Hey guys! Okay, it's no secret, I quite like Pouncie too, so he and Jerrie are going to be good friends. I don't think cats eat fruit, but
anyway! I am also deleting my other story, 'Why Can't I Say I Love You,' and using bits of it in this story later. Thank you to my reviewers,
musicgal3, SummerRose12 and xXRumpleteaserXx.
Note: There is swearing in this chapter, but it is not really readable, just blanked with asterisks and stuff like that. You get the idea, though.
Chapter 11
Mungojerrie sucked in a huge breath and let it all out again. He was terrified that he wouldn't be accepted, now that he wanted so much to be.
He already liked Alonzo and Munkustrap and was sure they'd be cool friends to have. He found the kittens amusing and the queens interesting.
Mistoffelees was the wonder of the Everlasting Cat, too. They were all intriguing and interesting and cool and everything Mungojerrie thought he
was not. Why would he be accepted?
"Come on Mungojerrie." Munkustrap was urging. An elderly grey and white cat was limping into the Yard. Mungojerrie was sure that this was Old
Deuteronomy, Jellicle leader and Munkustrap and Rum Tum Tugger's father. "Oi c'n see where ya comin' from Straps, bu' Tuggah?!" Mungojerrie
quickly glanced back at the tom moving his hips all over the place then back to the serene tribe leader. "Yes, I think he's the odd one out in the
family. Oh well, it made the decision of who was going to be protector a whole lot easier." Munkustrap stated bluntly. Mungojerrie, forgetting all
about the initiation to the tribe, studied Munkustrap curiously. "Oh, sommat tells me ya jealous. Jealous of ya brother. Tell me latah, aftah Oi make
it in…err… if Oi make it in…" "You will make it Mungojerrie." Munkustrap said comfortingly, choosing to ignore Mungojerrie's observation. "Now, Old
Deuteronomy, this is Mungojerrie. He wants to become a Jellicle."
After about 20 minutes of questioning, which felt to Mungojerrie like 20 hours, Old Deuteronomy pronounced him a Jellicle and everyone cheered.
"Th-th-thank ya sir!" Mungojerrie stammered, feeling elated. Alonzo rushed up to him. "Great job, man! C'mon, do you want to go for a walk?"
"Yeah, 'course!" Mungojerrie felt on top of the world. "I wanna come too!" whined a little kitten voice. Pouncival. Jennyanydots added, "Alonzo
dearie, could you take the girls and Tumble and Pounce off my hands? Skimbleshanks needs my help and the mice have a crocheting lesson in 20
minutes…" Before Alonzo could reply, Mungojerrie piped up, "Sure, Lonz an' me c'n take 'em fer a walk, if tha's orrioght?" "Oh thank you darlings!"
Jennyanydots rushed off, relinquishing four kitten-queens and two tom-kits to the bewildered Alonzo and complacent Mungojerrie. *'Ow 'ard c'n it
be?* he thought. He didn't know what he'd gotten himself into.
"Okay, c'mon, Jemmi, Vicki, Lecci, Cettie, Pouncie, Brutie…" Mungojerrie rattled off the names. "Jer-rie!" whined Pouncival. "I don't like to be called
'Pouncie' and Tumble doesn't like 'Brutie'…" "Okay then. Pounce and Tumble, gals an' guys, le's go!" Privately Mungojerrie thought remembering
the kittens' names would be a lot easier if they all ended in 'ie'. The 8 of them, 6 kittens and 2 toms, set off for a walk. In fact, it started as a run.
The kittens took off at top speed and it was all Alonzo and Mungojerrie could do to keep up. "Hey, stay together!" commanded a panting Alonzo
as Etcetera wandered off a little way. He went and grabbed her back on course. "OKAY! STOPPPPPP!!!!!" howled Mungojerrie and, surprisingly,
everyone stopped. "Thank ya!" panted Mungojerrie. "Now, this is meant ta be a walk, no' a run." "Aww…" pouted Pounce. "I like running!" Alonzo
took over, seeing Mungojerrie was stumped. He started negotiating. "See, if you run, we'll all get tired quickly and have to go back quicker. If you
walk, we stay out longer and we don't have to go back so soon." "Yeah," chimed in Mungojerrie, "If ya walk, we c'n stay away from Jennyanydots
a li'l longah cos we don' all wanna go back to 'er yet, do we?" "NO!" chorused the little group. Alonzo grinned. Mungojerrie may have been new,
but he'd already picked up on the fact that the kittens hated being monitored by the Gumbie Cat consistently and had used it to his advantage.
