The Black Cat

chapter 3

There was nothing left of the building the next morning. All the walls fell down during the night, except one- a wall in the middle of the house. I realized why this wall did not burn: because there was new plaster on it. The plaster was still quite wet.

I was surprised to see a crowd of people next to the wall. They were talking, and seemed to be quite excited. I went closer and looked over their shoulders. I saw a black shape in the new white plaster. It was the shape of a large cat, hanging by its neck.

I looked at the shape with a complete horror. Several minutes passed before i could think clearly again. I knew i had to try to think clearly. I had to know why it was there.

I remembered hanging the cat in the garden of the house next door. During the fire the garden was full of people. Probably, someone cut the dead cat from the tree and threw it though the window- to try and wake me. The falling walls pressed the animal's body into fresh plaster. The animal burned completely, leaving the black shape in the new plaster. Yes, i was sure that was what happened.

But i could not forget that black shape for months. I even saw it in my dreams. I began to feel sad about losing the animal. So i began to look for another one. I looked mostly in the poor parts of our town where i went drinking. I searched for another black cat, of the same size and type as Pluto.

One night, as i sat in a dark and dirty drinking-house, i noticed a black object on top of a cupboard, near some bottles of wine. I was surprised when i saw it. 'I looked at those bottles a few minutes ago,' i thought, 'and i am sure that object was not there before...'

I got up, and went to see what it was. I put my hand up, touched it, and found that it was a black cat- a very large one, as large as Pluto. He looked like Pluto too- in every way but one: Pluto did not have a white hair anywhere on his body; this cat had a large white shape on his front.

He got up when i touched him, and pressed the side of his head against my hand several times. He liked me. This was the animal i wad looking for! He continued to be very friendly and later, when i left, he followed me into the street. He came all the way home with me- we now had another house- and came inside. He immediately jumped up on to the most comfortable chair and went to sleep. He stayed with us, of course. He loved both of us and very soon he became my wife's favourite animal.