CAT & MOUSE –
ORTHODOX STYLE
A lovely little story to lighten your hearts during Lent. It’s
reproduced by kind permission of the writer Alex Riggle. His website, The Onion
Dome, is well worth a visit if, like me, you don’t think Orthodoxy and a sense
of humour are incompatible. http://theoniondome.com
Dynamouse lived in
the All Saints Greek Orthodox Church and ate crumbs of prosfora that people
dropped during the Divine Liturgy. She didn’t know she wasn’t supposed to. This
was a great way of life for Dynamouse until the new priest arrived, and caught
her at it. He decided to bring his cat, Magnificat, to the church to “clean up
that rodent problem,” as he said.
Thus it was that Dynamouse met Magnificat on a Sunday when all
the humans were down in the basement drinking coffee. Magnificat chased
Dynamouse up one side of the church and down the other, and finally caught her.
“Any last words before I eat you?” asked Magnificat.
“No, just let me prepare to die,” said Dynamouse. “If you will
relax your grip a bit, I shall be able to cross myself.”
So Magnificat relaxed his grip, and Dynamouse disappeared down a
hole in the baseboard.
“That won’t happen again!” said Magnificat to himself.
The next time they met was on the Feast of the Elevation of the
Cross. Magnificat chased Dynamouse up one side of the church and down the
other, and finally caught her.
“I’ve got you now and I’m not going to ‘relax my grip,’ so you
need to prepare to die without crossing yourself,” said Magnificat.
“You can’t eat me today, it’s a strict fast day,” said
Dynamouse.
“Oh, I forgot about that,” said Magnficat. “I’ll have to wait
until next time.”
So he let her go, and she disappeared down a hole in the
baseboard.
The next time they met was on a Sunday again. Dynamouse was
wearing a necklace with a cross on it. Magnificat chased her up one side of the
church and down the other, and finally caught her.
“You can’t eat me while I’m wearing a cross,” said Dynamouse.
“Let me take it off.”
“Of course,” said Magnificat. But as he let her go, she
disappeared down a hole in the baseboard.
“Tricked again!” sighed Magnificat.
The next time they met was on a Saturday after a baptism. Some
of the holy chrism had dropped onto Dynamouse’s head when the priest was
chrismating the baby. Magnificat chased her up one side of the church and down
the other, and finally caught her.
“You can’t eat me with holy chrism on my head, it wouldn’t be
right,” said Dynamouse.
“I suppose that’s true,” said Magnificat.
So he let her go, and she disappeared down a hole in the
baseboard.
The next time they met was on Christmas Eve.
“Strict fast,” said Dynamouse.
“Sigh,” said Magnificat.
The next time they met was on Theophany. Magnificat chased
Dynamouse up one side of the church and down the other, and finally caught her.
Dynamouse didn’t have a cross on. It wasn’t a strict fast day. She didn’t have
holy chrism on her head. And she knew better than to ask to cross herself.
“I guess you’ve got me this time,” she said. “Try and keep the
crumbs cleaned up when I’m gone, will you?”
“I can’t do it,” confessed Magnificat. “I’ve had more fun
catching you than I’ve ever had in my life. If I eat you, whatever will I do
with my spare time? I’m going to have to let you live. As long as you promise
not to move away.”
“You mean we’re like — friends?” asked Dynamouse.
“Yeah, I guess we are,” said Magnificat. So he let her go, and
she disappeared down a hole in the baseboard.
But she came back in less than a minute with a necklace with a
cross on it for Magnificat.
“I’ve never had a friend before — can I give you this present?”
And she put the cross around his neck.
“Thank you,” said Magnificat. “Happy feast!”
“Happy feast!” said Dynamouse.
Both Story and Picture are Copyright © 1997-2013 Alex Riggle. All Rights Reserved.
