Thomasina - The Cat Who Thought She Was God by Paul Gallico Read Free Book Online Page A

ill-pleased, for there were many interesting and exciting things going on, except that when the steamer came in and blew its whistle it frightened me so that I fell off Mary Ruadh’s shoulder and hurt myself.
    That wants a bit of explaining, I know, for we always fall on our feet, particularly when we have time to turn over, but this all happened so quickly that I didn’t.
    The steamer was all white with a narrow black funnel, and how was I to know that the funnel was going to make a horrible noise? I was quite fascinated watching the ship come puffing up to the edge of the stone jetty, with bells clanging and orders being shouted, and much white froth of water all about it as it went first forward, then backward, then even sideways, and suddenly, without warning, the loudest and most frightful shriek burst from the top of the stack and I fell over backward.
    Well, I suppose I could have saved myself, but it would have meant digging in my claws into Mary Ruadh’s neck, for I had been lying across her shoulders. If it had been anyone else, I should not have hesitated to anchor my claws, you may believe me. But it all happened so quickly, the awful noise that seemed to split my ears open, and then there was a bump and I was lying on my side, hurting.
    Mary Ruadh picked me up at once and rubbed it, and so did Hughie Stirling, and they made a fuss over me, though Hughie laughed and said, “The old whistle frightened her,” and then to me, “You’ll have to get used to that, Thomasina, if you’re going to be a seagoing cat.” It seems that he and Mary Ruadh were planning a trip around the world in a yacht he was going to have when he grew up and, of course, she had said she wouldn’t go without me.
    The rubbing made it feel better; Mary Ruadh cradled me in her arms and held me tight, and the next time it hooted I wasn’t nearly so frightened and almost forgot the pain in the excitement of watching the mail sacks being tossed onto the pier, followed by the luggage of the visitors, which was covered with the most interesting-looking labels, after which the visitors themselves came ashore down a wooden gangway that had been run onto the side of the ship from the quay.
    Many of them had children by the hand and that, of course, interested Mary Ruadh and Hughie and Geordie McNabb, who had joined us. Geordie is eight and a Wolf Cub and he goes all over by himself and sees everything. There were a half dozen or so dogs on a leash that came ashore, and a cat basket; overhead the gulls wheeled and screamed; taxicab drivers honked their horns and shouted at the people and all in all, except for my tumble, it was a most satisfactory landing. And Geordie had some interesting news.
    He told Hughie and Mary Ruadh, “There’s gypsies and tinkers come to Dunmore Field at the foot of the glen, across the river. Lots and lots of them with wagons and cages and caravans and things. They’re camped beside the woods on Tarbet Road. Mr. MacQuarrie, the constable, went out to have a word with them.”
    “Oh!” exclaimed Hughie Stirling, “that’s exciting! I wish I had been there. What happened?”
    Geordie McNabb drew in a deep breath and his eyes became quite as round as his head because of the importance of answering the question put to him by the laird’s son. I could see that.
    He replied, “Constable MacQuarrie said as long as they behaved themselves and didn’t give any trouble they could stay there.”
    Hughie nodded his head. “And what did they say?”
    “Oh, there was a big man there and he had on a big leather belt and it had nails in it. And he put his hands in his belt and laughed at Mr. MacQuarrie.”
    Hughie said: “It’s no’ clever to laugh at Mr. MacQuarrie.”
    Geordie continued: “Another man, a little one wearing a waistcoat and a hat came up and he pushed the man with the belt away and said that they were grateful and would not give any trouble, but would just try to earn a few honest pennies. Then Mr.