It was a clear night in August at the Jellicle junkyard. The Jellicle Moon shone proudly overhead the junkyard. All of the jellicles were going about their normal nighttime routines: Exotica and Cassandra were off over by a comfy-looking rocking chair boring their Siamese brains through a Cribbage game; Alonzo, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were talking heavily secretly amongst themselves about the two cat-burglars next catch. Jellylorum and Jennyandots were doing needlepoint and jabbering about the newest gossip. Demeter and Jemima were watching Pouncival flirt hopelessly with Bombalurina, who loved teasing poor Pounce into thinking they were mates. All of the pesky teenybopper kittens were watching The Rum Tum Tugger clean himself behind the trunk. The rest of the cats had gotten together and were now talking quite loudly amongst their Jellicle-selves about the recent outbreak at the last jellicle ball when Victoria refused to mate with Misto. Old Deuteronomy and Munkustrap everybody, both locked in deep thoughts over the future leader. Only two cats were missing from the junkyard, Victoria, the white cat, and Mistoffelees, the magical cat. Nobody minded that the two were never around because everyone knew that they were just talking, her mother had told her that she was too young to have a serious relationship.
The two cats were cuddled up on Misto’s unusually large cushion in his master’s house, he, to Victoria, seemed a little too spoiled. The two teenagers had been talking wildly about the future; they were planning to live in one house and to be spoiled together.
Victoria lately had been thinking about how close the two were and who his mother was, everyone had known of Misto’s harsh relationship with Macavity.
“This will be so cool! We will both each be sleeping here! Or maybe, just maybe I could persuade my owner to build us a house in back! We will be spoiled and loved…”
“Dear, dear!” Victoria tried to cut Misto off but he continued.
“And my owner’s family will have an all white cat! I hope we have a boy who’s all white, then we can call him Victor!”
“My dear sweet Mistoffelees. Don’t get to far ahead. I still want to find out who my brother is…”
“Victoria! Don’t be rash, you have no idea in the whole jellicle world who your brother does, and thank the Heaviside if your mother even tells you who he is. Who knows, it may be a sister instead!” Misto said scratching his head. He nudged passionately against her. “I really want a little me Victoria. We can name her (or him) Moonlight, or Madrone. Or…”
“Misto. Please…”
“Victoria, I will stop if you don’t like it.”
“Misto, please let me talk to my mother. She is supposed to tell me soon. Please wait for me Misto. I promise I will tell you everything. I’m just not ready to be with you.”
“Alright Victoria. I’ll hold you to that missy.” He kissed her forehead and slumped sleepily off to his master’s bedroom upstairs for the night.
The next day, Victoria made the short trip to the other side of London by hitching a ride on the weekly round of the dump truck that had a straight shot to her mother’s house. After about a twenty-minute ride, the truck stopped in front of a large country house. Victoria jumped off of the truck and made her way up the steps. A small white and gray adult queen sat upon the top step grooming herself. Next to her was a large farmer, her owner. Victoria meowed loudly when she got close enough within hearing distance.
“There’s my baby girl. How was your trip?” the owner asked the little white meowing teenage cat. The owner picked her up and patted her with a large callused hand. Victoria purred. He put her down so that her mum could visit with her. The two cuddled and nuzzled each other for a minute, but were disrupted by a loud barking from Jack, the family pollicle. The puppy barked playfully at the visitor and nipped at Victoria. Jack tried to do the same for Victoria’s mother, but before he even got to the nip, her mother swatted Jack on his nose. Jack reared back in pain and howled mournfully.
“Serves you right you dumb mutt!” the master said shaking his head, rocking back and fourth on his rocker.
“Do not call Jack ‘dumb’! He’s very smart!” The owner’s daughter Rochelle came outside and was shouting at her father. Jack was circling around, trying to bite his tail. He stopped, it was dead silent, he staggered a bit and tried walking. He banged his head on the wall and then wagged his tail cutely.
“Not dumb?”
“All puppies are like that dad.”
