A second later all was silent and I looked up to see Munku turning to look around the clearing of cats who had all crouched, singing in a deep, clear voice 'Are you blind when you're born?'

'Can you see in the dark?' A golden tabby queen scraped at the ground.

'Can you look at a king?' An old ginger cat spoke up and I smirked, joining in and singing the next part of the well known Jellicle Song.

'Would you sit on his throne?' Rum Tum Tugger grinned at me as I sung, moving to climb the heap of junk.

'Can you say of your bite that it's worse than your bark?' His voice quickly made me realise why the queens were so obsessed with him.

'Are you cock of the walk-'A black and white patched cat imitated a stately walk while another queen finished.

'-when you're walking alone?'

'Because jellicles are and jellicles do,' Everyone joined in for the chorus, 'jellicles do and jellicles would, jellicles would and jellicles can, jellicles can and jellicles do.'

A kindly looking old calico queen took the next part, 'When you fall on your head, do you land on your feet?'She did a little jump to show it.

'Are you tense when you sense there's a storm in the air?' Two dark tabbies stood, with the male singing, before crouching again.

'Can you find your way blind when you're lost in the street?' A red tabby kit sung with a high voice and I glared silently at the positive perfection of her, not a hair out of place, and obviously never having been hungry or scared in her life.

'Do you know how to go to the Heaviside layer?'An old, large brown tom sung deeply.

'Because jellicles can and jellicles do, jellicles do and jellicles can, jellicles do and jellicles can, jellicles can and jellicles do.'For the chorus everyone began singing again, and I watched as they danced perfectly in sync with each other.

'Can you ride on a broomstick to places far distant?'The female of the tabby twins now sung out.

'Familiar with candle,'A white kit and calico queen sung.

'With book and with bell'An aging reddish queen twisted smoothly.

'Were you Whittington's friend?'The temptress of a red queen hit her leg.

'The Pied Piper's assistant?'A tuxedoed young tom jumped out.

Have you been an alumnus of heaven and hell?'This was taken by a patched brown tom, who performed some gymnastics as he sung.

'Are you mean like a minx?'The orange, black and brown tiger tabby who I had stolen the leg of lamb from stepped forward.

'Are you lean like a lynx?'The other tiger tabby stepped forward, obviously a sister or twin of the first cat.

'Are you keen to be seen when you're smelling a rat?' The line was taken by a white kit with brown and black stripes.

'Were you there when the pharaoh commissioned the Sphinx?'An Abyssinian with fur sleek enough to rival mine, without the tuft patches of course.

'If you were and you are, you're a jellicle cat.'Everyone joined in for the chorus.

'jellicle songs for jellicles cats, jellicle songs for jellicle cats. Jellicle song for jellicle cats, jellicle song for jellicle cats, jellicle song for jellicle cats!'I could only watch from the tyre as they danced gracefully.

'We can dive through the air like a flying trapeze. We can turn double somersaults, bounce on a tyre. We can run up a wall, we can swing through the trees. We can balance on bars, we can walk on a wire.'

'jellicles can and jellicles do, jellicles can and jellicles do, jellicles can and jellicles do, jellicles can and jellicles do!'Rum Tum Tugger noticed my expression and moved to me, picking me up and taking me to where everyone began to move for the next part, my favourite. He rested me down so that I could stand on my own but still lean against him.

'jellicle song for jellicle cats, jellicle songs for jellicle cats, jellicle songs of jellicle cats, jellicle songs for jellicle cats.'Finally everyone was convened.

'Can you sing at the same time in more that one key?'

'Duets by Rossini-'The queens took this part

' and waltzes by Strauss?'Now it was the toms turn

'And can you, as cats do begin with a 'C'?'One of the elderly tabbies I had noticed earlier took the chance to sing that 'C'

'That always triumphantly brings down the house!'

'jellicle cats are queens of the nights, singing at astronomical heights. Handling pieces from the 'Messiah', Hallelujah, angelical choir.'The tempo slowed for the almost prayer like part of the famous song.

'The mystical divinity of unashamed felinity. Round the cathedral rang 'Vivat'. Life to the Everlasting Cat!'

'Feline, fearless, faithful and true to other who do-what.'The chant stopped as the high energy song started up again, with Rum Tum Tugger quickly taking my hips and lifting my onto the tyre before moving off to dance, leaving with a parting wink which I just rolled my eyes at.

'jellicles do and jellicles can, jellicles can and jellicles do, jellicle cats sing jellicle chants, jellicles old and jellicles new, jellicle song and jellicle dance.

Jellicle songs of jellicle cats, jellicle songs for jellicle cats, jellicle songs for jellicle cats, jellicle songs for jellicle cats.

Practical cats, dramatical cats, pragmatically cats, fanatical cats, oratorical cats, delphicoracle cat, sceptical cat, dyspeptically cats, romantically cat, pedantical cats, critical cats, parasitical cats, allegorical cats, metaphorical cats, statistical cats, mystical cats, political cats, hypocritical cats, clerical cats hysterical cats, cynical cat, rabbinical cats'

'jellicle songs for jellicle cats, jellicle songs for jellicle cats, jellicle songs for jellicle cats, jellicle songs for jellicle cats, jellicle songs for jellicle cats.'

'There's a man over there with a look of surprise, as much as to say well now how about that?'A tom stopped the dancing, noticing a person watching the display.

'Do I actually see with my own very eyes, a man who's not heard of a jellicle cat?'Munkustrap moved forward to the tom.

'What's a jellicle cat? What's a jellicle cat? What's a jellicle cat?'I hissed, pulling myself with my arms across to the TSE car as we all looked incredulously at the human before watching the cats of the junkyard move together and begin to chant with perfect synchronicity.

'The naming of cats is a difficult matter. It isn't just one of your holiday games. You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter when I tell you that a cat must have three different names. First of all, there's the name that the family use daily, such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James. Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey. All of them sensible, everyday names. But I tell you a cat needs a name that's particular, a name that's peculiar and more dignified. Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular? Or spread out his whiskers or cherish his pride?'

'Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum, such as Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat. Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum. Names that never belong to more than one cat, but above and beyond there's still one name left over and that is the name that you will never guess. The name that human research can discover, but the cat himself knows and will never confess. When you notice a cat in profound meditation, the reason I tell you, is always the same. His mind is engaged in rapt contemplation…

Of the thought, Of the thought, of the thought of his name.

His ineffable, effable, effanineffiable, deep and inscrutable, singular name, Name, name, name, name, name, name…'