Pouncival left his precious TV sitting all alone in the junkyard. Nobody was using it, so I went over and turned it on. The bugger has a hundred channels on it! How Pouncival managed to get cable is beyond me. I’m also confused how he thinks he’s going to pay for it all…
Anyway, I put on the Disney Channel. There was a Mickey Mouse cartoon on, and since I love Mickey Mouse I watched it. Come on, I’m a kitten, okay? Kittens like cartoons. So I sat there watching my beloved Mickey Mouse. He and Goofy were talking about something. I dunno. Anyway, Jemima and Victoria came over to watch cartoons with me, dragging their pans of buttons and yards of string. They sat there with their eyes glued to the screen, stringing their buttons. I was feeling a little bit guilty for not spending time with Victoria lately, so I offered to help her string them. She grinned and handed me a pan, along with more than enough string. Etcetera and Electra were sneaking around, stalking a mouse. Jemima jumped up and cried, “Get away from Mickey!” They stared at her, puzzled. Victoria, sensing a game, sprang to her feet and shouted, “Yeah! Mice are cool!” I grinned and chimed in, “Strike! Strike! No more mouse killing!” Then all three of us cried together, “Strike! Strike! No more mouse killing!” We abandoned the buttons and went to make some strike signs. We pronounced this week “Mouse Awareness Week” and we’re going to do all kinds of activities! It might be dumb for a cat to be doing something like this, but hey, we’re only having a little fun!
Saphinora
8/26/1999
Today Jemima, Victoria and I went to Victoria’s house to print up Mouse Awareness Week stickers. Her family was out shopping, so we could use their computer without being bugged. We printed up 50 different colored stickers with phrases like, “Mice are Nice” and “Eat More Catnip; Kill Less Mice”. We took them to the junkyard and set up a little booth in the middle of the junkyard. Victoria and I paced around in front of the booth, waving Mouse Awareness signs and shouting, “Strike! Strike! No more mouse killing! Mouse Awareness Week! Kill no mice this week! Strike! Strike!” and so on. Jemima sat behind the table and handed out stickers to anyone who came up and asked for them. We got a surprising amount of Jellicles. Jennyanydots was our most devoted customer. She took fifteen stickers and promised to give some to the mice she was teaching. Then Demeter and Bombalurina showed up. Bomb said, “Mouse Awareness Week? Cool! I like it!” She stuck five different stickers in her fur and pranced around, showing them off to the toms (especially Tugger!). Demeter grinned and took two stickers. “I guess I could give up mouse killing for a week,” she said. By the end of the day, every Jellicle in the junkyard had a Mouse Awareness sticker on them. Well, except for Tugger, who claimed it was “politically incorrect for a cat to have feelings for mice”. I wonder if he even knows what politically correct means.
Saphinora
8/27/1999
Today, the third day of Mouse Awareness Week, Victoria, Jemi and I organized a meeting. We set up this “podium” in front of the big tire and put out a bunch of chairs. Then everyone took turns giving a speech about being nice to mice. Everyone, even Tugger, gave a speech. His went something like, “Hey, dudes and dudes of the female species, be cool to mice. Even though they’re really really tasty, the least any of you peoples can do is give up killing the mice for a stupid week.” At this point, he grinned and looked around, like he was proud to be giving a speech. “Mice may be squeaky, annoying little things, and better to be smeared on the sidewalk than to be running around uneaten, but this week I’m gonna BE NICE TO MICE! And YOU should be too!” Our audience cheered, and Tugger did a little bow. Victoria, Jemima and I handed out Mouse Awareness Week pamphlets at the end of the assembly. This only started out to be a game, but now it’s turning into a fun project!
