Jethro's Story

Jethro's Story

Name: Blackie Jamison

Jethro, a 14 year old cat, thought he had seen it all,
done it all, heard it all. Then one day his Meowmie
got into a conversation with a friend about something
called "music". Jethro was puzzled. What was this
topic that they were discussing? Jethro decided that,
14 he may be, but he was going to find out! So he...

Name: Shibui

...listened very carefully and he found out that
there are many kinds of music, as well as a
variety of instruments to play on. Jethro wondered
if he could learn how to play one. But which one
would it be? And who would be his teacher? As
Jethro pondered those questions, his Meowmie's friend...

Name: Gigi

...opened up the lid on the big wooden kidney-
shaped piece of furniture that had been sitting in
the living room, all these years. Under the lid were
lots of white and black rectangle shaped objects
and when his Meowmie's friend pushed a few of them
down at the same time...

Name: M&M and Lloyd

...the kitties heard some wonderful music filling the room.
"What kind of music is that?" purred the kitties to each
other. "We should try to make our own music when the
hoomans leave the room later this evening. We can walk
on those black and white keys together. Won't it be fun
to let the hoomans hear how we can play," giggled one of
the kitties. Later that evening when the grandfather
clock chimed twelve, the kitties raced to the big music
box and much to their surprise...

Name: M&M and Lloyd

...they saw that Jethro had beat them to playing the black
and white keys on the big black box. Jethro was playing
some Ragtime. "Gee, said the kitties to one another,
"our big brofur Jethro really knows how to play furry
well. Our Meowmie should be furry proud of him."
All of a sudden Jethro and the kitties heard someone
coming down the stairs...

Name: M&M and Lloyd

...and the kitties all hid in back of the long draperies,
except for Jethro who continued playing his ragtime. Lo
and behold the footsteps were from Jethro's Meowmie who
was very surprised to find that Jethro had learned how
to play the grand piano. "Why, Jethro, exclaimed his
Meowmie. I did not know that you could play the piano.
I thought that it was one of the guests."
To which Jethro replied...

Name: Shibui

..."Can mew name this tune?" Then Jethro began to play
a rollicking ragtime that his Meowmie had never heard
before. His sisters and brothers came out of hiding
and began to dance around the piano. Jethro's Meowmie
couldn't believe her eyes and ears! She was so
captivated by Jethro's music and the dancing kitties
that she completely forgot...

Name: M&M and Lloyd

...that it was after midnight and she had guests sleeping
in the upstairs bedrooms. "Oh, my," she said. "You
kitties will have to stop all of this playing and
dancing right now before you wake up our company."
All of a sudden, several pairs of footsteps were heard
coming down the stairs...

Name: Blackie Jamison

...and Jethro's Meowmie saw that it was her guests! "I am so
sorry that my cats have woken you with their uh, music,
heh..."But one of the women said, "Your cat played that
wonderful ragtime? Amazing! Can he play any more?" So
Jethro jumped back into his music and his Meowmie and
guests watched and listened in amazement. Jethro happily
realized that this was what music was all about!
The End
The story of Jethro was written from June 11th to July 13th, 2000.
It is dedicated to M&M, a hard working cat
who passed over the Rainbow Bridge in July 2000.