• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Tahlia Newland

Editor, Author & Artist

  • Editing Services
  • Me & My Creative Life
    • My Books
      • Metaphysical Fiction
    • My Poetry
    • My Masks
    • My Hats
    • Permaculture, Forest & Garden
    • Performing Arts
  • Blog
  • Contact

Cute Cat column: Cat Monday – The Old Man And the Beast

March 14, 2015 by Tahlia Newland

My daughter Rose and I recently attended a two week meditation retreat and left Prince George with my husband Chris who is unused to having to attend to his needs and keep him entertained. During this time, Chris wrote the Cat Dairies and emailed them to us each day. Today’s offering is delightful, and the’postscript is hilarious.

20140122_175210 - Copy

The Old Man And the Beast

The first light of morning was still trying to prize its way through the grey and damp morning when the  beast leapt. He knew what he wanted and he knew how to get it. With strength and precision he landed squarely on the chest of the old man. With eyes shining but teeth hidden he bunted the old man in the face. The old man felt the weight on his chest and the wet nose on his face. He glanced at the clock and cursed when he saw it was only 6am. But he also knew what he had to do.

He raised his hands to preen the beast, his long gnarled fingers caressing the beast’s fur in the places that he knew the beast would like. The beast purred. After several minutes trying to appease the beast’s appetite for such things, the old man’s hands fell away and rested on his chest . The beast showed his appreciation by licking the man’s fingers, but fearing the old man would fall asleep again and not give him what he needed, the beast bared his razor sharp incisors and bit both of the old man’s hands. This had the desired effect. The old man reluctantly raised himself from the bed and slowly shuffled after the beast. He was led straight to the laundry where the beast circled him in anxious expectation. The old man relented and gave sacrificial offerings to the beast who proceeded to devour them. Seizing his chance, the old man shuffled back to his room, quietly closing the door behind him, praying the beast would leave him in peace.

Excerpt from the novella -The Old Man And the Beast-, published by Awful Indies .com. “‘We take the Awe out of Awesome”.  No rights reserved. All parts of this extract may be reproduced in print or electronic media. The words may be printed, cut out, rearranged and pasted together to form a threatening letter, or they may be translated into Romanian or Ancient Greek without fear of legal action.

This weekly Cute Cat Column is written by or about Prince George, my Burmese cat. If you enjoyed this story and you’d like to read more Cat Columns, sign up to receive blog posts by email – eyes right for the sign up box. Prince George appears in my Diamond Peak Series as Twitchet, and in my Prunella Smith series as Merlin.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Burmese cat column Tagged With: cute cat

« Friday Free Fiction: Steampunk Workshop.
The Boneyard: a free fantasy story »

Search

Recent Posts

  • Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin
  • Book Genres – What you Need to Know.
  • How to See Edits in Word Documents
  • Finding an Editor You Can Trust
  • Review of ‘The Guild Codex Spellbound Series’ by Annette Marie

View Posts by Category

Writing a novel? Feeling overwhelmed? Get new insight and inspiration with my FREE Novel Revision Checklist. 

DOWNLOAD  NOW

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Free Book Download  
Get Lethal Inheritance free when you sign up to my new release email list.  I won’t share your details and you can unsubscribe at any time.

My Latest Books

  • Fallout: Recovering from Abuse in Tibetan Buddhism
  • The Elements of Active Prose: Writing Tips to Make Your Prose Shine
  • The Locksmith's Secret
    Rated 5.00 out of 5

Alliance of Independent Authors

Alliance of Independent Authors

Follow Tahlia Newland’s board My Beautiful Burmese cats on Pinterest.

Click HERE to see all my books.

Books
Reviews, Writing, Cats & Contemplation
Editing

Click HERE to subscribe to my newsletter and get my fantasy novel Lethal Inheritance FREE. 

How to Meditate – the crucial points

See more

Hi I’m Tahlia Newland

I can help you express yourself and share your story with the world.

 

Do you want to write a really good story and have it professionally polished and published?

As an editor, I help you be the best writer you can possibly be. I strengthen your voice, support your vision and can assist you all the way to publication.

On my blog you’ll find book reviews, writer’s tips, contemplative articles on meditation and working with your mind, and occaisonally pictures of my Burmese cats.

If you’re interested mostly in my contemplative articles then  Sign up to the Living in Peace & Clarity Newsletter to get those articles delivered by email. And check out the resources on my Living in Peace and Clarity Page.

I do a lot of community work involving blogging and general support for Buddhist students processing revelations of abuse in their spiritual communities.  Please consider supporting me to continue this work.

Occiasonally, when inspired and not too busy with community work, I make masks.

All my books are

Visit my Mask & Steampunk Accessories Shop

2015-03-19 15.46.12
Blue Burmese
Like cats in stories? Check out my books. And click the photo to read the cat colomn.

Click Here for More Articles in This Series

Book reviews – sci fi, fantasy, literary fiction, Buddhist fiction and related non-fiction

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

The High Priestess: Persephone’s Return is the third book in Val Tobin’s Tales from the Unmasqued World Series, and in it she deepens and expands the stories from the previous two book. The book has two central story arcs based around characters we’ve met before. One arc follows Kelsey (a human) who is with Josh […]

More Posts from this Category

My gorgeous Burmese cats

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Yesterday I did a photoshoot for my renovated website. Take a look around, particulary at the home page (Click on my name at the top to go there). It’s designed for editing clients with my books secondary because I need to focus on the part of this publishing business that actually earns me more than […]

More Posts from this Category

Seven of my novels have an Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence

Four of my books earned BRAG Medallions

I abide by the ethical author code

I'm an Ethical Author
Alliance of Independent Authors

Copyright

All material on this website is under copyright to Tahlia Newland and cannot be shared without written permission.

  • Editing Services
  • About Me
  • My Books
  • My Masks
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Amoré Theme by Oh, Hello Designs on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

FREE Novel Revision Checklist

Written a book? Need some help reviewing and revising it? Download my Novel Revision Checklist for step by step guidance.  

DOWNLOAD NOW

no thanks

{"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"120","openAnimation":false,"exitAnimation":false,"timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"7","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}

Please note: I am closed for holidays from Christmas day until Jan 30th 2023. Dismiss

 

Loading Comments...