Saphinora
8/28/1999
Nothing went on during Mouse Awareness Week day four, which is today. Except there was a Mickey Mouse marathon on TV, which we turned on for the whole day. Everyone in the junkyard was there to watch. We handed out new stickers to everyone who came. Then I suddenly had a brilliant idea. I pulled Pouncival off to the side to talk to him. “Will you do something for me?” I asked. He made a face and said, “Forget it.” He started to walk away, but I pulled him back. “I’ll tell you who likes you,” I blurted out. He froze. “Who?” he demanded. “Promise you’ll do whatever I say,” I insisted. He hesitated. “Okay, I promise,” he said finally. I looked around to make sure nobody was watching or listening. “Jequenia,” I whispered. He gasped a little. I nodded. “Isn’t it obvious, the way she stares at you?” I asked. “She stares at ME?” he said excitedly. “COOL! Uh, I mean, um… cool. Now what was it you wanted me to do?” I grinned wickedly. “I want you and Alonzo and Plato and Tumblebrutus and Admetus to be our cheerleaders in a Mouse Awareness Week pep-rally,” I said. He glared at me. “Or else?” he demanded. I grinned again. “Or else I’ll tell Jequenia that you LOVE her!” I said. His eyes widened. “I don’t like her,” he squeaked. “Sure,” I said, unconvinced. He gulped. “Okay, okay! I’ll be your stupid cheerleader! But how do you expect me to get the other guys to do it too?” he asked. I shrugged. “I don’t know. I said you had to do it, I didn’t say I knew how.” Then I walked away, feeling a little guilty. Then I pushed the guilt away. After all, Pouncival had treated my friends horribly during the Joke War.
Saphinora
8/29/1999
We had a pep-rally today! Jemima and Victoria were thrilled with my idea. They went to a garage sale early this morning to this one house that sells Goose clothing. You know, those geese that sit on people’s porches? Well, they got five cheerleader outfits. They paid the old lady, but anonymously. So we dressed Pouncival, Plato, Alonzo, Tumblebrutus, and Admetus in the outfits and taught them some quick cheers. Then at exactly noon, we went out and started the pep-rally. Rumpleteazer had contributed a microphone and speakers, so that we could talk for everyone to hear. We announced the pep-rally, and that we were having some “special” cheerleaders. Then I put in a music-mix tape, and played it. Pouncival and company came skipping in, squealing happily. They formed a small formation, with Pouncival in the front. They waved their pom-poms and screamed. “Ready, okay!” yelled Pounce. “Mice, mice, they are nice…” they shouted. They did a couple twirls and jumps. Then they cried, “They are so much cooler than lice!” They did two kicks and another twirl. “Lice is annoying when it’s in your hair…” Again, a few more twirls and two more jumps. Then they rushed into a quick pyramid, with Alonzo in the splits in the front. They chanted together, “But mice are nice anywhere! Yay!” and shook their pom-poms. Everyone cheered, or laughed, or whatever. When Alonzo stood up, he claimed he couldn’t move his legs. And the others couldn’t figure out how to get out of the pyramid. Just then Misto walked out of his lair. He hadn’t been participating much because he came down with a cold. The catch is, whenever he sneezes something magical happens. So he can’t go home to his family. Anyway, Mistoffelees sneezed and suddenly Plato, who was on top of the pyramid, was zapped on the tail. He screamed and tumbled down, causing the whole pyramid to fall. “Sorry guys,” apologized Mistoffelees. Well, besides that little detail, our pep-rally was a success! (I think)
Saphinora
8/30/1999
Okay, Victoria and Jemima and I decided that Mouse Awareness Week officially ends on the first day of September. That would be the 1st, okay? Okay. Our activity of the day was: we had Jennyanydots’ mice put on a show. For an extra twist, she had taught the mice how to tap dance instead of the cockroaches. So we set up a sort of “stage” and had Jenny’s mice tap dance to some songs by groups like Backstreet Boys and N*Sync. We (Jemima, Victoria and I) stood outside the entrance of the junkyard and advertised the show to all the cats of London. You would be surprised at the turnout. We had almost a hundred cats show up for the performance! We handed everyone a sign that had a different M.A.W. (that stands for Mouse Awareness Week) phrase on it. At the end of every song the audience would cheer and wave their signs. This must’ve been the most fun thing we did all M.A.W.!
