Extract
Flora looked down and saw an immensely fat ginger cat. In fact, she did not think she had ever seen such a fat cat in her life, and sure enough, just as Merry had said, the cat was wearing a monocle and a red tartan bowtie. He looked most peculiar indeed.
“I just wanted to have another look-I’ve never seen a cat like him before,” Merry said. Flora did not really know what to say. Merry was right, he was the most peculiar cat but as intrigued as she was, her fear of him got the better of her.
“Well, I do see what you mean, but nevertheless, I think we should head off,” she said.
As they turned to go a deep, silky voice behind them asked, “Leaving so soon? I had rather hoped we might get to know one another.”
They all stopped dead in their tracks and froze. Sunny started to tremble, “Flora, I’m s-s-scared,” he managed to whisper.
“Don’t be scared,” said the voice, “I wont bite.”
The three robins all gulped rather loudly at this as they envisaged the cat gobbling them up for his breakfast.
“I like robins,” the voice continued, “and it’s been ever so long since I have spoken to one, let alone three, so stay a bit longer please.”
Merry, Flora and Sunny exchanged helpless looks. There really was very little they could do, so they turned around rather apprehensively to find that the cat was still lying down on his cushion. The only difference was that now he was raised up and he was peering at them through his monocle.
“Come a little closer, I can hardly see you from there,” the cat requested.
Gingerly the three hopped forwards, Sunny hiding slightly behind Flora.
“That’s better, now we can talk properly. I would like to introduce myself. My name is Rupert and I live at the Manor House behind the church, but come up here for a bit of peace and quiet to have a snooze every so often.”
The robins were rather lost for words. It was not often you met a cat who did not want to eat you straight away, let alone one who was polite enough to formally introduce himself. Quickly Merry managed to recover his senses (and his manners) and introduced them.
“My name is Merry, this is my sister, Flora, and that, hiding behind Flora, is my brother Sunny,” he said.
“What a pleasure it is to meet you all, especially you Sunny. I bumped into our little friend Crumb earlier on and he told me how you saved him yesterday. Bravo!” congratulated Rupert.
Poking his head out from under Flora’s wing, Sunny asked, “Are you going to eat us Sir?”
“Sunny, hush,” exclaimed Flora.
Rupert on the other hand let out a hearty laugh.
“No my dear boy, last thing on my mind. As I said, I come from the Manor and dine on smoked salmon for breakfast, sausages for lunch and fish pie for supper. There’s no way I could fit in a robin after all that, however small he maybe,” said Rupert reassuringly.