Rum Tum Tugger gathered his tail between two front paws and stroked it slowly, letting the tips of his claws catch on the fur. He felt bored. The queens were off cliquing in the back lot next door and Munkustrap held a group of kittens and toms in rapt attention with one of his thrice-told tales.
Tugger snickered at how gullible some cats could let themselves become. He, for one, would not let Munkustrap waste hours of his precious sunlight filled days on tales too bold for even the hardiest of cats. A story of pollicles fought off by a group of feisty kittens was a tale on the menu for that morning. Tugger's amber eyes flashed in annoyance. He knew better than to believe the 'white lies' and stretched truths of the silver tabby.
A warm breeze wafted past his nose and Tugger let his tail drop to the ground. Sitting up, he sniffed at the mix of smells as they entered his world. Fried chicken was being prepared in the neighborhood, along with salad and a shrimp casserole, if his nose was not leading him astray. A dubious scent of pollicle and pug was faint but still present. A trip out of the junkyard seemed to be out of the question for the moment.
With a heavy sigh, Tugger let his shoulders slump, his head coming to rest on his front paws. He twitched his nose in frustration at being thwarted of a day out on the town. There were ways around the pollicles, of course - rooftops being a personal favorite of Tuggers - but today the tom had no energy for it. He wanted fun, not sneaking and trolling through the shadows. Another sigh blew his long dark forelock back over one eye.
A sudden movement caught in his peripheral vision and the cat's chin swept upward. A bird was circling to the left. He watched it carefully. Should it land, he might rethink his lacking energy reserves. A touch of a smile curved his mouth upwards. An unexpected purr rumbled in his chest, catching him off guard. He calmed his abruptly racing heart and stood to his feet.
Slow, swaggering steps lead him into the shade of a nearby crate where he stretched out on his side, all four paws reaching for the horizon.
It was a good day to be a Jellicle.