A Jellicle Christmas Carol
Chapter Two
"Joseph!" shrieked Pouncival. "What kind of a stupid name is that!" Moans of annoyance arose from the assembly at this exclamation. "Well, it's stupid!" he muttered sullenly. His sister Victoria, sitting next to him, rolled her eyes as if to say 'How typical of Pounce'.
"Well, obviously it's his kind of stupid name." Mistoffelees put in.
"Dur!" added Etcetera. She and Electra dissolved into giggles for no particular reason at all. Munkustrap gritted his teeth, rolled his eyes, and spoke with overdone patience.
"Pouncival," he said calmly, "You're missing the point, and interrupting the story. It doesn't matter what the peoples' names are- it's the morals and the significance that this tale is supposed to portray. Do you understand?"
"What if his name was Poophead? Then would it matter?"
This sent the kittens and even some of the "grown-up" cats into a bout of hysterical laughter. Even Munkus had to smile in amusement. "Maybe it would matter then." He admitted. "But his name is Joseph, so it doesn't."
"Whose name is Joseph?" A familiar voice, filled with fatherly warmth and the wisdom of many years, met the tribe from across the junkyard. An elderly gray cat lumbered over, smiling, much to the joy of the Jellicles. "I see you're back at narrating, Munkustrap. You always were good at that, son, weren't you?"
Munkus's striped face cracked into a grin. "Father!" he followed his tribe over to where the old cat was standing and embraced him. "So you decided to turn up, did you?" he said, his voice ringing with a hint of amusement. "I guess you can tell everyone was waiting for you."
"Indeed." Replied Old Deuteronomy, as he reached down to share a greeting with Cassandra. "Well, I shan't keep you from your business, O High Storyteller-"
"Oh, father, be quiet!" laughing, Munkustrap made his way back to the pile of discarded household items where he'd been sitting. "Well, friends, as you can obviously see, my father is now here, so I suppose we shall continue?"
"Yes!" came from Rumpelteazer, who beamed at him. Munkustrap grinned back.
Munkus cleared his throat and started in. "Anyways. So this couple, Mary and Joseph, had to go to Bethlehem. Because they were unfortunate enough to be humans, they had to go so they could pay taxes. Does anyone know where Bethlehem is?"
Mungojerrie waved his paw wildly. "Oh, Oi know!" he grinned proudly. "I's in…uhhh…" Mungo scratched his head. "Ohh! I's in Germany"!"
"Well…actually, it's in Israel, but that's a good guess." Munkustrap offered. "And this took place in Israel quite a long time ago, so they had to ride there on camels…or donkeys perhaps. I'm not quite sure."
"What are camels?" queried Jemima, looking confused.
"They're a kind of flower!" Electra told her friend importantly.
"Actually, dear, they're very large animals with humps." Said Jellylorum.
"Ohhh…." Electra said. "Why were they riding those?"
Munkustrap shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose it's just another example of how backwards the human species is." He told her professionally.
"So they were going to Bethlehem…" Victoria prompted, who was rather interested in all this. Her green eyes looked pointedly at Munkustrap, who obliged in continuing.
"Yes. It was in the winter- it was tomorrow's date, many years ago- and so it was bitterly cold." Munkustrap said dramatically(though he wasn't really sure if it was cold or not) "And to top it all off, Mary was having a baby."
"She was 'aving kittens?" said Rumpel cheerfully.
"Erm…no. Usually humans don't have kittens." Said Munkus a bit uncomfortably. "That would be a rather odd occurrence." This drew immature snickers from Alonzo, who got a 'look' from Jellylorum. Munkustrap rubbed the back of his neck with his paw and continued, aware of the thirty-something pairs of shining eyes that were focused on him, and were becoming a bit unnerving. "They went to Bethlehem, and naturally they needed somewhere to stay. So they went to the Inn-"
Tumblebrutus wrinkled his nose in thought. "Where did they go in?"
"The Inn!"
"Yeah, I know, but where?"
"They went in the inn."
"That doesn't make any sense, Munk. Quit repeating yourself. I just wanna know where they went in."
"The INN!" Munkustrap finally bellowed. Tumblebrutus looked disturbed. "An Inn, Tumble. An inn is like a hotel. It's a building where you can stay." He rubbed his head. "Sorry about the misunderstanding."
"Why'd they go there?" broke in Pouncival. "Why wouldn't they just sleep in a nice…um…junkyard or something!" he rolled his eyes. "Humans are so wimpy."
Munkustrap agreed, "Well, they are a pretty backwards race. Maybe that's why." He shrugged.