“That’s why I own cats. They are self-cleaning and they can take off on their own and be perfectly safe. Take little Victoria here, she comes all the way across from London…”
“And how do you know this?”
"Why, I followed her once, I took her home one night, she showed me her all of her friends.” The owner recalled when he had taken Victoria to the last jellicle ball. He swore to himself that he would never tell anyone about the dancing cats he had seen, and how they had invited him to watch their festivities.
“Keep telling yourself that dad. It’ll happen one day.” She covered her mouth to hold back her laughter.
“I will! You just watch me. In the meantime, do away with your bloody dog. He is an annoyance to me. In fact, it would be best to do away with yourself if you are going to treat my cats with such respect.”
“Fine! Where’s the phone? I’ll call mum. She likes dogs and hates cats!”
“How would I know? I don’t use the bloody phone!”
“Great bloody help you are dad!” and Rochelle stalked inside and her footsteps could be heard pounding up the stairs.
“Jack! Come here!” Rochelle called from upstairs in a rough tone. In a second within hearing his name, Jack was in the cat door in seconds and bounding upstairs.
“You going to tell lil’ Vik, who her brothers are?” the master bent down to eye level with Teraby and she started to purr happily. “I’ll take that as a yes, Tera.” Victoria’s heart skipped a beat. “I’ll leave you two alone.” And the master went inside and puffed on his pipe.
“Mummy, master said ‘brothers’, but you said-“ Victoria began.
“Yes, he is right, you have brothers. I’ve been talking with your father lately.” Teraby said like bringing up Victoria’s dad was no sweat, but her heart skipped two beats and she began to shake. Her father was not an easy subject for her to hear about, seeing as her father was the most powerful and evilest cat in London, Macavity.
“Wha-What did daddy say?”
“Dear, stop shaking, you’re making me nervous. As I was saying, your father is coming over tonight and the master is going to prepare us dinner.” Teraby said cleaning her fur. “He was just here yesterday. On the run from breaking the great trellace past repair, again. Well, instead of telling whom your brothers are, I’ve decided to invite them over. In fact, they should be arriving just about now!” Out of nowhere, there was a small pop and standing in front of her was Mistoffelees and Alonzo.
“No way. No, Misto? Alonzo? No way.” Victoria stammered as she gaped at her two friends’ open mouthed.
“I know,” began Alonzo, “Mum promised us not tell you this morning before you left.”
“I would have never known.” Victoria said hugging each.” Did mummy tell you both who’s coming?”
“Yea-no” Misto said.
“Our f-“ Victoria began, but Teraby cut her off.
“Uh-uh, we wouldn’t want to spoil it for your other siblings. Oh yes, that also reminds me, these two aren’t your only siblings. There are three more, here comes one now.” Teraby said shaking her head.
The three siblings looked up the street, a single cat was approaching them. A silver tom, his head raised in courage, his tail held up high. Any cat would have thought that this was Munkustrap.
Instantly, the three teenagers called out Munk’s name.
“Munkustrap! Over here!” the all waved. The silver tom’s head looked up and he walked faster.
“Who’s Munkustrap?” he asked instantly when he got to the porch.
“Oh my goodness. Guys, he isn’t Munk, but he looks almost like him!”
“I am Mudanstra, or Mud for short. Who are all of you, and why are you here with my mum?”
“Muddy, let me explain, these are your brothers and sister.” Teraby said calmly.
“Really? I see no resemblance. But, um, yeah. Mum, when’s father getting here? I miss him so much, he promised to take me out stalking tomorrow.”
“Later, dear. Wait, here comes the rest of the family.” All five of the cats looked down the street and saw two cats walking together. One was unmistakably Munk, and the other was red cat. Not like Bombalurina, but more of like a brilliant ginger and red cat, like Macavity.
Munk was walking a little farther behind this red and ginger cat, because of the scary resemblance of Macavity.
“Munkustrap!” Victoria called. Munk looked up and waved. The ginger cat looked behind and glared at Munk, who slunk back to a sad sulk.
“Ah, here comes your father. A little to early, like always.” Teraby said with a grin.
