The Legend Of The First Christmas Cat

[Ann]

THE LEGEND OF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS CAT

At midnight's stroke,
On the first Christmas,
half the world awoke.

Then out of nest and lair
Came thronging to Bethlehem
The wordless folk;
Hurried the beasts of the forest,
The birds of the air,
To pay the Lord
Their homage and His due.

And Cat came, too!

Mincing on delicate feet
To see the Child.
But being shy and wild,
Approached
No nearer than the hearth;
Lay down and distant there.

While the rest knelt in praise,
The Cat by too much glory overcome
Could not withdraw her gaze
From the Nativity;
Could only stare through silted eyes
As things of fur and feather
(The deer beside the lion,
The pheasant, the hare safe in the fox's paws)
Bent down together.

Although their anthems lifted all around,
She, in her throat, made only a trembling sound
And could not bow her head.
Yet as the morning dawned
And one by one the other creatures fled
Each to his own habitat.

The eagle to his crag
And to his pond the otter.
Only the Cat remained
Beside the dying fire,
Unable to quit the place
that was both crib and stable.

Then Mary spoke aloud.
"Dear Cat," she said,
"dear, stiff-necked, proud and obstinate beast,
I bless you.
From this hour leave wilderness behind,
Because you stayed.

Though none shall have the power
To call you servant,
Yet the hearth shall bind you
Forever to itself.
Both fond and free,
Wherever Man is, you shall also be.
And many a family
Will smile to hear you singing
(where you settle)
Household hosannas
like a pulsing kettle."

Some winter night
Observe Cat now.
Her eyes will suddenly gleam
Yellow against the light,
Her body shudder in a jungle dream,
Her claws unsheathe their sharpness
As she remembers
Old times, old barbarous customs, old Decembers
Before she called the tribes of Man her friends.

Then the dream ends.

And reassured,
She curls herself along
The floor
And hums her warm, domestic song.

~ Author Unknown

[cwohio]

oh ann - that's so cool!

[Ann]

Toby made me post that.