Claude de Grieff
Claude de Grieff was no lap cat.
Had Claude been warned to ‘Keep those claws to himself Claude' he might have acted like a lap cat; like an ordinary cat whose claws came out now and then but Claude always kept his paws to himself and his claws in.
Claude didn’t like sitting in one spot.
Claude glanced sideways at the Goldfish Bowl like every other cat he knew would have. Like every cat that had stepped it out on this earth, Claude glanced sideways at the Goldfish Bowl but not when anyone was around.
Claude had perfected his purr with the intention that all the inhabitants of the house would deep breath along with him and the appearance of uninterrupted sleep would be assured. Claude became another Claude. One who liked nothing better than to dream.
'Smaller than a mousy but much tastier than a horse'. He purred. Never, in fact, having eaten a horse he still thought of it.
At midnight, to keep the old tummy from rumbling, I will just have to go fashioning myself for fishing'.
Claude’s tummy was adolescent, not old, but he’d heard his mother say these words and he was a Cat fond of repetitions.
Goldfish swimming without a worry in the world under artificial daylight even when the sun was out occasionally caused Claude to plan a counter-attack.
Little goldfish teased and taunted him. Pulled his whiskers. Nibbled his tail.
He splashed one paw and then another into the water. They swam about in a raging sea. A hurricane in fact. He tickled and taunted the little goldfish that rushed into the Tower of a small-scale castle. Claude scraped the buttress with menacing strokes. Fish quivered in fear.
He opened and closed his claws on the rim of the Goldfish Bowl.
Claude soon tired of having his paws wet. He slid off the table like a sable fur and sauntered back into his basket. Claude curled up and fell into a dream.
He looked contented. He was almost smiling but while he slept something floated in through the open kitchen window.
It floated above him and tickled his whiskers.
Claude batted them and then Claude returned to his dream. Some might call it a nightmare.
Claude was caught in a Goldfish Bowl.
Claude de Grieff tried to hide in the Castle. But of course, a …..cat….can’t fit inside a small-scale tower.
Janice Slater © 2023
Illustration: Katka Adams © 2023
https://australianjazzrealbook.com/artists/janice-slater/
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