UNEDITED SHORT STORY ... By Japheth Prosper

THE CAT WITH NINE LIVES  

The cat and the mouse were very good friends and always were often seen together. There was no place the cat would go that the mouse didn’t know about. They shared almost everything in common.

One day, the mouse visited the cat and when they had both played for a while, they went out together to the river where they hoped to fetch some crabs.

They strolled along the sea shore together and after a while, each found a stray crab. No one loved crabs like the cat and his bosom friend. As the animals were about to eat their lunch, something strange happened.

“Please, spare our lives,” the crabs pleaded. “Spare our lives and we shall reward you.”

Dazed, the two friends stared at each other. Never before had they heard crabs talk. Who taught them how to talk? They wondered. They were very hungry and nothing could stop them from having the crabs for lunch.

“We are hungry.” They both chorused in unison. “We must have you for lunch for we don’t want to starve.

“Spare us and we shall make you have ten lives!” the crabs pleaded.

“Ten lives!” The mouse and the cat gaped. “How? What do you mean by that?”

The crabs went on to tell them a long story. They said they both were sisters and that they had both lain nine eggs each and had hidden them in the sands. “They will have nine lives and it will be difficult for anyone to harm you.” They said.

“But I thought you said ten lives?” asked the cat curiously.

“Yes,” the two sister-crabs replied. “We haven’t laid the tenth ones yet. If you spare our lives, we shall lay them for you. With the tenth one, you’ll both live forever.”

The two friends looked at one another.

“Excuse us for a while,” said the cat narrowly. He held his friend’s arm and led him a few steps away from the crabs. “Do you think they are telling us the truth?” he asked the mouse.

“No,” threw the other in negation. “I don’t believe them. If they had such eggs, they would have eaten them up themselves so they too could have ten lives.

“Should we spare their lives?” asked the cat.

“I don’t think that’s a wise decision.” The mouse replied. “I am famished and I must have a crab for lunch.”

“But these are crabs that can talk…” Heaved the cat

“What difference does it make?” the mouse threw angrily. He was now growing very impatient.

“I think we should spare their lives,” the cat went on. “We could have nuts for lunch today. Please let us…”

The mouse wasn’t listening to his friend anymore. He hurried to meet the crabs, pounced on one of them and began to nibble at it with considerable appetite.

His friend, the cat was furious.

“I told you, we should spare their lives!” he screamed but the mouse was already halfway gone with its meal.

The other crab immediately broke down and began to cry and mourn the loss of her dear sister.

The cat came and touched the crab tenderly and in sympathy, muttered, “Don’t cry dear. I am very sorry over the death of your sister…”

As he said those words, the mouse continued to nibble at the crab as if all his life depended on it. His friend, the cat was forever angry with that callous display.

“You didn’t need to do that. They were going to give us ten lives.” He lamented, staring woodenly at his friend.

“And how do you know they weren’t lying to us?” returned the mouse sarcastically.

The cat turned to the living crab. “What is it again you said about the ten lives?”

“Come with me,” said the crab tearfully.

“But you must promise not to kill me…”

“I will not harm you,” said the cat with a nod. “Lead me at once to your eggs.”

The crab led the cat to a place where true to her words; nine eggs were buried in the sand.

“You must swallow the eggs at once and as you do, no harm shall befall you.” The crab remarked with much emphasis now.

The cat began to swallow the eggs as directed by the crab one after the other. When he had swallowed all the eggs, he looked at the crab and echoed;

“So, how do I know that this is indeed true?”

The crab led the cat to the summit of the mountain. The mouse who had finished eating the crab and still very much in doubt of what the crab had told his friend, followed the two behind.

When they’d reached the summit of the mountain, the crab directed the cat to throw himself down.

“I am scared,” cried the cat.

“You have nine lives now,” said the crab in response. “You will throw yourself down nine times and no harm shall befall you.”

The cat heaved a long sigh, grinned and off he went. He threw himself down and as he dropped down the valley, the mouse cringed.

But no sooner had he thrown himself, than he came up again smiling.

His friend, the mouse gaped in awe.

The cat went down again the second time and dropped down the valley. His friend he mouse cringed, still fearing that he might die.

But no sooner had he thrown himself the second time, than he came up again smiling.

Again, his friend, the mouse gaped in awe.

“You can do that again,” said the crab nodding.

“Yes, I can,” the cat chuckled proudly and off again he went. He threw himself down and as he dropped down the valley, the mouse cringed thinking he might die.

But no sooner had he thrown himself down the third time, than he came up again smiling.

Again, his friend, the mouse gaped in awe. Now, it was obvious to the mouse that the cat had indeed become a kind of supernatural being with its new status. Envy raged in his heart and he regretted that he killed the other crab. If he had known, he would have spared her life and perhaps by now, he too would have had nine lives like his friend. If only he was patient…

“You can do it again,” said the crab to the cat. The latter had thrown himself eight times already.

“And if I come up this time you shall let me have the last egg?” the cat narrowed excitedly.

“Yes,” replied the crab waxing its pincers, “And that will make you live forever!”

The cat laughed out loud and his voice echoed far into the distant hill. He was so excited that he was going to be the only animal in the world that would live forever. Not even man was so graciously blessed. He reasoned.

“I shall live forever!” he screamed and beat his hand on his chest excitedly.

His friend, the mouse was not happy with this development. Jealousy raged in his stomach endlessly and he wondered what to do to free himself from the pain of that burning strife. It was sufficient enough that the cat already had nine lives but that he could live forever tormented the mouse greatly. If that happened, the cat would be worshiped like a deity by other animals. No! The mouse shook his head in fury.

Just then, the cat threw himself down the ninth time and dropped down the valley but the mouse did not cringe any more neither did he fear that his friend might die. He was now nursing the bitterness of not being as lucky as the cat.

No sooner had the cat thrown himself down the valley the ninth time, than he came up smiling and hoping to find his friend, the mouse, awestruck. His mind was so preoccupied with the thoughts of swallowing the last egg which would make him live forever.

It was when he reached the summit of the mountain that he paused and felt his heart knock against his ribs. There on the mountain-top lay his friend, the mouse, nibbling at the crab that had just given him nine lives. The mouse was now cracking the shell of the crab now with his teeth. Never before had the cat been so infuriated.

The anger was so intense that his eyes glowed and suddenly, whiskers appeared on both sides of his cheeks. His most trusted friend had not only betrayed him but had just made it impossible for him to live forever.

In a rage, he pounced on the mouse and showed it no mercy. Perhaps he could find the crab’s egg in his stomach. The cat thought painfully. Angrily, it ripped his friend’s stomach to pieces and began mournfully to search for the crab’s tenth egg.

Till this day, even though he still had nine lives, the cat had not only developed strong aversion for the mouse, it had also refused to give up the search for the tenth egg. And to this day, anywhere he sights the mouse he pounces on him with so much hatred in his heart; ripping it to pieces to search for the tenth egg.