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Please check out The Diamond Collar- the home of Munkustrap's Tale.
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Chapter 8: Facing the Music
The old Jellicle Leader was still a good distance from the Dumpster when he exclaimed,
"Oh, I can't wait to see that grandson of mine! I can't wait to hear how he won the battle!"
The cats who were with him as bodyguards smiled and nodded. They had been hearing all about the wonderful Munkustrap since they started out.
"Just like his father. Just like him," Deuteronomy went on beaming with pride. "My Munkustrap. Did I ever tell you boys about the time my grandson fought single-handedly a pack of wild dogs?"
"No, sir," piped up one of the younger cats who was new to the job. The others said nothing. They had only heard this story, oh, about a hundred times and counting.
While Old Deuteronomy was talking about Munkustrap, the young leader was in knots over his grandfather's arrival. He was, however, no longer concerned about Jezabel's not being a Jellicle. If she was Mistofelees' sister then she was most definitely a Jellicle. While he was apparently attempting to walk a hole the ground, he walked into Skimbleshanks who was so excited he could hardly contain himself.
"Munkustrap!" he cried. "I'm going to do it! I'm going to ask Jenny to marry me!" Then he was off again before Munkustrap could say anything.
"Congratulations," he muttered. "Why even bother to tell me?" He sighed feeling more depressed than ever. He was absolutely dreading Old Deuteronomy's coming. Scenes of the battles were once again plaguing his dreams. He was exhausted from lack of sleep and weak from lack of food. He couldn't even eat, he was so anxious. For Munkustrap was positive that Deuteronomy would not only strip him of his leadership position, but would also *disown him, a fate worse than death. With no family, there was no identity. With no identity, there was no tribe. With no tribe, one was vulnerable and defenseless. He was prey to any other cat he came across. For the mark of disownership was the declawing of the front paws.* Munkustrap looked down at his paws as a wave of sadness washed over him. He curled his nails in towards his palm and slowly lowered his fist to his side and hung his head. He stood there until he heard the horn blow signaling Old Deuteronomy's arrival. The moment of truth had arrived and there was no place to hide.
Jezabel swayed nervously beside Mistofelees who had been chattering on about the last Jellicle Ball. The more excited the magical cat was the more he talked. And he was very excited. Not only was his beloved Deuteronomy coming shortly, but he was going to introduce his sister to him.
Nothing could ruin the moment.
His sister shared his excitement, still shocked at her unbelievable good luck of finding a link to her past, but was worried as well. Though Mistofelees assured her that she would love Deuteronomy and he her, Jezabel couldn't help but worry that she would make a mistake and cause Munkustrap to look bad.
At that moment Bombalurina walked by the two and hissed at Jezabel. Taken aback, she stared after the other cat, trembling. What could she have possibly done to bring that around? One glance at Mistofelees told her that he had missed the whole thing. He was too busy trying to control his enthusiasm.
Munkustrap entered the Dumpster and proceeded to the large trash bin in the center. He looked cool and collected as usual. Demeter took her place at his side and bared her teeth at Jezabel as they passed. However, this time it was Mistofelees who noticed the gesture, not Jezabel. He cocked his head to the side in a most adorable manner and gave her a puzzled look. He glance at Jezabel who was gazing intently at Munkustrap with a slight frown on her face. Mistofelees looked at his friend and picked up on what Jezabel saw.
Despite his manner, Jezabel noticed that he seemed tired, his coat had lost a bit of its sheen. But it was his eyes that grabbed her. At first glance and if you didn't look too close, they appeared tranquil but vague to display emotion. Then, if you looked closer, you could see depression and.... fear. Jezabel forgot her problems for the moment and became extremely worried. Never before had she seen fear in those eyes. Hate and anger, yes. But not fear like that. It was a fear that a kitten had when it knew it was about to be reprimanded in front of its siblings by a strict father.
The collar around Jezabel's neck suddenly felt tight, until she looked away. Absent- mindedly she played with the new collar Tumblebrutus had made for her while he was recovering. It was a wide leather collar with a silver buckle in the back decorated with the diamonds from her old one.
"Ready ta meet Ol' Deute'onomy?" Mungojerrie asked from behind her.
Jezabel flashed him a smile and shook her head.
"Don't worry about et, love. We'll be 'right there with ya."
Rumpleteazer stood next to her friend, her new collar sparkled in the morning light. There had been so many of the diamonds left over from her old collar that Jezabel had them strung into a new one and given them to Rumpleteazer.
