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trafford publishing
Anthony Holmes
Category:
Children
Publisher: trafford publishing
ISBN-10: 1425121403
Type: Fiction
Pages: 80
Copyright: 2007
ISBN-13: 9781425121402
Suitable for 8 to 12 year old.
The book introduces Berry, a female black cat who lives in the palace of the Pharaoh. We meet her friends, the bat, the frog, the dog, the scarab beetle and the sacred ibis. In addition to the story, the book has pages to color, puzzles and "how to write in hieroglyphs".
The Cat's Princess
It is a well known fact that humans do not own cats, but rather that cats adopt humans. Cats allow humans to serve them and care for them! I am a black cat and I have a princess who I permit to look after me. She brings me food and drink and special treats. My princess cuddles and strokes me and keeps me warm and cosy. I chose her to be my special princess, so all the animals call her “The Cat’s Princess”.
I have heard it said by a number of people and by some animals, that they think I am beautiful. I have come to believe that it is probably true, although I take no credit for it. My fur and my looks are inherited from my parents. This is the story of my life in ancient Egypt at the time of the Pharaohs.
Excerpt
One morning, quite early, I took the kittens out into the garden. Anki and Becki had been talking all night as usual and keeping me awake. The kittens had woken up just as the girls had gone to sleep. There was no sleep for me! The early morning was cool as I lay on the sand, trying to catnap while keeping one eye on my kittens. I heard a familiar little song,
‘I pushed it hard, I pushed it high;
I really hope I shall get by.
I cannot sleep, I cannot yawn;
Before the sun brings up the dawn.’
It was the Scarab beetle, rolling a ball of manure across the garden. The kittens had heard the song and they made straight for the little beetle. They crouched down around the beetle, watching as he struggled along with a ball that was at least twice his own size. The beetle carried on,
‘It is the best I found all night;
Fresh and clean and rolled up tight.
I must get home, I really must;
Before the sun turns it to dust.’
The kittens were very interested in the efforts of the little brown beetle. Sooty, who was always the first if there was a game to played, stuck out his paw and pushed the ball a little. He watched the ball as it rolled away with the Scarab beetle holding on tightly. The little beetle rolled over and over as the ball rolled across the lawn and down a little ridge in the garden. The kittens all laughed at the Scarab as it looked around when the ball came to a stop.
‘Oh dear, Oh dear, I have been busy,
All this rolling makes me dizzy.
Please don’t push me round like that;
You’re not a very helpful cat!’
But kittens are what kittens are; playful and full of mischief. They were not going to leave the poor beetle alone. Smokey gave the ball a pat in the opposite direction and Beauty gave it another pat. The ball rolled, faster this time, and the poor beetle held on tight. He rolled over and over, going bump, bump each time the ball rolled on top of him. Finally the ball stopped rolling. I thought that the kittens had had enough fun with the poor Scarab beetle. I told them very firmly to stop! Then I heard the Scarab once more.
‘Well here’s a thing I did not know;
I thought that I had far to go.
But you have rolled me all the way,
Up to my door. Thank you - Good day!’
And in a moment the Scarab beetle began to bury the ball of manure. Before we could wipe our paws across our eyes, the ball and the Scarab beetle had completely disappeared from view. The game was over and the beetle had come to no harm.
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