Friday, February 15, 2008

Maurice and the small striped bear of Britain



After days of blue sky we all woke this morning to a sky the colour and texture of the inside of an oyster shell, a pearly day, still, calm and quiet. We walked, just Her and me, over the hill, but our path was blocked by the wild ponies, so we skirted around them.




Brave as only a cat can be I stalked through the bones of last years heather flowers, and the ponies did not see me.




Across the hill I hunted, between tree and rock, a wild place. And then She thought to go an see the city of badgers. They would not be out now. They would be sleeping, for badgers are night time and dusk creatures. They would be sleeping, curled in their setts in nests of bracken and moss and their cubs would be curled tight too, for warmth and to keep away the dreams of daytime.




So, we followed the track over the hill to the small wood and the city of badgers and there were their setts and the signs of spring, scratchings and gatherings of clean nesting bracken. Closer I crept and She worried, for badgers are fierce and wild with paws so strong and claws as long as fingers. I stood, two cats tails away from one of the doorways, and secretly called.




And out came a badger, face striped and blinking. The badger ran from the one hole, skirted around me, down to the other, so shocked to see in the bright light of daytime, a creature coloured like the setting sun fallen on her doorstep. Too fast to photograph, as close as a whisker, and She so worried by the fierceness of the wild thing. I looked up at Her, and smiled a secret cat smile, and thanked the small striped bear of Britain for granting us an audience on this pearl of a day.





11 comments:

LZ said...

Oh the wild ponies are so cool! How brave of you to get that close to the badger.

Kaze

Spooky said...

Oh, you write so beautifully. I almost wish I could be there with you to see and experience the things of which you write.

For this reason, I am sharing a special recognition award with you. If you'd like to collect it, it's at my blog. Thank you!

Miss Kitty, NFC said...

Dear Ginger Darlings, I have just found your blog, courtesy of Spooky. My what gorgeous cats you are...and you write so beautifully. I hope I may add your blog to my side bar so I can come back often to visit you.

My person, The Red Headed One, thinks you are all a beautiful color...she would, being ginger herself! Well, she says, she was born ginger, but the ginger is fading as she gets older.

Your blog is inspiring TRHO and I to try and think of some poetic things to say on my blog.

I hope you will stop by and visit me too.

With love and greetings from California,

Miss Kitty

Moonroot said...

My goodness, what a story! Maurice, you are so brave! We tell our cats they can't go out at night because the badgers will get them. Who knew they would come to a cat's call in daylight?

Daisy said...

Oh, that story gave me chills! Maurice, how wonderful that you faced the fierce badger and she was the one to turn away. You have a courageous heart.

dinahmow said...

So few people understand that a cat can send secret messages. But the badger knew!
Dinah says we must be careful because crocodiles have been seen in the flood. I don't think they would understand a cat message!
Rusty

Poppy Black said...

You live in the most beautiful place!

Unknown said...

Hi Ginger buddies. Hope you enjoy the Applaws. Would you be up for swapping links with littlecatdiaries.blogspot,com? I've just added you to my new link section...

Goldie, Shade and Banshee said...

Maurice, so brave. She must have been thankful having you by her side during that wild encounter.

Elizabeth said...

Ooooh! A striped bear (great name!!), how lucky you are to see one up close. What a brave cat.
You tell a story beautifully too.

Penny said...

Were the ponies Welsh ones on the hill? I know they are put up there but are all or mostly registered they looked like my ponies here. I saw a badger sett while we were in the UK a few years ago and would dearly love to see one, how lucky you were and oh I just love this whole blog, keep it up and a special pat to Elmo and tell him our ginger cat Oscar here found a rather nasty and venomous black snake in our house, he was sensible and told me about it so we could try to get it out, unfortunately it had to be killed.