"Tanks a lot for the new colla, Jez," Mungojerrie whispered in her ear. "I'll look betta in diamonds than in pearls!"
Jezabel looked at him quizzically then broke into a big grin. Mungojerrie pressed a finger to his lips.
"Et's our secret for now."
The last two cats to entered the center of the Dumpster were Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots. Jennyanydots was also showing off a new collar, Skimbleshanks' collar. And he was displaying hers. The exchanging of collars was equal to an engagement ring. The females all gathered around the pair ooing and ahhing, until Deuteronomy's guard's entered. Then all the cats scrambled to take their places.
Demeter stood as close to Munkustrap as possible, yet he did not seem to realize she was there; he was off in his own little world.
She gazed disdainfully at the little gray cat next to Mistofelees. Her eyes smoldered with anger when she saw Victoria greet Jezabel with an embrace before taking a place next to Mistofelees.
The black cat said something to the white one as the gray one smiled shyly. She gnashed her teeth together as Victoria clapped her paws together and hopped excitedly on one foot. Demeter raised an eyebrow as Victoria seemed beside herself in joy. Whatever Mistofelees had said had something to do with Jezabel.
Fine, she thought huffily. If you wish to be friends with that cat, then, Vicki, you are no longer a friend of mine.
Demeter returned her attention to the center of the yard as Old Deuteronomy entered. A loud cheer went up from the tribe. Munkustrap welcomed his grandfather and told him of their situation.
Deuteronomy listened solemnly until he had finished. Then a joyous Skimbleshanks came forward to give the Jellicle Leader the battle report. Of course, there was nothing but praise for their brave commander, Munkustrap, and Deuteronomy did not bother to hide his pride. The older toms of the tribe took turns giving their account of the battle and Demeter only half listened. Her mind was occupied with how to get Munkustrap to propose by the next Jellicle Ball. It would make her look bad if a kitten like Victoria ended up married before her. Especially, since at present, Demeter was the main queen of the Jellicles. Once again Demeter returned her attention back to Deuteronomy as Mistofelees came forward with Jezabel in tow and Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer close behind. Old Deuteronomy had always known that Munkustrap was the hero of the battle with the Pollicles. He just like hearing it from the others since Munkustrap was too modest to tell what had happened himself. It was hard for the old cat to drag his attention from his grandson in order to listen to Mistofelees, who was so excited he was talking a mile a minute.
Munkustrap at that point stepped in to make sense of what Mistofelees was trying to say.
Forcing himself to look the leader in the eyes, he said,
"During the time after the battle when I went to scout the Junkyard, I came across four dogs attacking a cat. I brought her back here to wait for you. At that time I was unsure if she was a Jellicle or not, but since then I have been given reason to believe that she is, indeed, a Jellicle. Old Deuteronomy, I would like to present to you, Jezabel of the house of Stratherin."
Munkustrap extended his paw to Jezabel, which she took, and guided her up to the old leader.
Deuteronomy studied the kitten with several thoughts running through his head. First of all, he was nearly bursting with pride for his grandson. Not only had he saved the tribe from the Pollicles, he had also saved the life of a beautiful house-cat. Second, it hurt slightly that Munkustrap always called him "Old Deuteronomy".
Just once it would be nice if that boy would call me "Grandpa." It wouldn't kill him.
Deuteronomy listened to Jezabel speak slowly and carefully on why she felt she was a Jellicle and then to Mistofelees' confirmation of their relation. A plan began to form in Deuteronomy's head. He looked at the young queen, then at his grandson, then to the queen again. He smiled to himself. He wouldn't breathe a word to anyone about what he was thinking.
When the notorious cats finished listing all of Jezabel's quality's, he stood up and said in a loud voice,
"Well, Jezabel of the house of Stratherin, as the Leader of the Jellicles I have the honor of the welcoming you to the Jellicle tribe. As the sister of our beloved Mistofelees you are accepted without reservation. All things Jellicle are opened to you. Welcome."
He stretched his paws to Jezabel who looked at Munkustrap. He motioned for her to go up and she did so, taking the Leader's paws. He embraced her and presented her to the others. Then Munkustrap took her paws and rubbed them against his face. Then he handed her paws to the next in line and all the others followed suite. It was now official. Jezabel was one of them.
This naturally put all the cats in a festive mood. Old Deuteronomy raised his paws for silence. Grinning broadly, he announced, "Tonight there will be a special feast in honor of my grandson, Munkustrap!"
All the Jellicles cheered as the color drained from Munkustrap's face.
