Part One: The Orphan.

Chapter One.

I was not born into the Jellicle Tribe. In fact, I was born somewhere near the sea—for although I could not open my eyes yet; I still remember the sound of the waves crashing. I was taken to the Jellicle Junkyard and left there, a blind mewing kitten on the deserted street.

I remember hearing the voice of another kitten, "Hey, look at this!"

"What is it, Munku—Sweet Rumpus Cat!"

"What do we do?"

After a few moments of debate, I was lifted by the scruff of my neck. I began to cry pitifully, and soon I heard another voice.

"There, there little one," the voice was soothing, reassuring. "Don't worry; we'll set you right soon. Where did you find her?"

"On the street! Somebody just left her there!"

"Why on earth would somebody do such a thing? There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her."

Then came another voice, calm and deep, "She needs human help."

"Deuteronomy!"

The deep voice came again, "This one has been out in the cold too long. Jellyorum, take this kitten to the humans on the west end of Marbry Street. They will help her."

I felt myself being lifted once more. I was too tired to cry out this time. I must have fallen asleep, for the next thing I remember was the sound of my human's voice.

Several weeks passed. My eyes had opened; I learned how to talk to my humans so that they could understand my commands. Once I was old enough to run about the house, my humans would let me spend afternoons in the garden. One day, as I was busy tearing apart a flower, I spied a tabby cat. She trotted towards the garden fence, looking about suspiciously. She stopped outside the gate.

"Kitten, Kitten!" Whispered the stranger. I recognized her voice. One of the cats that saved me.

"Who are you?" I bounded up to the garden gate.

"My name is Jellyorum," the feline smiled sweetly.

"You were the one who brought me to my humans," I stated. She nodded. Still, my curiosity was not satisfied, "Where do you live?"

"I live with the Jellicles," she replied, her light green eyes sparkling.

"Jellicle cats are black and white, Jellicle cats are rather small, Jellicle cars are merry and bright, and pleasant to hear when we caterwaul," I repeated the lines in a sing-song manner. Jellyorum's eyes grew wide with disbelief, "Where did you learn that?"

I shrugged innocently, batting at a petal, "I guess I've just always known it. I remember hearing it when my eyes where still closed." I looked up at the big house that my humans lived in, "Sometimes at night, when I'm feeling lonely, I look up at the moon and I sing it to myself."

"Oh, my," Jellyorum seemed unsure of what to say. After a thoughtful pause, she shook herself from her inner musings and forced a smile, "What it your name, dear one?"

"My owners call me Muffin," I wrinkled my nose in disdain. I leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, just in case my humans could hear, "But I call myself Bombalurina."

"What a lovely name," Jellyorum murmured, almost to her self.

"What do your humans call you?" I asked. Jellyorum gave a wry chuckle, "I don't have humans, little one. I live at the junkyard."

"Then who feeds you?" I was perplexed by the thought of not having humans on hand to cater to my every need. Jellyorum laughed heartily at this, "Why, I feed myself! You are looking at one of the best mousers this side of the Thames."

I nodded, not really understanding. Jellyorum slipped her paw through the slat of the fence and smoothed the fur on my face, "It must be terribly lonely, staying here all by yourself."

"I have my humans."

Jellyorum smiled softly, "Yes, but humans aren't cats. They can't understand you like a cat can. I have a little one, just a week or two younger than you. Her name is Demeter. I shall have to bring her to see you. You two can play together; and then it won't be so lonely for you."

After she left, I began to think of how lonely my home really was. I had never even really noticed it before—the large empty house, full of things to play with but no one to share them. So I began to desperately wish for another kitten.

Less than a week later, Jellyorum appeared at the garden gate again; this time with a pretty black and yellow kitten at her side.

"I'm Demeter," the kitten bounded over. Her eyes were the same light green as her mother's, and the tips of her toes were as white as snow.

"I'm Bombalurina," I took a step back, thrown off by Demeter's outgoing personality. I had never been around another kitten; I was unsure of how to act. Demeter watched me for a moment, and then, realizing my shyness, she bounded off with a laugh, "C'mon Bombie, let's go explore!"

And that was how I met the greatest friend of my life.

Soon Jellyorum and Demeter were coming almost every day. My humans knew of their visits, but they didn't seem to mind. In fact, my people would often set out treats for Jellyorum or a dish of crème for Demeter and me. Demeter relished these treats—it was not something she was accustomed to, having grown up in a junkyard—but Jellyorum refused to eat anything the humans left for her. She once told me that she could never accept anything that she had not caught herself—a reason that I found ridiculous. She had an odd sense of pride, but later I came to respect her greatly for it.

During those rosy afternoons, Jellyorum would stretch out on the back stoop, soaking up the sun's lazy rays as Demeter and I explored the farthest realms of the garden. At times, Jellyorum would interrupt our play to teach us the laws of the Jellicle or tell us stories of the Great Rumpus Cat, the father of all Jellicles. She taught us how to greet other Jellicles and about the Jellicle Ball and the Heaviside Layer. Demeter and I would listen patiently, waiting for the moment she would dismiss us so that we could run wild through the flower bushes once again. Little did I know, Jellyorum was preparing me for the moment I would be brought before the Tribe. Since I was not born a Jellicle, my acceptance into the Tribe would be decided by the elders. I wish I had paid more attention to Jellyorum's teachings.

