Litterbox Odor A Problem?
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats. the enchanting refrain from Wanda Gág's classic children's book has been stuck in my head for weeks.
As I pondered these incomprehensible figures, the inspiration for my humble number 27 hit me. Hundreds of reviews, thousands of reviews, millions of. it sounded all too familiar. Of course! Millions of Cats was always one of my favorites.
This charming little picture book has been beloved by several generations. Originally published in 1928, this Newbery Medal Honor book has withstood the test of time. Though simply illustrated with black and white line drawings and lovingly hand-lettered, it is every bit as engaging as most of what today's high-tech publishers can churn out.
Not only do I have fond memories of enjoying this book as a child, I have wonderful moments of sharing it with my son to reflect upon. Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.He would giggle himself silly every time that simple refrain would be repeated. The fact that I always hammed up the reading didn't hurt any. This same young man (now 15) just came across the brand-spanking new copy of the book that currently sits on my desk. (I had to buy a new one; his copy was given away long ago.) His reaction was touching. "I remember this book. I used to love it. We read it together all the time."
It was a moment to savor. Until he noticed the author's name, "Gag? What kind of a name is that?" "It's not Gag. It's Gág." Once again the author was unwittingly able to elicit a round of giggles. (Why are kids so much cuter when they're little?) Regardless, he sat down and revisited the book with a smile.
So, what exactly is it about a modest 32-page picture book that can leave hundreds, thousands, millions of readers imprinted with indelible fond memories? Well, the book works on so many levels. It can be a charming, wonderfully illustrated little story about a lonely elderly couple that wants to enliven their home by adopting a cat. Or, it can be a vehicle for quite a few life lessons.
"Once upon a time there was a very old man and a very old woman. They lived in a nice clean house which had flowers all around it except where the door was. But they couldn't be happy because they were so very lonely.
'If we only had a cat!' sighed the very old woman.' "
So the very old man set out on a quest to find the perfect cat to bring home to his wife. Unfortunately this indiscriminate old fool exhibited very little impulse control and brought back every cat he came across. And, yes, there were millions of them, every single one as pretty as the next.
"Pretty soon the very old woman saw them coming. 'My dear!' she cried, "What are you doing? I asked for one little cat, and what do I see? - Cats here, cats there, cats and kittens everywhere, hundreds of cats, thousands of cats." Well you know the rest.
" 'But we can never feed them all,' said the very old woman, 'They will eat us out of house and home.'
'I never thought of that,' said the very old man, 'What shall we do?' "
The old woman proposed that the cats decide which one should be kept. The old man presented the following challenge to the cats: "Which one of you is the prettiest?"
What ensued is probably the largest catfight in all of children's literature. (Unless you include the bickering between Cinderella's stepsisters.) The outcome? All the cats vanished. Presumed eaten. Consumed by their own vanity. All save one scrawny, unattractive kitten who survived the cat-astrophe simply because it had a self-esteem problem and did not assert itself as the prettiest.
So, the elderly couple took in this lone survivor and loved and nurtured it despite its shortcomings. Eventually, the homely kitten, the beneficiary of the couple's love and attention, blossomed into "a very pretty cat, after all."
Was the cat any different than it was initially, or did the couple's perception change as they grew to love it? We may never know. But, it may be an interesting point to discuss with our children.
What are the consequences of impulsive behavior? Why do we set limits? Should we judge by appearances alone? What values may be more important? How does vanity serve us in our lives? Or, humility for that matter?
We can learn quite a bit from a simple children's story. I can honestly say that as a young girl I learned one significant lesson from reading this book; one that has stayed with me to this day: Always think twice before sending your husband out on an errand.