Please check out The Diamond Collar- the home of Munkustrap's Tale.
musicalmayhem.freeservers.com
Chapter 8: Facing the Music
The old Jellicle Leader was still a good distance from the Dumpster when he exclaimed,
"Oh, I can't wait to see that grandson of mine! I can't wait to hear how he won the battle!"
The cats who were with him as bodyguards smiled and nodded. They had been hearing all about the wonderful Munkustrap since they started out.
"Just like his father. Just like him," Deuteronomy went on beaming with pride. "My Munkustrap. Did I ever tell you boys about the time my grandson fought single-handedly a pack of wild dogs?"
"No, sir," piped up one of the younger cats who was new to the job. The others said nothing. They had only heard this story, oh, about a hundred times and counting.
While Old Deuteronomy was talking about Munkustrap, the young leader was in knots over his grandfather's arrival. He was, however, no longer concerned about Jezabel's not being a Jellicle. If she was Mistofelees' sister then she was most definitely a Jellicle. While he was apparently attempting to walk a hole the ground, he walked into Skimbleshanks who was so excited he could hardly contain himself.
"Munkustrap!" he cried. "I'm going to do it! I'm going to ask Jenny to marry me!" Then he was off again before Munkustrap could say anything.
"Congratulations," he muttered. "Why even bother to tell me?" He sighed feeling more depressed than ever. He was absolutely dreading Old Deuteronomy's coming. Scenes of the battles were once again plaguing his dreams. He was exhausted from lack of sleep and weak from lack of food. He couldn't even eat, he was so anxious. For Munkustrap was positive that Deuteronomy would not only strip him of his leadership position, but would also *disown him, a fate worse than death. With no family, there was no identity. With no identity, there was no tribe. With no tribe, one was vulnerable and defenseless. He was prey to any other cat he came across. For the mark of disownership was the declawing of the front paws.* Munkustrap looked down at his paws as a wave of sadness washed over him. He curled his nails in towards his palm and slowly lowered his fist to his side and hung his head. He stood there until he heard the horn blow signaling Old Deuteronomy's arrival. The moment of truth had arrived and there was no place to hide.
Jezabel swayed nervously beside Mistofelees who had been chattering on about the last Jellicle Ball. The more excited the magical cat was the more he talked. And he was very excited. Not only was his beloved Deuteronomy coming shortly, but he was going to introduce his sister to him.
Nothing could ruin the moment.
His sister shared his excitement, still shocked at her unbelievable good luck of finding a link to her past, but was worried as well. Though Mistofelees assured her that she would love Deuteronomy and he her, Jezabel couldn't help but worry that she would make a mistake and cause Munkustrap to look bad.
At that moment Bombalurina walked by the two and hissed at Jezabel. Taken aback, she stared after the other cat, trembling. What could she have possibly done to bring that around? One glance at Mistofelees told her that he had missed the whole thing. He was too busy trying to control his enthusiasm.
Munkustrap entered the Dumpster and proceeded to the large trash bin in the center. He looked cool and collected as usual. Demeter took her place at his side and bared her teeth at Jezabel as they passed. However, this time it was Mistofelees who noticed the gesture, not Jezabel. He cocked his head to the side in a most adorable manner and gave her a puzzled look. He glance at Jezabel who was gazing intently at Munkustrap with a slight frown on her face. Mistofelees looked at his friend and picked up on what Jezabel saw.
Despite his manner, Jezabel noticed that he seemed tired, his coat had lost a bit of its sheen. But it was his eyes that grabbed her. At first glance and if you didn't look too close, they appeared tranquil but vague to display emotion. Then, if you looked closer, you could see depression and.... fear. Jezabel forgot her problems for the moment and became extremely worried. Never before had she seen fear in those eyes. Hate and anger, yes. But not fear like that. It was a fear that a kitten had when it knew it was about to be reprimanded in front of its siblings by a strict father.
The collar around Jezabel's neck suddenly felt tight, until she looked away. Absent- mindedly she played with the new collar Tumblebrutus had made for her while he was recovering. It was a wide leather collar with a silver buckle in the back decorated with the diamonds from her old one.
"Ready ta meet Ol' Deute'onomy?" Mungojerrie asked from behind her.
Jezabel flashed him a smile and shook her head.
"Don't worry about et, love. We'll be 'right there with ya."
Rumpleteazer stood next to her friend, her new collar sparkled in the morning light. There had been so many of the diamonds left over from her old collar that Jezabel had them strung into a new one and given them to Rumpleteazer.