After several weeks, Jellyorum decided that I was ready to meet the other Jellicles. I had heard Demeter's tales of the wise Deuteronomy, the mischevious Alonzo, the magical twins Coricopat and Tantomille, the famous theatre cat Gus (who also happened to be Demeter's father), and the bumbling Skimbleshanks. I was anxious to finally meet the faces behind the stories.

This particular sunny afternoon, Jellyorum was waiting patiently by the gate. She turned with a flick of her tail and led me down a maze of streets. Somehow we appeared in the Junkyard.

"Bombie!" Dem bounded toward me in her usual manner, her eyes dancing like fireflies. She tackled me and we tussled for a moment. But being almost twice her size, I easily won. Unaffected, Demeter jumped to her feet, eager to show me her world, "C'mon, Bombie, meet the others!"

I followed her through the junkyard, taking it all in. I saw a yellow tabby cat perched atop an old car, who smiled benignly as Jellyorum bounded up beside her. There was a large grey and brown tabby sunning itself, a tortoise shell nursing kittens, curled up in a crate, and a sleek black cat walking the junkyard fence line precariously. Soon, a group of kittens appeared.

"Who is this?'' a black and white patched kitten leaped forward, stopping Dem and me in our tracks.

"This is Bombalurina," Demeter raised her head proudly. "My very bestest friend."

The kit's eyes lit up, "Hey, we've heard all about you! I'm Alonzo."

"I've heard a lot about you, too," I giggled, remembering all of Alonzo's escapades that Demeter had related to me. Alonzo gave a little bow, "Allow me to introduce the rest of the Jellicle Clan." He motioned to two identical kittens, who had to be the twins Demeter spoke of, "Coricopat and Tantomille. I'm sure Demeter has told you, they're magical. This," he gently pushed forward a white kitten with brown patches, "is my brother, Plato. I've got a few more brothers running around here," he looked around before shrugging it off, "Oh, well. You'll meet them later." He playfully tagged another brown mixed cat, "This is Asparagus Jr., Dem's brother."

Alonzo pointed to the yellow queen beside Jellyorum, "That's Jennyanydots. She can read human. Over there is Skimbleshanks. And that," he paused, adding in a whisper of reverence, "is Old Deuteronomy."

Alonzo nodded toward a large grey and brown tabby with a kindly face and merry eyes. He was seated next to the queen with the newborns.

"He's our father," Plato spoke for the first time, his voice a husky whisper.

"I never met my father," I admitted. Dem put a reassuring paw on my shoulder, "You aren't missing much. My dad is the Theatre Cat. He's always going on about discipline and how the theatre has gone downhill and always, always harping about all these roles he used to play, like Growltiger and Firefrofiddle."

I smiled at Dem's attempt to make me feel better, but I still felt the awkwardness of the situation. I felt the twins' yellow eyes upon me and I realized that I was set apart from the junkyard kittens. I would never be one of them, no matter how hard I tried.

The following night, Jellyorum appeared at the windowsill, "Bombalurina, come outside!"

"But it's after dark!" I whispered in shock. "My humans won't let me out."

Jellyorum gave a snort of disdain, "Who said anything about humans? You don't need them to get outside."

She motioned me over to the glass and pointed to the latch, "Push it."

I did, and the window swung open. Jellyorum landed lightly on the ground. She turned to me, "Come now, darling. Tonight is the night you will become a Jellicle."

I followed Jellyorum through the maze of streets once more. When we arrived at the junkyard, I noticed there were more cats than there had been the previous day. The kittens were sitting quietly to the side, their eyes wide with amazement. They had never been to a Tribal meeting. Deuteronomy stood before the group, his face as impassive and inexpressive as a mountain. On either side of him sat the Elders—Jennyanydots, Skimbleshanks, a black cat called Notekins O'Malley, a tabby queen named Mumbletins (Skimbleshanks' sister), a beautiful grey cat called Teathrice, the very large Bustopher Jones, and a red and black tabby named Roary Huffersnuff.

There were several other cats, whom I did not recognize, situated in a semi-circle facing the Elders and Old Deuteronomy. Jellyorum gently pushed me to the center of the circle and took her place among the other cats.

"What do you call yourself, Little One?" Notekins O'Malley looked down at me.

"B-b-bombalurina," I said, terrified at the realization that everyone was staring at me. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

Teathrice smiled sweetly at me, her warm eyes reassuring, "And do you know what it is to be a Jellicle?"

"To be feline, fearless, faithful and true," I repeated the motto that Jellyorum had taught me. I could see the look of pride on Jellyorum's face.

"Very well," Roary Huffersnuff nodded in satisfaction. "Do you know the Law of the Jellicle?"

I recounted the Laws that I had learned over the past few weeks. The Elders all nodded in agreement. Mumbletins looked out at the rest of the tribe, her Scottish accent softening her words, "Has ennyone a rayson why this young kit should naught be inducted into the Jellicle Tribe?"

The junkyard was silent. Old Deuteronomy smiled down at me kindly, "Then I hereby decree that Bombalurina is now and forever more a member of the Jellicle Tribe."

The other kittens cheered with delight, and although that was not appropriate behavior for such an austere meeting, the adults all smiled in amusement. Demeter ran and tackled me in a hug, "Now you can truly be my sister!"

Jellyorum smoothed the fur on top of my head fondly, "Come along, dear one. We must get you home before your humans find out."

I smiled and followed her. The walk home was light and airy—I had never felt so elated in all my life. I was no longer the orphan. I finally belonged.