Catymology

I was minding my own business, snoozing away the afternoon, when this shiny, smooth cat from south of the border sneaked up beside me. Naturally, I pretended that I was sound asleep.

Then it turned out that the interloper was a magical feline. Such beasts figure in a charming children’s book by Matthew Gollub,
The Twenty-five Mixtec Cats. Illustrated by Leovigildo Martínez

Set in an indigenous Mixtec village in the artist's own Oaxaca, the story involves an evil healer, a good healer and his extraordinary feline pets. Though some people fear the cats will eat everything in sight--and maybe even set fire to fields--the animals soon prove their worth and win their way into the villagers' hearts.

I think I’m going to be nice to El Gato in the future. Who knows when I will need his help? And amanuensis reminds me that the Governor of Minnesota thinks immigrants are a drain on our economy. I am as conservative as any cat, but I know that just isn’t right. There are mice enough for all, and each cat deserves to earn a living.

tags: cats folklore immigrants