"Tanks a lot for the new colla, Jez," Mungojerrie whispered in her ear. "I'll look betta in diamonds than in pearls!"
Jezabel looked at him quizzically then broke into a big grin. Mungojerrie pressed a finger to his lips.
"Et's our secret for now."
The last two cats to entered the center of the Dumpster were Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots. Jennyanydots was also showing off a new collar, Skimbleshanks' collar. And he was displaying hers. The exchanging of collars was equal to an engagement ring. The females all gathered around the pair ooing and ahhing, until Deuteronomy's guard's entered. Then all the cats scrambled to take their places.
Demeter stood as close to Munkustrap as possible, yet he did not seem to realize she was there; he was off in his own little world.
She gazed disdainfully at the little gray cat next to Mistofelees. Her eyes smoldered with anger when she saw Victoria greet Jezabel with an embrace before taking a place next to Mistofelees.
The black cat said something to the white one as the gray one smiled shyly. She gnashed her teeth together as Victoria clapped her paws together and hopped excitedly on one foot. Demeter raised an eyebrow as Victoria seemed beside herself in joy. Whatever Mistofelees had said had something to do with Jezabel.
Fine, she thought huffily. If you wish to be friends with that cat, then, Vicki, you are no longer a friend of mine.
Demeter returned her attention to the center of the yard as Old Deuteronomy entered. A loud cheer went up from the tribe. Munkustrap welcomed his grandfather and told him of their situation.
Deuteronomy listened solemnly until he had finished. Then a joyous Skimbleshanks came forward to give the Jellicle Leader the battle report. Of course, there was nothing but praise for their brave commander, Munkustrap, and Deuteronomy did not bother to hide his pride. The older toms of the tribe took turns giving their account of the battle and Demeter only half listened. Her mind was occupied with how to get Munkustrap to propose by the next Jellicle Ball. It would make her look bad if a kitten like Victoria ended up married before her. Especially, since at present, Demeter was the main queen of the Jellicles. Once again Demeter returned her attention back to Deuteronomy as Mistofelees came forward with Jezabel in tow and Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer close behind. Old Deuteronomy had always known that Munkustrap was the hero of the battle with the Pollicles. He just like hearing it from the others since Munkustrap was too modest to tell what had happened himself. It was hard for the old cat to drag his attention from his grandson in order to listen to Mistofelees, who was so excited he was talking a mile a minute.
Munkustrap at that point stepped in to make sense of what Mistofelees was trying to say.
Forcing himself to look the leader in the eyes, he said,
"During the time after the battle when I went to scout the Junkyard, I came across four dogs attacking a cat. I brought her back here to wait for you. At that time I was unsure if she was a Jellicle or not, but since then I have been given reason to believe that she is, indeed, a Jellicle. Old Deuteronomy, I would like to present to you, Jezabel of the house of Stratherin."
Munkustrap extended his paw to Jezabel, which she took, and guided her up to the old leader.
Deuteronomy studied the kitten with several thoughts running through his head. First of all, he was nearly bursting with pride for his grandson. Not only had he saved the tribe from the Pollicles, he had also saved the life of a beautiful house-cat. Second, it hurt slightly that Munkustrap always called him "Old Deuteronomy".
Just once it would be nice if that boy would call me "Grandpa." It wouldn't kill him.
Deuteronomy listened to Jezabel speak slowly and carefully on why she felt she was a Jellicle and then to Mistofelees' confirmation of their relation. A plan began to form in Deuteronomy's head. He looked at the young queen, then at his grandson, then to the queen again. He smiled to himself. He wouldn't breathe a word to anyone about what he was thinking.
When the notorious cats finished listing all of Jezabel's quality's, he stood up and said in a loud voice,
"Well, Jezabel of the house of Stratherin, as the Leader of the Jellicles I have the honor of the welcoming you to the Jellicle tribe. As the sister of our beloved Mistofelees you are accepted without reservation. All things Jellicle are opened to you. Welcome."
He stretched his paws to Jezabel who looked at Munkustrap. He motioned for her to go up and she did so, taking the Leader's paws. He embraced her and presented her to the others. Then Munkustrap took her paws and rubbed them against his face. Then he handed her paws to the next in line and all the others followed suite. It was now official. Jezabel was one of them.
This naturally put all the cats in a festive mood. Old Deuteronomy raised his paws for silence. Grinning broadly, he announced, "Tonight there will be a special feast in honor of my grandson, Munkustrap!"
All the Jellicles cheered as the color drained from Munkustrap's face.