Old Deuteronomy pointed out, "They do feed us, however. And the vicar has a very comfortable home." He laughed. "And don't forget, this very story that you're telling has been recorded and told by humans." Munkus smiled sheepishly and nodded.
He started again, "However, there was no room at the inn for them, and they were forced to sleep in-"
"A ROCK!" screamed Pouncival.
"No, a giant eggplant!" argued Victoria.
"Ah'm pos'tive tha' it were a dead hen." Exclaimed Mungojerrie. Everyone gave him a weird look. "uh, nevah min'…"
Munkustrap smiled and replied, "Actually, none of you are correct, sadly. They ended up sleeping in a stable with the sheep, and donkeys, and all those sort of things." Murmurs and 'oh, that's so boring!' comments came up from the crowd. Munkus rolled his eyes. "But it's not!" A hush of silence took over again. "It's not boring…because all over the land, people had heard that this child- who was to be very…special- was going to be born, and wise men, and kings came to visit him and pay their homage to him." Munkustrap had begun to speak not to the Jellicles, but to himself almost now, but as he spoke his voice gathered strength, while he seemed to be looking somewhere that no-one else could see.
"And angels went to the shepherds, in their fields, as they tended their sheep," he continued, just how he had heard the story, "And they told the shepherds, 'Come, do not be afraid- follow that star to Bethlehem, and there you will find the baby dressed in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger." His voice softened. "And they did go. And that night, just as we are assembled now, the wise men and shepherd and kings, and the animals, Mary and Joseph…and the baby were gathered together. And it became known as Christmas, later, in honour of the baby- Jesus, whom many of the humans say is the Christ, or Messiah, their saviour." The look on Munkustrap's face melted and he came back of the world of reality. "And that's it."
Silence ensued for a moment as the cats pondered this. Then, led by Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, they began to clap. Munkus felt his face flush and he smiled modestly. When it had all died down, and everyone was deep in contemplation again, suddenly someone spoke up.
Pouncival, who never would have been thought to take a tale of this sort seriously, meekly raised a paw. "Munk? What happened to him- the baby Jesus?"
Slowly Munkustrap looked up, at the sky, as if he were pondering this too, and then he looked into the kitten's eyes and spoke again. "He went on to become a great teacher, who my humans often say has made the greatest influence of anyone on this earth. Indeed, he traveled with a group of disciples for three years, and worked so many miracles that he did come to be regarded by masses as the true Messiah."
The familiar hush was upon them, and several of the kittens were peacefully asleep at this point, unable to stay awake. "I bet everyone was quite sad when he died. He must have had a grand funeral." Contemplated Victoria solemnly.
Munkustrap gave a sudden movement and looked to the stars again almost reverently. "No. This man- who so many had believed in and worshipped- he was rejected by his own people, and was killed. They nailed him to a wooden cross and left him to die." His voice shook with emotion as he paused, as if not sure to go on or not. "But on the third day after his death he rose again." The congregation gasped and Munkustrap nodded with a half-smile. "However…that's a story for another day, I'm afraid, as it is getting quite late, am I right, Jelly?"
At this moment, somewhere across London, church bells began to strike one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten-eleven-twelve, while in the junkyard there was not a dry eye- and for the same reason those bells rang: Jesus. Almost all the cats were struck speechless and thinking, except for a few- Jemima slept on Jellylorum's shoulder, Tumblebrutus's head on her knee. Demeter slipped unobtrusively out of the thoughtful crowd, placing one silky paw on Munkustrap's shoulder. "That was lovely." She whispered to him.
"Thanks." Munkus held her and they both looked up, at the North star- was it shining as brightly as when the wise men were led to Bethlehem by it?- as the chilly winter breeze swept over them, making both shiver and clutch one another tighter. "Demi… ever since I heard that story, and I've heard it a lot, because my humans are very religious, I have wondered. You know, if he was real, and if he was, was he the real 'Saviour'? What about the Everlasting Cat?" He shrugged. "It's so weird to try and figure it all out."
"I don't know," agreed Demeter, moving closer to him, "But I think it sounded awfully real to me. And even if he wasn't their 'Messiah', he must have been a good human, if they loved him so much. Like we love the Everlasting cat." She nuzzled his face. "You are such a good storyteller, Munkus. I'm sure everyone loved that- everyone was so intrigued."
"Well, Dem…'tis the season."
-fin-
A/N: Thankyouthankyouthankyou guys for reviewing! I would answer reviews right now, but I am too tired, and it's Christmas Eve. And I'm back right in time, hehehehe. Merry Christmas, guys.
Le gra go deo,
Eponine