Extract from Whittaker the Time-Travelling Cat

The grass was so long that the girl didn’t notice the cat at first. It was only when he spoke to her that she stopped and stared.

‘Be careful where you’re walking,’ said the cat.

‘I’m sorry,’ said the girl. ‘But I’ve never met a talking cat before.’

‘Apology accepted,’ said the cat, who was bright ginger with a long tail and very green eyes.

‘I’m Whittaker,’ said the cat.

‘I’m Laura,’ said the girl. ‘Why don’t you tell me how come you can talk?’

‘I’m very busy,’ said Whittaker, ‘but I suppose I could spare you a few minutes. Have you got any tuna?’

‘No,’ said Laura, ‘but I could get some.’

When Whittaker had eaten his tuna he told Laura that he was born in the Garden of Eden but decided that trees were boring and that he wanted to see the world. He lived in the Tower of Babel and that’s where he learnt to speak every language on earth. Then he was one of the cats on Noah’s Ark. Whittaker lived in a pyramid for a while and was worshipped by the Egyptians. But Whittaker didn’t like being a god and stowed away on a ship to Rome. He became friends with the Emperor, a nice man who was very fond of his horse and went to Britain with him. The Romans had a fight with Boudicca who had red hair and a chariot. In Norfolk Whittaker made friends with a druid and he taught him cat language although the druid never became really good at it. Whittaker stayed in England because he liked rain and he lived in a henge which is lots of wooden sticks in a circle. When that got too cold he moved in with someone called Mother Julian who lived in a garden next to a church. She was very wise and said all shall be well. Whittaker was excellent at catching rats but there was still a plague. He helped rescue other cats during the Fire of London. He was Queen Victoria’s favourite pet and he was the cat in Dick Whittington.

‘You’ve done so many amazing things,’ said Laura. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘This is my most difficult mission of all,’ said Whittaker. ‘Do you want to hear about it?’

 

Headlines from the Cathbad Chronicles on 20 April 2020:

Sunrise: 5.53 a.m.

Sunset: 8.07 p.m.

High tide: 12 a.m. (flood warning for Wells)

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said that he didn’t know when schools would reopen.

The government has lost a boat full of equipment for hospitals.

Thing ate a cuttlefish on the beach.

Cathbad came home.

All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.