously to the cat, he turned toward us, saying, "This is news indeed! Kahlúa will lead, and we will follow. Our destination is a cave high on a hill. There, my friends, I confidently expect to make a most important archeological discovery, one that will astound mouse scholars and scientists--the Semloh Scrolls!"

"But I've never heard of the Semloh Scrolls," said Tillary Quinn.

"Precisely the point, my dear Australian. Nor has anyone else, but the mouse world will soon be talking of nothing but the Semloh Scrolls!"

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