"So, what are we gonna do?" asked Alonzo. "WALK!" screamed the kittens. "Goo' job!"
They set off again, walking this time. Mungojerrie felt that any major problem had already been overcome. *Oi mean, 'ow many problems c'n ya
ge' when ya walkin'?* The question was answered with a howl. "Help!" yowled Victoria. She had caught her paws in a hole. "Okay, stop!"
commanded Alonzo. Whilst he and Mungojerrie went about un-sticking Victoria, the kittens whispered behind their backs. They didn't pay them
any attention, as all efforts were concentrated on getting Victoria out of the hole. Apart from an occasional giggle, nothing was audibly heard from
the kits as the toms labored away. Finally, they were done. "There ya are, Vicki! Now, c'mon guys, le's g---" Mungojerrie stopped abruptly as there
were no kittens behind him. They were all gone. "Oh f*%!" Alonzo swore. "Where the hell are they?! POUNCIVAL! TUMBLEBRUTUS! ELECTRA!
ETCETERA! JEMIMA! VIC--- Oh yeah, that's right. Vicki, where do you think they a---" he pivoted to look at the white kitten, but she had scampered
off too. "F*%, f*%, f*%!" Alonzo swore in a rage. Mungojerrie placed a paw on his shoulder. "Lis'en, they can' stay quioet ferevah." The toms
silenced and listened.
Sure enough, they heard Etcetera giggle from somewhere up a tree. "Ah-ha! Hiode an' seek, 'ey? Well, OI'M COMING!" Mungojerrie bellowed and
scampered up the nearest tree. "Gotcha! Lonz, catch 'er wouldja?" Mungojerrie dropped Etcetera out of the tree into Alonzo's waiting arms. "Ha-
ha!" Mungojerrie scurried onto another limb and bagged Electra. "Catch Lonz!" Two kittens down, four to go. On the neighbouring tree,
Mungojerrie nabbed Victoria and Jemima. On the tree after that, Tumblebrutus. Finally, 5 kits were lying in a giggling heap on the ground at
Alonzo's feet while Mungojerrie prowled around, looking for Pouncival. "C'mon, Pounce! Oi know ya up 'ere somewhere! Lonz, give us a 'and,
wouldja?" Alonzo climbed another tree and the two began searching for the tom-kit. "GOT 'IM!" shouted Mungojerrie, pouncing on a black, brown
and white heap which was giggling. "Okay!" Alonzo jumped down and got ready to receive the catch. However, Pouncival was heavier than the
other kits, for he had found a nice heavy stone which he was clinging onto. "Oof!" Alonzo caught the tom-kit, but his legs buckled and the two of
them crashed to the ground. "Ow, my head!" cried Alonzo as Mungojerrie vaulted down next to him.
"Now, we c'n go!" he exclaimed, then noticed that, in his and Alonzo's search for Pouncival, the kittens that they'd already found had re-hidden
themselves. "Oh, F*%! That does it!" Alonzo roared furiously. Mungojerrie raised his eyebrows as Pouncival giggled. "'Membah, Lonz, the kits are
'round 'ere. Don' swear so much!" "Okay! But I'm REALLY MAD!" "Oi c'n tell. Oi'm no' too 'appy eiothah. Now, young man," Mungojerrie turned to
Pouncival, "You will stay RIOGHT 'ERE, go' tha'? Don' move a muscle or we'll 'ave ta tioe ya up!" To Pouncival that sounded cool, so he twitched
and stepped a step forwards. "Orrioght!" Mungojerrie picked up a stray rope and tied up the tom-kit gently, but tightly enough so that he couldn't
move. "Good! Now… TUMBLEBRUTUS, VICTORIA, ELECTRA, ETCETERA AND JEMIMA, get down here RIGHT NOW or things will go very badly when
we get home!" demanded Alonzo. Five kittens descended from the trees meekly.
"Thank you! Now, whose idea was this?" Alonzo asked the five seated (and one tied up) kittens before him. "It was Pouncival's." replied Etcetera.
