something about cats

'' it is said in ulthar which lies beyond the river skai, no man may kill a cat, ... in ulthar, before ever the burgesses forbade the killing of cats, there dwelt an old cotter and his wife who delighted to trap and slay the cats of their neighbors. ... this old man and woman took pleasure in trapping and slaying every cat which came near to their hovel. ... but the villagers did not discuss such things with the old man and his wife; ... much as the owners of cats hated these odd folk, they feared them more ...




'' one day a caravan of strange wanders entered the narrow cobbled streets of ulthar. ... there was in the caravan a little boy with no father or mother, but only a tiny black kitten to cherish. ... on the third morning of the wanderers stay in ulthar, menes could not find his kitten, and as he sobbed in aloud in the market-place certain villagers told him of the old man and his wife, ... and when he heard these things his sobbing gave way to meditation, and finally to prayer. ...

'' that night the wanderers left ulthar, and were never seen again. and the housholders were troubled when they noticed that in all the village there was not a cat to be found ... the burgomaster, swore that the dark folk had taken the cats away in revenge for the killing of mene's kitten ... the lean notary, declared that the old cotter and his wife were more likely persons to suspect; ... so ulthar went to sleep in vain anger; and when the people awakened at dawn--behold! every cat was back ...

'' there was subsequently much talk among the burgesses of ulthar ... they talked of the old cotter and his wife, of the caravan of dark wanderers, of small menes and his kittten, of the prayer of menes and of the sky during that prayer, of the doings of the cats on the night the caravan left, and of what was later found in the cottage under the dark trees in the repellent yard. and in the end the burgesses passed that remarkable law ... that in ulthar no man may kill a cat.''

h.p.lovecraft, the cats of ulthar.


i: house-cats at apotropaios.
ii: a cat named annie at zefrank.
iii: toy cadaver at bj winslow.
iv: cat eats man at messybeast.