The Cheshire Cheese Cat A DICKENS OF A TALE Carmen Agra Deedy Randall Wright drawings by Barry Moser PEACHTREE ATLANTA
LISTOFCHARACTERS INORDEROFAPPEARANCE SKILLEY A jaded street cat with a disgraceful secret and a shameful past PINCH A perfectly foul villain and Skilley’s nemesis YE OLDE CHESHIRE CHEESE This venerable inn is one of the grand ladies of London public houses For centuries she has attracted writers and word lovers the likes of Samuel Johnson Mark Twain and Arthur Conan Doyle And cats Let’s not forget the cats PIP A mouse of Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese with more than a few secrets of his own NELL The innkeeper’s misunderstood daughter who dotes on the inn’s animals CROOMES The temperamental cook whose cheese is famous far and wide she is often in a state of ill temper MR CHARLES DICKENS A writer of some distinction who frequents the inn HENRY The portly innkeeper who is desperate to rid his inn of cheese-thieving mice ADELE A barmaid busybody and hater of mice MALDWYN The proud creature hidden away in the inn’s garret upon whom rests the future of the realm A MYSTERIOUS VISITOR You didn’t really expect a description did you
CHAPTER ONE HE WAS THE BEST OF TOMS He was the worst of toms Fleet of foot sleek and solitary Skilley was a cat among cats Or so he would have been but for a secret he had carried since his early youth A secret that caused him to live in hidden shame avoiding even casual friendship lest anyone discover Scat cat A broom came down hard out of London’s cold and fog Startled Skilley leapt sideways and the broom whiffled empty air The cat however refused to scat He eyed the dead fish then the broom calculating the distance between the two
