CATVILLE GOSSIP
by Abbie Phillips Walker · from Sandman's rainy day stories
Adapted Version
Once there was a cat named Tommy Kat. He loved a pretty cat named Tabby Gray. Tabby Gray was very pretty. All the cats liked Tabby. She was very liked. Tommy Kat loved her best. He wanted to marry Tabby.
Tommy Kat asked Tabby Gray. "Will you marry me?" he asked. Tabby Gray giggled. She often changed her mind. "Ask my pa," she said. "My pa must say yes." Tabby was fickle. She liked to make Tommy wait.
Many other cats liked Tabby Gray. Big White Tom liked her. He gave her sweet milk. He wanted to give her a red ribbon. A cat, Tommy Black, danced with her. He was a good dancer. Many cats wanted Tabby. Tabby liked being seen.
Tabby Gray thought and thought. She thought about the cats. She did not choose one cat. She liked all the cats. Tabby liked being seen. She liked to be asked. She just smiled and smiled.
Tommy Kat looked at Tabby. He felt a little cross. "I will not marry your pa," he said. "I want to marry you, Tabby. Why do you make me wait?" Tommy wanted to marry. He did not like to wait.
Tabby Gray looked at Tommy Kat. He was the best cat. He was very handsome. Tabby liked him most. She felt happy with him. But she still acted slow. She acted like she could not choose.
Tommy Kat made a quick choice. He did not want to wait. He took Tabby Gray. He lifted her over the gate. They ran very fast. They went to Wedding Cat. Wedding Cat could marry them. Tommy was very quick.
Wedding Cat was very quick. He married Tommy and Tabby. He did not take long. He got a little rat. The rat was his payment. It was a happy day. Tommy and Tabby were married.
They had a big party. All the cats came. All were so happy. They threw shoes in the air. They had so much fun. It was a loud party. Tommy and Tabby were married. They were very happy cats. Tommy was quick. Tabby was happy.
Original Story
CATVILLE GOSSIP
Mr. Tommy Kat was in love with Tabby Gray—at least so all the gossips in Catville say, for Tabby was as graceful as a little kit can be. Said Tommy, when he saw her, “She’s just the wife for me.”
But Tabby Gray was fickle, as sometimes kittens are; so she giggled and told Tommy he would have to ask her pa. For there was big white Tom Cat, with coat as smooth as silk, who often took her walking and treated her to milk. He had told her he would give her a ribbon bright of red, if she would only promise no other cat to wed.
Then there was Tommy Mouser, who by all was called a sport. He had told her that he loved her, and once for her had fought.
And there was Tommy Black, the dandy of the town, who was called by all who watched him the best dancer to be found.
He often danced with Tabby Gray, and frightened all the rest away; for when he danced they all stood by and looked on him with jealous eye.
And Tiger Tom, another swain, who always said he felt a pain around his heart when any other danced with her except her brother.
An admirer, too, was Tommy Buff; he said and vowed it was no bluff when he declared he loved Miss Gray and in his heart she held full sway.
And there was Tommy Black-and-White, who said he sat up many a night to serenade Miss Tabby Gray on the back-yard fence till break of day.
And Tommy, who was nicknamed Slim, said she was the only girl for him and that his eyes had turned to green because another cat was seen to walk with Tabby down the road. Since that his heart was like a load.
And so, you see, Miss Tabby Gray needed time these things to weigh, and that was why she told Tom Kat her pa would have to answer that question he had asked that night on the back-yard fence in the bright moonlight.
Said Tommy Kat as he looked at a star: “I don’t want to marry your pa. Now why do you keep me here a-guessing when we might go round and get pa’s blessing?”
Miss Tabby stretched and heaved a sigh, then on Tommy Kat she cast her eye. He was handsomer, far, than all the rest, and she felt quite sure she loved him best. But, like all others of her kind, she pretended to make up her mind.
But Tommy Kat was a hasty fellow. He knew present time was always mellow; so he told Miss Tabby ’twas getting late, and whisked her over the back-yard gate. And before she knew where she was at they stood at the door of Minister Cat.
In a minute more they came out married, for Minister Cat he never tarried. He married off couples quick as scat, and for his fee he took a rat.
The reception they held was a howling success, as all who came to it had to confess. And all the way through Catville Town bottles and shoes were strewn up and down. And when Old Sun Man o’er the hill did peep every kit in the town was fast asleep.
Story DNA
Moral
Sometimes, direct action and seizing the moment are more effective than prolonged deliberation.
Plot Summary
Tommy Kat is smitten with Tabby Gray, but she is a popular and fickle cat with many admirers. When Tommy proposes, Tabby tells him to ask her father, while she seemingly weighs her numerous other suitors. Impatient with her indecision, Tommy Kat swiftly takes Tabby to Minister Cat, who marries them immediately. The couple then holds a boisterous reception, concluding their story with a happy, if impulsive, union.
Themes
Emotional Arc
uncertainty to joy
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects a simpler, perhaps rural, societal structure where community gossip is prevalent and marriage customs are straightforward.
Plot Beats (9)
- Tommy Kat falls in love with Tabby Gray, who is very graceful and popular.
- Tommy proposes to Tabby, but she, being fickle, tells him to ask her father.
- The narrator introduces Tabby's many other suitors: big white Tom Cat, Tommy Mouser, Tommy Black, Tiger Tom, Tommy Buff, Tommy Black-and-White, and Tommy Slim, all vying for her affection.
- Tabby pretends to carefully consider her options among her many admirers.
- Tommy Kat, impatient with her stalling and her suggestion to ask her father, declares he doesn't want to marry her father.
