The Adventures of Caterwaul the Cat by Damon Plumides Read Free Book Online Page B

beautiful wigs and robes of state. Are you telling me that none among you has ever heard of undergarments? Come down from those trees at once! There is a lady present, and all of you are positively indecent!” exclaimed the queen.
    Embarrassed at the offense they had caused, the possums all quietly scurried down the tree trunks to the ground.
    â€œWe are sorry, madam . . . we are not used to the presence a lady, or any humans for that matter, around here,” said one of the possums as the others tried to present themselves respectably. “We are the Parliament of Possums, and we are the government in this part of the forest.”
    The possums surrounded them as Warwick unsheathed his sword. Queen Druciah watched as the group of marsupials melted into what appeared to be little chairs filling a great open hall. The animals began to mutter amongst themselves in Possumese.
    â€œIf you do anything to us, you will be lost in this forest forever . . . so I suggest you place that carving tool back where it was and show us some respect! I am Prime Minister Pickford, and I need to know why you are here. I need to be sure that you are not here to exploit the raw materials of this forest,” he said. “You could say we are environmentalists. We protect this great unspoiled land. You humans have a habit of destroying places like this. You like to call it progress, I believe.
    â€œThis Parliament has been formed to protect this land from being ravaged by the likes of you. Your kind mines for minerals and leaves the landscape bare and burning. You chop down trees and destroy whole communities of animals so that you can have more space. You are always looking for more space to live in. You are monsters.”
    He found a tree limb, which was especially close to the queen’s face and scurried onto it. “It is all done for your own greed. You are the most selfish of species. My brethren and I would sooner see you as fodder for the vultures than help you to chop down even one tree. Everything in this forest is precious to us, and nothing may leave except by choice. Now if you understand me, speak,” said Pickford. He rose up on his hind legs to his full and massive height of two feet and three inches. “Now be truthful because the Parliament of Possums has ways to know if you speak the truth.”
    The queen spoke, surprisingly humbly, “Mr. Prime Minister . . . if that is the correct protocol for addressing such an august personage . . . or rather I should say ‘possumage’ . . . I assure you, I have all the wealth that I will ever need. Though we obviously caught you in the midst of important deliberations, I swear to you that we did not intend to disturb you or anything within this great and noble forest.
    â€œMy business is with the Witch, who is reported to live in these parts. That is the only reason I am here. If you could just point me in the right direction, we will be off and out of your affairs forever. I am sure you don’t want us ‘hanging around’ here any longer than absolutely necessary,” the queen giggled.
    â€œThe Witch, you say? Not rocks nor trees nor water source? Why should I believe you when so many of your kind have lied in the past? Well, there is no way for me to know for certain if you are telling me the truth.”
    Just then a young, female possum in the third row spoke up. “Point of order, Mr. Prime Minister.” The possum’s name was Patience, and she was being considered as a possible future replacement for Pickford, who was her uncle.
    â€œThere is a way of knowing whether or not she speaks true. It is an old method, and granted, one that we don’t like to use today, civilized society and all, but there is a way; and I will volunteer to administer the test, if no one else will.”
    Hushed whispers flew around the clearing through the Parliament’s membership. The test was foolproof, but it was also very dangerous