Monday, November 27, 2006

Helpful...

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6 comments:

twd3lr said...

Great photo, Ken!

Annie said...

If the cat's name were Apples, that would be too cool.

Peter said...

Do you mind explaining this?

Ken said...

We use an old apple box to store Christmas ornaments. While decorating the tree...Basil decided the open box was the place to sleep. I spied a photo opportunity. And Annie is correct...it would be very amusing if Basil was named Apples.

Justin said...

hey, merry christmas in advance!!hehe
I love your kitty. she is soo sweet..And hey, chekc out this post on black cats..I hope u'll find it interesting!

take care
bye.

KatieMc said...

I believe that Basil is re-enacting a German fairytale called the "Warming of Red". It is fabled that one bleak, bitterly cold winter, a poor family was on the brink of starvation. They existed on a watery potato and leek soup. They had one thick slice of meat that they kept in an old apple crate, intending to eat it for Christmas Day.

Chistmas Morning, Father went to the cellar to retrieve the meat and prepare it for dinner. LoThe meat was gone! In its place was a black and white cat, shivering and miaowing pitifully. Clearly this cat had eaten their meat.

The Father was both angry and distraught. What would he feed his family? Instead of kicking Kitty out into the cold, however, Father took pity on the Kitty and brought the crate, with Kitty inside, upstairs to warm by the fire. The family ate another helping of weak potato and leek soup, instead of the treasured meat, and Kitty curled up to sleep in the crate on the hearth.

The next morning, Kitty was gone! And the crate was full of food! After the family removed the treats, they discovered a deep red colored outline of where Kitty had slept.

The family gratefully enjoyed the food and celebrated a belated Christmas. The next morning, the crate was full again. And on it went until spring, when the family was able to hunt again and raise fresh vegetables.

Each winter for many years, the cat appeared for just one night; the family nicknamed it "Red" because of hte red mark on the crate. The family fed and warmed Red, who disappeared the next morning, leaving a crate of food in his place.

So every Christmas, children leave an apple crate on the hearth in the hopes that Red will be warmed and will leave treats for Christmas Day.