- Tabby realizes Tommy Kat is the most handsome and that she loves him best, but still feigns deliberation.
- Tommy Kat, seizing the moment, whisks Tabby over the gate and takes her directly to Minister Cat.
- Minister Cat quickly marries them for a rat as his fee.
- They hold a successful, boisterous reception that lasts until dawn, with bottles and shoes strewn through Catville.
Characters
Tabby Gray ★ protagonist
A small, lithe cat with a graceful, agile build. Her fur is a soft tabby pattern, likely a mix of grays and browns, giving her a natural camouflage. She moves with an inherent elegance.
Attire: As a cat, she wears no clothing, but her fur is her most prominent feature. She is offered a 'ribbon bright of red' by big white Tom Cat, suggesting she might wear simple adornments.
Wants: To enjoy the attention of her many admirers, to choose a mate, and ultimately to find happiness.
Flaw: Her indecisiveness and enjoyment of being courted by multiple suitors, which makes her appear fickle.
Starts as a fickle and indecisive cat enjoying the attention of many suitors, but ultimately realizes her true feelings for Tommy Kat and marries him quickly.
Fickle, playful, coy, charming, indecisive, ultimately affectionate.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, graceful female cat with a sleek tabby-patterned coat of various shades of gray and brown. She has bright, intelligent amber eyes and delicate whiskers. Her posture is elegant and slightly playful, with a hint of a coy smile on her feline face. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Tommy Kat ★ protagonist
A handsome and appealing cat, likely with a well-groomed coat, though his specific color is not mentioned. He is described as 'handsomer, far, than all the rest' by Tabby Gray.
Attire: As a cat, he wears no clothing.
Wants: To marry Tabby Gray and secure her affection.
Flaw: His hastiness and impatience, though in this story, it works to his advantage.
Starts as one of many suitors for Tabby Gray, but through his direct action, he successfully wins her hand in marriage, overcoming her indecisiveness.
Determined, direct, hasty, loving, confident, impatient.
Image Prompt & Upload
A handsome male cat with a sleek, well-groomed coat of a neutral color like light brown or cream. He has bright, earnest eyes and a confident, slightly impatient expression. His posture is upright and determined, as if ready to take action. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
big white Tom Cat ◆ supporting
A large, imposing white cat with a coat as smooth as silk. His size suggests a strong, perhaps somewhat pampered, build.
Attire: As a cat, he wears no clothing, but his 'smooth as silk' coat is his defining feature. He offers Tabby a 'ribbon bright of red'.
Wants: To win Tabby Gray's affection and marry her.
Flaw: Relies on material offerings (milk, ribbon) rather than direct action to win Tabby's heart.
Remains a suitor, ultimately unsuccessful in winning Tabby's hand.
Generous (offers milk and a ribbon), possessive (wants Tabby to wed no other cat), perhaps a bit ostentatious.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large, well-fed male cat with a pristine, smooth white coat. He has striking blue eyes and a calm, somewhat self-satisfied expression. His posture is relaxed but dignified. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Minister Cat ○ minor
A cat of unspecified appearance, but implied to be efficient and perhaps a bit gruff due to his quick marriage ceremonies.
Attire: As a cat, he wears no clothing. His role suggests a simple, unadorned appearance.
Wants: To perform marriage ceremonies for a fee.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, but his quickness might imply a lack of ceremony or personal investment.
A static character, serving his function in the story.
Efficient, no-nonsense, quick, practical (takes a rat for his fee).
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult male cat of average build, with a practical, slightly stern expression. His fur is a common color like brown or grey, and he has a few distinguished whiskers. His posture is upright and businesslike. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Catville Backyard Fence
A weathered wooden fence, likely made of planks, serving as a common meeting and serenading spot for the cats of Catville. It's illuminated by bright moonlight.
Mood: Romantic, secretive, a bit gossipy, with a sense of anticipation.
Tommy Kat proposes to Tabby Gray here, and she deflects by telling him to ask her father. Later, Tommy whisks her over this gate to the Minister Cat's house.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sturdy, weathered wooden fence, its planks showing signs of age and use, stretches across a moonlit backyard. Bright, cool moonlight casts sharp shadows and highlights the texture of the wood. Beyond the fence, the dark shapes of overgrown bushes and perhaps a distant, cozy cottage roof are visible under a clear, star-dotted night sky. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Minister Cat's House
A small, functional dwelling belonging to Minister Cat, where marriages are performed quickly. The exterior would be simple, perhaps a humble cottage with a single door.
Mood: Efficient, no-nonsense, slightly rushed but ultimately joyful.
Tommy Kat and Tabby Gray are married here by Minister Cat.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, cozy cottage, possibly a half-timbered Fachwerk house with a steeply pitched thatched roof, stands under the soft glow of a late-night sky. A single, sturdy wooden door, slightly ajar, reveals a sliver of warm, inviting light from within. The surrounding area is simple, perhaps a small patch of well-trodden earth or a few scattered cobblestones leading to the entrance. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Catville Town
The main thoroughfare of Catville, where the wedding reception procession takes place. It's strewn with bottles and shoes, indicating a lively, boisterous celebration.
Mood: Festive, chaotic, joyful, with a sense of community celebration.
The wedding reception procession for Tommy Kat and Tabby Gray takes place here, ending as dawn breaks.
Image Prompt & Upload
A winding, unpaved road, characteristic of a quaint, small European village, is littered with discarded bottles and shoes, remnants of a lively celebration. On either side, charming, slightly crooked cottages with thatched roofs and small, glowing windows line the street. In the distance, the first warm, golden rays of dawn begin to peek over rolling hills, casting long, soft shadows and illuminating the festive disarray. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
