Cats Onwards

Chapter 32. Skimbleshanks the railway cat.

Almost immediately, the mood changed as a new song started. Old D turned to Jemima as he begun to sing brightly. 

Old Deuteronomy: Skimbleshanks, 

Jemima + Old D: The railway cat!

The cat of the railway train!

There's a whisper down the line at eleven thirty-nine when the Night Mail's ready to depart saying, "Skimble, where is Skimble?! Has he gone to hunt the thimble? We must find him or the train can't start."

Skimbleshanks had been snoozing on the trunk of the car so when the kits all crawled over meowing his name he was awoken with quite a start.

Skimbleshanks: All the guards and all the porters and the station master's daughters would be searching high and low, saying "Skimble, where is Skimble? For unless he's very nimble then the Night Mail just can't go." At eleven forty-two with the signal overdue and the passengers all frantic to a man, that's when I would appear and I'd saunter to the rear, I'd been busy in the luggage van! 

Then he gave one flash of his glass-green and the signal went all clear!

Skimbleshanks: They'd be off at last for the northern part of the Northern Hemisphere! 

The Jellicles that were dancing along with Skimble, skipped around the yard with the light ginger tom in the lead. Suddenly, Asparagus halted them and Skimble straightened out his waistcoat. 

Skimbleshanks the railway cat, the cat of the railway train!

Skimbleshanks: You might say that by and large it was me who was in charge of the Sleeping Car Express, from the driver and the guards to the bagman playing cards, I would supervise them all...more or less. 

Down the corridor he paces and examines all the faces of the travelers in the first and the third, he establishes control by a regular patrol and he'd know at once if anything occurred.

He would watch you without winking, and he saw what you were thinking and it's certain that he didn't approve, of hilarity and riot so that the folk were very quiet, when Skimble was about and on the move! 

The young cats then scuttled behind Skimble as he maneuvered to the center of the yard, he gave a brief swish of his tail before the kits rushed forwards, nearly pouncing on the tom. 

You could play no pranks with Skimbleshanks! He's a cat that couldn't be ignored, so nothing went wrong on the Northern Mail when Skimbleshanks was aboard!

Sliding to the ground, the cats formed a semi circle around the older tom. At this point George and Hariena joined in, squishing themselves in at the middle. 

Skimbleshanks: It was very pleasant when they'd found their little den with their name written up on the door! And the berth was very neat with a newly folded sheet, and not a speck of dust upon the floor. There was every sort of light, you could make it dark or bright, and a button you could turn to make a breeze. And a funny little basin you're supposed to wash your face in and a crank to shut the window should you sneeze. 

In one quick instant, Rumple erupted with a sneeze that startled Victoria beside her. 

Skimbleshanks: Then the guard looked in politely and would ask you very brightly, "Do you like your morning tea-

-WEAK OR STRONG?"

Skimbleshanks: But I was just behind him, and was ready to remind him, for Skimble won't let anything go wrong!

When they crept into their cosy berth and pulled up the counterpane,

Toms: They could all reflect that it was very nice, to know that they wouldn't be bothered by mice, they could leave all that to the railway cat, 

The cat of the railway train. 

The Jellicles all leaped up from their perches, singing a chorus of the tom's name as the formation of a train took place. Skimble saluted to Old Deuteronomy from the trunk of the car as it raised him. Jennyanydots and Exotica pulled out a red material from the car as the train's main body, four toms held onto large, shiny wheels and the rest of the tribe took their places, Callus plopped himself down right at the front with a lantern grasped in his paws. 

Skimbleshanks: In the watches of the night I was always fresh and bright, every now and then I'd have a cup of tea with perhaps a drop of scotch while I was keeping on the watch, only stopping here and there to catch a flea. They were fast asleep at Crewe and so they never knew that I was walking up and down the station. They were sleeping all the while I was busy at Carlisle, where I met the station master with elation! They might see me at Dumfries if I summoned the police, if there was anything they ought to know about.

When they got to Gallowgate there they did not have to wait for Skimbleshanks would help them to get out!

It was then that the entire train of Jellicles broke down, wheels rolled this way and that way, Pouncival who had been holding onto an umbrella, fell back as the object flapped about manically and Asparagus fell right through the chimney. Skimble shook his head and gave a shrug to Old D. The ginger tom cat took center stage once again and whipped his brown tail about. 

And he gives you a wave of his long brown tail, which says "I'll see you again! You'll meet without fail on the Midnight Mail. The cat of the railway train!"

The song came to a glorious end as Skimble climbed up onto Mungojerrie's back then onto Alonzo's before finally resting a paw upon Munkustrap's shoulder, beaming brightly to each and every cat!