By Ros Billingsley
Grandma presented Pomposity to the family in his smart box.
Though Pomposity was soft, he was proud that he looked like the cats that were worshipped in ancient Egypt.
When Gran had gone, Amy took Pomposity out of his box.
Then she asked John, “Do we need a snooty looking posh cat?”
“Gran likes it, so let’s leave it on the step and keep it clean,” said John.”
Baby Anne climbed into the empty box.
Amy told Pomposity, “This raised bit of step is your throne!”
So, Pomposity sat on his throne and looked down his nose at the other toys.
A poem slid into Pomposity’s head.
After each line his tail twitched.
I (twitch)
Am a cat, (twitch)
A beautiful cat (twitch, twitch)
I’m not a lovable type of toy,
To be hugged and teased and cuddled and squeezed
till I’m flat. (twitch, twitch)
I’m a cat!
A stately, independent cat,
NOT A FLUFFY RUMBUSTUOUS PET,
But an ornament, whose job in life
is to sit on a shelf and adorn,
And I simply REFUSE
To amuse.
Pomposity sat on the step and sneered at the other toys. They were plunging down a rickety slide.
Amy was mixing mud into a bowl of water. Pomposity heard her shout out, “This soup is nearly ready for the toys’ lunch.”
John had turned the toy-box upside down to be a table. The children began to sit the toys around it.
“Rabbit has lost so much stuffing that he can’t sit up at the table,” said Amy. “Even putting him up on these boxes doesn’t help.”
“Pomposity might help,” said John.
He hurried off to fetch Pomposity.
“Oh!” gasped Pomposity, “Oh no, I cannot allow this! I must save my dignity.”
Amy arranged Pomposity to support Rabbit, but Pomposity somehow managed to flip Rabbit head-first into the bowl of soup.
While John took Pomposity back to the step, Amy tried to wring the muddy water out of Rabbit.
Then she went into the house to show Rabbit to Grandma.
Grandma took the muddy rabbit, and told Amy to bring in all the toys.
“His coat is ruined,” said Grandma, “I must make him a new one.”
Outside, John had already tipped out the soup and put the toys back into the toy-box.
Amy came out to help, and they carried the box up the step and into the house
Baby Anne was trying to build a castle with some bricks. She called Amy and John to come and help her.
Very soon it was time for supper, and then it was bedtime. As they tucked into bed, they could hear thunder rumbling outside.
Pomposity was still proudly standing on his step, when the thunder boomed. Then lightning flashed, and rain bucketed down.
A poem soaked into Pomposity’s head.
I (sneeze)
Am a cat, (sneeze)
A soggy wet cat, (sneeze, sneeze)
I’m all forgotten, left out in the rain,
And I wish someone would come out
to find me and take me inside, (sneeze)
to be dried
(sneeze, sneese, sneeze.)
In the morning the family found Pomposity on the step.
“He is such a soggy cat,” said Amy.
“He will take ages to dry,” said Mother.
Mother squeezed a lot of water out of Pomposity, and they took him into the house.
A week later, when Pomposity was dry, Mother put him on baby Anne’s dressing table.
Pomposity saw a very scruffy cat facing him and staring at him.
Pomposity shook his head and the scruffy cat did the same.
Pomposity wriggled his ears, and the scruffy cat wriggles its ears too.
Pomposity pulled a silly face, and so did the scruffy cat.
“Stop copying me, you, tatty lump of battered stuffing!” shouted Pomposity.
Then a grunt, made him look around, and he saw Rabbit,
Rabbit was sitting up straight. He had been freshly stuffed and he was wearing smart new clothes.
“I’m sorry, Pomposity,” said Rabbit, “but you are shouting at your own reflection in the dressing table mirror.”
Pomposity turned to look back at the scruffy cat. He saw a tear run down its face.
He could feel a tear running down his own face, too.
“Oh,” he moaned, “That is me!”
Then Mother brought in Anne and put her into the cot.
Anne pointed to Pomposity and said, “Pom-Pom.”
Mother picked up Pomposity, brushed his fur, and patted him into shape. Then she tucked him into the cot with Anne.
Anne fell asleep hugging Pom.
A snuggly poem floated into Pom’s head, for that was his new name.
I (purr)
Am a cat, (purr)
A happy and warm cat (purr, purr)
I may be a little bit out of shape,
But somebody loves me and I (purr, purr)
Am a very (purr)
Happy (purr)
Cat.
The next day was sunny, and Mother put Anne into a playpen on the veranda.
Anne called out, “I Want Pom and Bunny.” So Amy brought out the cat and rabbit and sat them close together.
Rabbit put an arm around Pom.
A new poem floated into Pom’s head:
I
Am a cat,
I’m no longer alone
No more need I sit
On a shelf on my own?
I’m a cat with a friend,
And a purpose in life.
An ornament has little fun and no joy
I’m happier now that I know I’m a toy.