Victoria, Alonzo and Misto all were shaking. They saw who Munk was walking with, Macavity.
“No.” breathed Alonzo and Misto together.
“Father! Finally, you are home!” Mud called out and ran down the steps to Macavity to greet him. Munk’s head looked up; Macavity glared at him again, but smiled at Mud.
“Hello there Mud!” Macavity said in a powerful booming voice.
“Did you have a nice trip?”
“Of course!” Macavity boomed a shot of laughter, so did Mud.
Munk slunk behind the two and crawled up stairs. “Hey guys.”
“Munk, what’s wrong? Your face is all scarred.” Victoria held Munk’s face lovingly. “He attacked you didn’t he Munk?” Munk nodded sadly.
“Good to see you dear. Come lie down next to me and let me clean you up for dinner.” Munk sat down with Teraby and she began to clean his face gently.
“I really hate him, Mum.”
“I know, but,” she bent down and whispered in his ear, “We have a magician in the family now.” The two looked at Misto who was glaring at Macavity with hate.
“Mistoffelees is very well trained, mum, but he will need help.” Munk said, his smile leaving his face.
“But dear, haven’t you seen it? Were all magical in this family. The only cats who have found their powers is Quaxo, myself, Geranium (who I am afraid is not here yet), Mudanstra and your stepfather, Macavity. Everyone else still has not found their true powers, but that’s why you all are here, to help defeat Macavity once and for all.” The four cats cheered silently in their heads.
“Where’s that shameful daughter, Teraby?” Macavity asked.
“We have no shameful daughter’s dear.” Said Teraby softly.
“I can only see one from here, Teraby.” Macavity said with an evil grin.
“Victoria is not shameful.”
“Oh yes she is, leaving me behind, leaving my fatherly love for the jellicles. How I loathe the jellicles. Ah, my two sons. We have met before. Quaxo, why, I thought you liked the name I gave you when I kidnapped you and forced powers into you when you were just a newborn kitten.” Macavity said, patting Misto hard on the shoulders. Misto shuddered at remembering Macavity kidnapping him.
“Victoria, Quaxo, don’t listen to him. He’s just upset that you four became jellicles and he was kicked out of the-“
“Shut up Teraby!” hissed Macavity. Teraby glared at him. She was obviously not afraid of him.
“Yeah, mum, be quiet when dad is talking.”
“Mud, stay out of it. You never became a jellicle. As for Munkustrap, you, not actual being my offspring, your father took you from Teraby for your safety from me. And now look at you, the second-in-command. Go on everyone, give him a round of applause.” Macavity sneered at Munk. Munk instantly got up and charged at Macavity with the power of a lightning bolt. Macavity caught Munk by the throat. “Watch it kitty, or next time, there will be no second chances.” Macavity put Munk down hard on the ground.
“Do not handle my children like that. Eran is already probably not coming because of reasons like that.
“Oh mum, I’m not afraid of that coward. Its more like, he’s afraid of me!” laughed a voice.
“Eran, what have I told you!” screeched Teraby.
“Mum, he is a coward, look at him!” Eran said hoping down from an overhanging branch near the porch. “He’s shaking just by hearing my voice.” Eran walked up the porch steps.
“H-how long h-have you been h-here, Eran?” Macavity was shaking as he spoke.
“Long enough to hear you call my baby sister shameful. And long enough to hear you harm my brother. How dare you treat the jellicles with disrespect. You too Mud, don’t bother them. Go break or steal something to occupy yourselves, both of you.”
“How about dinner?” Teraby piped up.
“Shut up will you, Teraby?” Macavity snarled at Teraby.
“Obviously you did not hear what I said father. Go away, you have shamed your family so much, that they are ashamed to even look at you!” And with Eran’s forcing words, Mud and Macavity disappeared with a snap of the two cats’ fingers.
All the jellicles could do was stare at their sister, who bore the strange ginger resemblance to Macavity.
“Who’s hungry?” Teraby said again, a little more hopeful for a positive answer.
“Mum, lets just go eat.” Victoria said with a sigh.