Saphinora
8/31/1999
Tomorrow is the last day of M.A.W. I think it went by too fast. It’s been really fun! Anyway, our M.A.W. activity for today was having a kitty lunch buffet. We served everything that cats eat… except for mice. We even invited all the mice of London and served them cheese! Jemima, Victoria, Pouncival, Mungojerrie and I all dressed up as waiters and waitresses. Mistoffelees was over his cold, so we had him and Skimble dress up as cooks and served the food. Once again, the turnout was wonderful! Even more cats from all over London showed up for the lunch buffet! Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie had organized dinner tables all around the junkyard for everyone to eat on, with tablecloths and all. Jennyanydots showed up with her mice, to reward them for their excellent work on the performance yesterday. Mmm… the food was incredible! We barely had a chance to get away from our duties and eat, but when we did I enjoyed every minute of it! (Who knows where Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer came up with such great food? I don’t even really want to know…)
Saphinora
9/1/1999
*sigh* Today was our last day of Mouse Awareness Week. It was a pretty good ending of a wonderful week, I have to admit. We had a big M.A.W. dance. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer somehow got us a big disco ball to hang in the junkyard. Pouncival worked the lighting, and he spent 5 whole hours shining a flashlight at the disco ball to make it sparkle! Yes, we held the M.A.W. dance from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. We had snacks (meatless and mouseless snacks, I might add) set up on small tables around the junkyard. Mungojerrie was our DJ and played all kinds of songs for everyone to dance to. The turnout was even better than yesterday’s buffet! Victoria took a count, and she reported that there were almost 200 cats present, including the Jellicles. I had a fun time dancing with my friends. No, I had a blast! But I did feel a little awkward when the slow dances came on. But Skimble, who was always nice to me, asked me to dance a little. So we did. It was nothing serious, just two friends dancing together. I also danced a little with Mistoffelees, Alonzo, Munkustrap, Old Deuteronomy (yes, he can dance!), and even Pouncival! But once again, nothing serious. Just friends dancing together. *sigh* I’m getting jealous of all my friends. Victoria and Mistoffelees were together for every dance, except when Misto danced once with me. Jequenia and Pouncival seemed really happy together (Pounce had convinced Tumble to take over the lighting for a minute). Demeter and Munkustrap seemed like they were having a great time dancing together. And Mungojerrie and Rumple danced every slow song together (Mungo got Tumble to take over for him for a while. It was very awkward to watch Tumble try to play songs and work the lighting at the same time). Oh well, I’m happy with just friends for now. Anyway, I had an incredibly wonderful time today!
Saphinora
9/2/1999
Today was the first day of September. I didn’t do much today, just spent all my time helping Victoria, Jemima, Mistoffelees, Mungojerrie, and Pouncival clean up after yesterday. Then I went into my lair and slept because I was tired from last night. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind sleeping some more right now…
Saphinora
9/3/1999
Well, the junkyard is back to the same old, same old. Jemima and Victoria are obsessed with buttons again. Tugger is back to teasing Mistoffelees about his size. Bustopher Jones came with yet ANOTHER lollipop for Misto (he hasn’t even finished the first one yet!) and Jennyanydots fussed over BJ. And me? I read. Actually, Rumpleteazer and I searched around the city streets of London for another good book lying around. Our final profits for the day were: a beat-up school science textbook; a preschool picture book; a chapter book dropped by someone in the higher grades walking back from school; and a fantasy novel with the last chapter ripped out of it. Rumple and Demeter and I spent the day reading all my books together, and helping me organize my bookshelf. I’m beginning to run out of room!
Saphinora
9/4/1999
Tugger’s teasing today was a little worse than usual. He insisted on wandering around the junkyard, and insulting everyone he saw. He even insulted Jennyanydots right in front of her face! Well, I think he’s learned his lesson because she’s making him scrub the whole junkyard clean as a punishment. And she forced him to write apology letters to everyone he insulted (which would be all the Jellicles, including me). I got a nice little note written on pink stationery that says, “Um… dude, uh, Jenny is making me write this, okay? So don’t expect this too often. Uh… look, Saph, I’m sorry, okay? I promise not to insult you for a whole week!” I found a picture frame in a pile of junk next to my lair, and I hung it up on the wooden fence on one side of the junkyard for everyone to see. For the rest of the day, everyone crowded around to read it and Tugger went in his lair and sulked.
Saphinora
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