Grizabella looked at her long shaggy fur. " Goodness, I need to be brushed. I look like a stray" She thought,
She rubbed up against her mistress, an actress. " Oh ,what do you need Ginger?" She asked in baby talk. " Do you need to be brushed?" Grizabella meowed.
As her mistress brushed her fur to a shine, she wondered why none of the Jellicle Cats liked her. The tortoise shell Persian was a little stuck up, but all she wanted was to be loved.
Her two new kittens, Rumpleteazer and Etcetera, were asleep, so Grizabella went to wake them up. It was time to go to the Jellicle Junkyard. Tomorrow was the Jellicle Ball.
"Mama, where are we going?" Etcetera asked.
"Sweetie, we're going to see our Jellicle friends." Grizabella answered softly. "What friends" she mumbled to herself.
As they walked to the Junkyard, Munkustrap bounded to greet them. The grey and Black tabby wasn't exactly a kitten, but he wasn't an adult yet. He was next in line to be the Jellicle leader, after Old Dueteronomy.
"Hi, Etcetera! Hi Rumpleteazer! Do you want to come play?" He asked, scratching his ear.
"Mama, can we?" 'Teazer asked.
"Of course you may" Grizabella answered. She have a long look to Munkustrap as he hissed at her.
As her two kittens bounded off, Grizabella padded over to Jennyanydot's house.
"Jenny" she asked, " Have you ever wondered what the world was like outside?"
"No, not really. The Junkyard is my world. "Jenny replied.
At that moment, young Jellylorum, Bombalurina, and Cassandra pounced in.
"Hello, kittens." Grizabella stuck her hand out to greet them. Jellylorum couldn't help but giggle. Her face became red, and she started to snort.
"Ummm.. Hi" Jellylorum answered, barely containing herself. She laughed, as Grizabella walked off.
They began to mock her. "Hello kittens" Bombalurina jeered. She stuck her hand out shaking her rear. "I'm perfect" She giggled.
"Just because she's a mite conceited, doesn't mean you have to make fun of her." Jenny scowled.
A trumpet sounded the Jellicle Ball. " Yay!" The Jellicle Moon is out!" Bombalurina yelled. It's my first Ball!" She began to dance.
As all of the cats walked over to the junkyard, Grizabella heard Gus, her mate, call out, "Jellicle Cats come out tonight, Jellicle cats come one, come all the Jellicle moon is shining bright, Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball."
Once all of the cats were introduced, the first solo began. This one was about Griddlebella, an old cat who was about to die. Grizz wished she could go to the Heaviside. All the kittens were motioned to go up to Griddle and nuzzle her.
The last song of the Jellicle Ball was Grizabella's. She began to sing:
"I remember a time, when love could be mine, and I was happy , and happiness I drank like wine. But that time went away, I could not stay, one minute longer with the society"
As the song finished, Grizz said, " I'm not loved here, I will go see the world." She walked off.
"I'm glad she's gone" Jellylorum burst out. She knew as soon as she said it that it was wrong. She covered her mouth with her paws. "Oops" She whispered.
"Don't say that! Think of the young kittens she left behind!" Jenny said.
Rumpleteazer and Etcetera looked up. "Where's Mama?" They asked, their tails swishing back and forth.
"You'll have Jenny as your Mama now. You won't see your Mama again."
Some time later....
Rumpleteazer and Etcetera were still considered kittens, but they were no longer little. Jenny had a kitten now, Jemima, and the three didn't know that they weren't really sisters.
One night...
"Mama, where are you! Please, come h-h-help me! I need you Mama!" Etcetera called out. Jenny rushed over to her.
"What is it, baby?" She soothed her. Etcetera woke up.
"Mama, I had a horrible dream! Somebody was telling me that you weren't my Mama!" All of a sudden, Etcetera was transformed back into her years of kittenhood. "Mommy, that isn't right, is it?"
"No honey, it was just a bad dream" Jenny soothed her. "Go back to sleep."
Jenny thought for a long time whether she should tell her or not. One side of her was saying, Go ahead, just tell her, while the other side was saying, Don't. Wait until she is older.
The next day, in the junkyard, Etcetera smelled something familiar. She sniffed around. Behind the bush was an old, raggedy cat. When the cat saw Etcetera, her face melted. "Etcetera, don't you remember me?" She asked.
All of a sudden, Etcetera was transformed into her early kittenhood. Her first Jellicle Ball...Griddlebella going to the heaviside layer, and that familiar sense always stayed with her. No, fight back. I don't want to think about it. She thought. She fell into a trance. Images from the past swirled around her. Then, everything went black.
"Ecetera, I need to tell you something. Wake up, dear." She heard Jenny's voice, but it sounded a mile away.
"What is it, Mommy?"
Jenny sighed. She hated it when they called her mother. "Listen, Etcetera, this may be shocking to you, but... I'm not your mother. That cat that you saw behind the bushes was your mother, Grizabella. She used to be one of the most glamorous cats. I am going to tell 'Teazer."
Etcetera nodded her head, speechless. She walked off, as if in a daze.
That night, her dreams were finally peaceful....
