New chapter! We now skip ahead several years to when Tumble is a young Tom who does not yet know about his past. Don't worry, he soon will!
Perched on the top of the tallest tree of Canthus* Hill Tumblebrutus felt like he could almost touch the sky. For days the forest Jellicles had been bringing fallen wood here for the Jellicle Ball and now the unlit bonfire stood towering so high above the forest that Tumble knew he just had to climb it. After a childhood of swinging through trees, paddling in streams and racing across sands Tumble had grown into an agile, wiry and bright eyed young tom. And as he sized up the mountain of wood he knew he could manage it. With a running leap Tumble jumped out of the tree into the midst of the wooden pile. Swiftly springing from one branch to another it wasn't long until he balanced precariously from the very top of the tower and gazed down at the sight before him. He felt like he was on top of the world.
Far below, to his right was a ship that had made the long and arduous journey across the oceans to trade with cats of Jellicle island. Precious jewels, spices and furs were brought to the tower and traded for grains, silks and of course metal and stone, dug up from the quarries where Tumble would be starting work tomorrow morning, he tried not to think about that.
Instead he turned to looks at the tower which rose like a gleaming wave before him. The tower was where the royal family of the Jellicles lived, but was big enough to house grand parties, banquets, music and dances where cats from all four corners of the island would attend. There wasn't much of that nowadays but Tumble had been to Auger Asparagus's turret with Jenny, his foster mum, on the day that she'd found him. And not too long ago he'd learnt what it felt like to stand beneath the ceiling of the great hall when he'd attended Princess Sillabub's naming ceremony.
The hall had been so large, that with a bit of a squash, every islander could fit inside it. And so tall that five fully grown Jellicles could stand on each other's shoulders and just barely touch the wooden beams that ran along the ceiling. Ancient scripts flowed along the walls, coloured in a rainbow of inks. And at the very front of the hall where the dias stood was the King and Queen's thrones.
A collective gasp had spread through the crowd as the procession began. First had come King Deuteronomy and Queen Grizabella their heads tall and their eyes shining with pride. It was common knowledge that the the Queen had thought herself unable to bare children but the King hadn't minded when she told him so early on in their courtship, he'd married her for love and not for politics (and besides he already had a son). But here they were, the proud parents of a newly born daughter, they couldn't have been happier.
Then princess Sillabub herself had entered, wriggling and mewling in the arms of Lady Demeter, Queen Grizabella's particular friend and attendant. Close behind them limped Auger Asparagus in his white robe who would be conducting the ceremony, and his assistant Mistoffelees who, the older islanders told Tumble, had also been brought up in the woodlands of Canthus Hill.
But the most impressive of all, to Tumblebrutus's eyes, were the captains. Tall and impressive they strode in wearing richly embroidered cloaks and captain's swords on their belts. First Captain Macavity, then Captain Tugger and Captain Munkustrap. The three of them had become friends when they were all page felines in the tower, they'd become guardians then captains together and now oversaw all the Jellicles on the island.
Tumble sighed, what a wonderful thing it would be to live in the tower with all those fine felines. When he was younger he'd dreamed of working in the tower, even being the scullery cat who threw out the rotten vegetables in the morning would have been a wondrous job. But of course this time tomorrow he'd be in one of the quarries, working down a mineshaft.
His day dream was broken when someone hit him on the head with a well aimed pinecone "Hey Tumble! stop showing off and come and have a look at this!"
Tumble looked down and saw his great friend Electra, normally she would be climbing the woodpile right beside him, but today she was on the ground carrying a small whitish bundle. Jumping down he quickly navigated his way down the pile of wood and finished off his descent with a flourishing somersault.
"Is that your baby sister?" Asked Tumble once he'd quickly brushed the leaves, burrs and twigs out of his tail.
"You bet she is, we've called her Jemima" said Electra proudly showing Tumble the solemn face that peeped out from the blankets "Mum said I could take her for a short walk as long as I'm careful. What do you think of her?"
"She's gorgeous" answered Tumble truthfully.
"Of course she is" answered Electra as he passed her sister over so Tumble could have a hold "And do be careful with her."
Tumble watched as Jemima yawned hugely and cuddled into his fur "She's amazing Electra, you're really lucky."
"I guess we are" Electra scooped Jemima back into her arms "And we're going to continue to be so. Mum has been doing lots of work, and I've got a job in the tower. The Surveyors will have to see that we can take care of her just fine." She bounced her sister up and down a little too vigorously and the baby let out a squawk of protest.
"Tumble! it's Tumble and Electra!" A shrill voice squealed. A small band of kittens barely old enough to make it up the hill were making there way towards them. Close behind them was Jenny, Tumble's foster mum. She was a good deal plumper than the two friends and mostly stuck to the forest paths, when she did hop onto a branch it would bend alarmingly and snapped back fiercely once she'd hopped off.
"Hello lovelies" she panted. Sitting down beside Tumble she leaned across to look at the bundle in Electra's arms "Oh is that Jemima? My my she's enchanting! Has Auger Asparagus come to see her yet? He hasn't visited this part of the the wood for a long time. He and Mistoffelees will have to come over sometime and try my mouse cakes."
"They visited us two days ago. Asparagus told me that they would've stayed for a while to catch up with everybody but they had to hurry back to the castle. They wanted to tell the Surveyors that everything looks fine and Jemima can stay with us."