"Okay! Now, Pouncival, don' EVAH do tha' again! If ya wan' us ta play hiode-an'-seek, then play in the Junkyard, cos out 'ere ya c'n ge' 'urt easily.
Okay?" asked Mungojerrie. "Okay!" replied the kitten, grinning up at him cheekily. "Now, we're gonna walk home nice and slow, okay?" Alonzo
had calmed down a little. "What are we going to do?" he asked. "WALK!" replied the kittens. "Good! Now, Alonzo, Oi'll untioe Pounce an' catch up
ta ya, okay?" "Sure." Alonzo and five kittens set off while Mungojerrie untied Pouncival. The little kitten looked up at him, grinning, and stretched
when he was free. Mungojerrie ruffled his headfur affectionately; Pouncival wasn't a bad kitten; in actual fact, he was very cute. "C'mon, Pounce.
Now we c'n run ta catch up. Race ya!" The two took off and tore up the path, catching their friends easily.
"Thank heavens!" Alonzo uttered as Mungojerrie eased to a halt. "Things are starting to go pear-shaped around here." He indicated Etcetera and
Tumblebrutus, squabbling over who would lead. "Why would things go pear-shaped?" piped up Pouncival in his clear sweet voice. "I like cherries.
Pears are yucky!" he proclaimed. Mungojerrie and Alonzo held their sides to stop them from splitting as they roared with laughter. "I's a sayin',
Pounce. Don' ya worry, no-one's gonna give ya any pears." They continued the walk home.
"Me-ow!" cried Jemima. "Wha's up Jemmi?" asked Mungojerrie. "Pouncival pulled my tail!" "No I didn't!" cried the tom-kit indignantly. "Yes you
did!" snapped Jemima. Etcetera and Tumblebrutus spoke up, defending Pouncival. "He didn't!" confirmed Tumblebrutus. Etcetera nodded in
agreement. However, Victoria and Electra stood up for Jemima. "He did! He did!" they chorused. And suddenly, there was a huge catfight going
on. Actually, more of a kittenfight.
"He did!" "Did not!" "Did too!" "I didn't!" "You did!" "STOPPP!" howled Alonzo. "All of you, please! Now, if you did, Pouncival, don't do it again! If
you didn't, well, whoever did it, don't do it again! Now, can we have some peace and quiet?!" For a few seconds, there was silence. Then…
"Yeow!" Victoria had stepped on a plank of wood which was balanced over a rock, and Pouncival had accidentally stepped on the other end. As he
was heavier, the wood served as a catapult and Victoria went sailing through the air, landing in a rubbish bin. "Oh Everlasting Cat!" groaned
Alonzo. "Now, don't you move!" he ordered as he and Mungojerrie freed a very dirty Victoria from the smelly rubbish bin. Her coat was brown. "Oh
shoot, we're gonna get into trouble!" moaned Alonzo, downgrading his swearing from 'f*%' to 'shoot'. Pouncival frowned, then smiled. "BANG!
BANG! BANG!" he brandished a fake gun, (made by his hands), and shot at them. "No, not that 'shoot!'" exclaimed a hysterically laughing Alonzo.
"So, like a rubbish chute?" murmured Tumblebrutus. "I don't like them very much." Mungojerrie had tears in his eyes. "Naw, it's another figure of
speech. Don' worry. Le's give Victoria a wash in th' rivah, Lonz." he gasped through his laughter.
Two minutes later, a very wet and annoyed Victoria was clean. They dried her using old sacks, then finally, finally, got to the Junkyard. "See you
guys, we'll be back in a minute or two." The two mentally and physically exhausted toms left the kittens with Jennyanydots as they went to rest
for a while. She smiled at the kittens and asked, "So, how was your walk darlings?" Pouncival piped up, "It was the BEST WALK EVER! We ran
halfway and Vicki got stuck in a hole and while Mungojerrie and Alonzo were getting her out we all hid up in the trees and Alonzo was very cross
and started swearing and Mungojerrie found us and dropped us out of the trees and I had a stone and Alonzo caught me then dropped me then
we all hid again except me because I was tied up with a rope and then we got into trouble then Mungojerrie untied me and we caught up to
everyone and Alonzo said something about pears and then someone pulled Jemima's tail and we all got into a fight and then Victoria went flying
through the air and landed in a rubbish bin and then we dunked her in the river!" he babbled. Jennyanydots' eyes had been getting wider and
wider throughout his account and she was shocked. "Alonzo and Mungojerrie! Come here please! Now, darlings, it's dinner time!" "What's for
dinner?" asked Victoria. "Fish and then pears, and no getting up until you've finished it all!" replied Jennyanydots. "Oh no! Mungojerrie promised
no pears!" whined Pouncival. "No arguing young man!" said Jennyanydots.
