The Adventures of Periwinkle and Stinky

 

Just as Periwinkle started to doze off in a patch of sunlight, she heard a soft hum. Then,  the Teleportation Tunnel started to shake, and Periwinkle perked up instantly. “Stinky!”

One more loud WOOSH and then—plop!—Stinky tumbled out, landing in a heap right into her waiting paws. Periwinkle giggled. “You’re two minutes late.”  The Tabbies hugged and whisker kissed and shared each other's week.  They laughed when they remembered that their in-the-furs counterparts, Noelle and Sawyer, had the same answers to #3 of the Friendly Fill-ins.  Both agreed that finding a way to end Sawyer's seizures would be a wonderful accomplishment.  Periwinkle shared an AI graphic she made showing him coming out of the Tunnel.  That made them both MOL.

After a while, Stinky asked what they were doing for their Adventure.  Periwinkle said they were going to explore the myth that cats have nine lives.  "That's a great idea, I've always wondered where these sayings and myths came from," said Stinky.  

Having done her research, Periwinkle said, "The notion that cats have multiple lives is ancient, with roots in various cultures and mythologies. While the exact origin of the nine lives belief is difficult to pinpoint, it’s thought to have arisen in Europe during the Middle Ages. At that time, cats were often associated with witchcraft and the supernatural, and the belief that they had special powers, including the ability to cheat death, was common. The idea of cats having nine lives has its roots in Ancient Egypt. The sun god Atum-Ra was said to take the form of a cat so he could visit the underworld. Atum-Ra was said to have given birth to eight other gods. As a result, some people have linked the saying of cats having nine lives with this myth—the eight gods, plus Atum-Ra, equal nine lives."

Stinky quickly did some research of his own and added, "The number nine is often seen as special, representing total perfection or deep magical meaning. This is shown in stories like the Nine Muses in Greek mythology and the Nine Worlds in Norse tales. The frequent appearance of this number in myths and traditions around the globe enriches the stories about cats, making nine a lucky number that fits with the idea of cats as incredible survivors and respected creatures."  The two giggled as they pictured themselves visiting with the 9 muses.

He added, "Ancient Egyptians held us in high regard and believed that we possessed divine and mystical qualities. They even worshipped a cat goddess named Bastet, who was believed to protect women and children. Cats were also considered to be symbols of grace and poise, and were often depicted in artwork alongside pharaohs and other important figures."

Periwinkle said, "Egyptians believed that we could guide souls to the underworld, and that we could even communicate with the gods on behalf of their owners. In fact, many wealthy Egyptians would mummify their cats and bury them with them in their tombs, in the hopes that their cats would assist them in the afterlife."

Stinky even found some information about cats and Shakespeare.  "In his play Romeo and Juliet, one of the characters jokes and says, “Good king of cats, I just want one of your nine lives!” He was teasing someone and pretending cats have extra lives to spare! Shakespeare used that idea to make a joke. He knew everyone would understand because people already believed cats were super tough and could survive all sorts of things."

Periwinkle asked Stinky, "Did you know why people think we have nine lives?  Well, we cats have a special trick called the 'righting reflex.” That means when we fall, we can twist our bodies in the air and land on our feet almost every time! Our spines are super flexible, so we can twist and turn really fast. Plus, our tails help us balance, kind of like a tightrope walker!"  Immediately after she said that, she realized she might have hurt Stinky's feelings because he didn't have a tail.  He saw the look on her face and hugged her and said it didn't bother him because he knew his tail (or lack of) was special.

"I'm glad we researched this today," said Stinky.  "It might be fun to share other myths with our friends in the future, too."  Periwinkle agreed and took his paw and brought him outside.  "I thought you might want a quick look at our garden," she said.  

No sooner did they go out the door than Stinky ran off.  Periwinkle rolled her eyes when she saw where he was, but didn't say anything.  She still felt bad about the tail comment. She did encourage him to come down, which he did right away.  "Boy, your mango tree is really big and loaded with mangos," he said. 

They checked out the other plants, including the mint, lettuce, eggplant, the peppers, and tomatoes.  Sadly, the zucchini got some kind of fungus and didn't make it.

When they went into the house, Stinky couldn't help noticing the Lei type vase with Plumeria.  Periwinkle said her Mom tried to pick fresh flowers every day to fill it.  They really smelled nice.

Periwinkle said her Mom had many salads with the lettuce and the tomatoes they grew.  Talking about food made their tummies rumble, and they decided to enjoy the snack Periwinkle's Mom made for them.  They both were impurressed with the Egyptian placemats and the statue of Bastet and the cool Goddess cocktail shaker.  "We should have niptinis sometime soon," said Periwinkle. 

The two enjoyed their snack and then took a nap in a sun puddle.  They spent time paw patting, whisker-kissing, and cuddling before it was time for Stinky to leave.  With a last whisker kiss and a WOOSH, he headed home.

Here's a cute video by Simon's Cat about 9 lives

And a couple of fun 'Toons...