A new, rather snippy voice interrupted "They can't do that, it's the Surveyor's job to decide whether the family can look after their children or not. The Auger's visits are just tradition." The group turned around to see a fellow forest dweller make her way up the hill. Etcetera's posture was thin and haughty and she always seemed to be frowning at something, mostly Tumble.
"The Auger's visits are just as important as the Surveyor's, maybe even more so" declared Jenny "In fact, I don't even know why we have the Surveyors, we never used to in the old days."
Tumble and Electra grinned at each other. Once Jenny got going about "The old days" there was little stopping her.
"Surveyors weren't needed to poke around and judge how well a home could care for a child. Families got on perfectly well with raising their own young they did. No matter what kind of home they came from."
"What's Surveyors?" Asked a kitten as he climbed determinedly into Tumble's lap.
"Never you mind, bless you ears" Jenny patted the child on the head. "Surveyors weren't necessary then and they aren't necessary now."
"But what if the family was really poor and couldn't buy food and things, or it was just one parent raising a child and they had to leave their working party?" Butted in Etcetera
"Then the community would help take care them" snapped Jenny "Many Jellicles could spare a few items, and together there would be enough. And there weren't any working parties, Jellicles could take a day off when they felt like it and the work got done all the same. The king shouldn't be making laws to send young kits like Tumble here go off to work in mines deep underground."
Etcetera sat up very straight "It's still the king's law. You can't say that the King's wrong!"
All Jellicles were fiercely loyal to their king, and always had been.
"I like Deuteronomy. He's a good King, a real good King. He's just got some odd laws, and that's a truth." Said Jenny "Oh my goodness, look who's come to the forest!"
Everyone looked up as a familiar figure stepped out through the trees "Captain Rum Tum Tugger!" Tumble gasped, almost forgetting about the kit in his lap as he stood up to bow.
Tugger was Tumble's hero. Ever since he could remember he'd looked up to the Maine Coon, awed by his ability to be brave and fearless in any situation. He approached them now, leaping from tree to tree as easily as any forest Jellicle. Being a member of the royal family meant that he wore a thin gold circuit on his head that flashed in the sun (Tugger was in the habit of wearing it back to front but nobody minded). As Tumble straightened up he wondered if any of his fur was dirty or sticky. That was the problem with climbing woodpiles, things stuck to you.
Jenny curtsied with only a bit of a wobble. "Good morning Captain Tugger, it's a lovely day isn't it? Would you like to come to our den and try some of my mouse cakes? My son Tumble loves them, don't you Tumble?" She gave Tumble a kiss on the cheek. Tumble's tail curled in embarrassment.
"That sounds very tempting Jenny but I'll have to pass on the invitation today. I've come to the forest to speak to Tumble actually, if I may."
Tumble was at loss for words. He glanced at Jenny (who beamed and nodded) then at Electra (who shrugged) and only just managed to not drop the kitten that was sitting in his arms before following Tugger's lead.
Tumble thought that Tugger would be talking to him, perhaps giving counsel and advice about working as a grown up Jellicle, and was prepared to listen what ever the subject might be. But instead it seemed that Tugger was very interested in what he had to say. He asked after Jenny, how Electra and her mother and sister were going, what work party he was to be joining, were the Forrest Jellicles getting along well after winter and so on. Tumble was at first hesitant and nervous. But Tugger was so friendly and interested that he soon found himself telling the prince all about himself, including things he'd never told another soul.
"I was found on the night of the Jellicle moon." He explained as best as he could "Important things are meant to happen on such nights, but nothing really occurred at that one. It's almost as if I was what happened. And I've tried my very best at everything, and I've turned out all right. But I've got nothing to show for it, except working in the mines for the rest of my life."
"You start tomorrow am I correct?" Asked Tugger
"Yes Captain Tugger"
"Please just call me Tugger. And you'll be spending your last night before joining your work party with the others at the top of Canthus Hill, for the Jellicle ball? I'm sure it'll be a wonderful evening. How well can you see the Jellicle moon from there?"
"We'll enough sir, but sometimes the bonfire's smoke covers it I bit. I can see it best when I'm as the top of a tree."
"Only, if you'd like you're welcome to come to the tower. I'm going to be celebrating the ball in Auger Asparagus's turret with Captain Munkustrap and Mistoffelees. Asparagus's turret has windows that are as tall as I am and has the best view of the Jellicle Moon on the whole island. And you're invited to join us, if you want to that is.
Tumble could harldy believe his ears "Me sir? In the tower?" He was almost bouncing on his toes in joy.
"Yes you Tumble. If you don't mind missing the bonfire. Go to the main entrance of the Tower at twilight and tell the guards who you are and who invited you. I'll tell them to look out for your arrival. They'll direct you to Asparagus's turret."
"Thank you sir!" Said Tumble, who was already hopping up and down in excitement.
"Thank you Tumble" replied Tugger "I'll see you there" and with that the Prince of the Jellicles was ducking and swinging through the trees with his circuit flashing in the sun. Tumble watched him go, then after a moment's pause he ran up the nearest tree, did a somersault, and ran back down over and over again. He was going to the tower! he was going to see the Jellicle moon!
*Canthus: It means wheel or tyre in Latin. Yes, I'm delibretly alluding to the tyre in the Junkyard!
R & R if you feel so disposed