"Now, Alonzo and Mungojerrie, Pouncival has just told me a most fascinating account of your walk. Something about running halfway and Victoria
getting stuck in a hole and everyone hiding in the trees and you swearing, Alonzo, and Mungojerrie dropping the kits out of the trees and
Pouncival carrying a heavy stone and bowling you over, Alonzo, and you, Mungojerrie tying him up and then someone pulling Jemima's tail, and
Victoria going flying through the air and landing in a bin and you all dunking her in the river! And he said it was the BEST WALK EVER! What do you
have to say for yourselves?" So, the two toms spent 20 minutes explaining the walk before Jennyanydots forgave them and said she would
punish the kits. However, Mungojerrie would not stand for that. "Don' worry yaself Jenny, it was kionda fun. They were jus' bein' kits an' it was
cool, wasn' it Lonz?" And Alonzo had to admit it had been fun when not harrowing. "Okay, they won't be punished. Thank you so much dearies.
You have helped me so much! Oh, and Mungojerrie, Pouncival mentioned something about you promising no pears?" "Oh, tha'!" Mungojerrie then
proceeded to explain the 'pear-shaped' incident. Jennyanydots laughed. "Well, then, that's okay. Thank you boys." Alonzo went off to recuperate
from the nerve-frazzling walk, but Mungojerrie knew that he had one more task to do.
He went to see Pouncival, who was miserably forcing down pears. He was the only one who hated them, and everyone else was done and
playing. "'Ey, Pounce, tha' was some fun taday, huh? Oi promised no pears, bu' Oi didn' know tha' you was gonna 'ave 'em fer dinnah. Anyway, a
promise is a promise!" Pouncival's eyes lit up in glee as Mungojerrie, who hated pears himself, finished the pears of the tom-kit. "Oi 'ate pears
too, bu' Oi promised, didn' Oi?" Pouncival smiled. "Thank you for the walk. It was so COOL! It was the BEST WALK EVER! Can you teach me how to
tie up cats?" Without considering the consequences, Mungojerrie smiled. "Yeah sure. Tamorra, then, yeah?" "Yay! Thank you for eating my pears
too. They were yucky!" "Yeah, Oi know." Mungojerrie sympathized. Pouncival studied Mungojerrie and then, without warning, gave him a hug.
Then, he grinned cheekily. "Tag! You're IT!" he howled and Mungojerrie chased after him. "Gotcha Electra!" he changed course.
"Yaa! Vicki, I got you!" cried Electra. Misto, Plato and Admetus joined the game. "Gotcha Misto!" The conjuring cat's sister tagged him. "Plato!"
Plato quickly tagged Admetus, who tagged Pouncival. The tom-kit cocked his head to one side, then bounded up the TSE1. "Tag! You're IT,
Munkustrap!" The tribe protector was stunned, but only for a second. "Tag, Etcetera!" he reached out and tapped the kitten who ran too close to
his perch. She squealed. "Got you Jemmi!" As Jemima leapt for Misto, there was a CRACK! and he vanished. "Hey, no fair!" she complained. The
conjuring cat chuckled and appeared out of nowhere. Just then, Jennyanydots called, "Bedtime kittens! All of you, now!" Crying out 'goodnight',
Pouncival, Tumblebrutus and the four queen-kits went to bed. Exhausted, Mungojerrie followed soon after. He was still bunking in Munkustrap's
den. "Good day, huh?" the silver tabby commented, grinning. "Th' best." agreed Mungojerrie. "Now, 'ow 'bout ya tellin' me why ya jealous of ya
brother?" he asked as he settled down to sleep. "Goodnight, Mungojerrie." was Munkustrap's reply.