Taibhse Cait

Tá Dougal iontach sásta lena phiscín nua. Bíonn an péire acu ina luí le chéile go minic. Is deacair an piscín dubh a fheiceáil in aghaidh fionnaidh dhuibh an mhadadh.

Nuair a bhí an piscín ní ba lú, bhí dlaoithe an-fháda ("guard hairs") anseo agus ansiúd uirthi, ina cosúil le cleití an torcáin (porcupine quills). Chuir sí an líne Shakespeare, "Like quills upon the fretful porpentine" i gcuimhne domh. Luaigh P. G. Wodehouse an líne i gcúpla úrscéal faoi Bertie agus Jeeves. Dá bhrí sin, thug mé an ainm "Porpentine" (nó "Porpentina" anois is arís) uirthi faoi dheireadh.

Tá súil agam go mbeidh saol fada le chéile ag an phéire acu. Tar éis bhás Cluasa Bándearga agus bhás Gealán, d'fhán mé tamall sula bhfuair mé cat eile. Bhí brón orm agus ar Dougal, ach ní raibh mé réidh le cat eile a fháil fós. Ach fuair mé sólás i sraith imeachtaí rúndiamhra.

Oíche amháin, nuair a chuaigh mé go dtí an leaba, agus Dougal ina chodladh ar an urlár, mhothaigh mé cat ag tuirlingt ar na plúideanna. Ní raibh ach mise agus Dougal sa teach, agus níl Dougal ábalta dul suas ar an leaba. Ní raibh ach aon léiriú amháin ann: bhí taibhse cait orainn.

Tháinig an taibhse cait ar ais anois is arís ar feadh cúpla mí. Ní fhaca mé é riamh, ach mhothaigh mé a láithreacht, ag tuirlingt ar an leaba nó ag súil trasna mo choirp. Ní raibh sé scanrúil ar scor ar bith. Bhí mé uaigneach gan chat, agus fuair mé sólás as an taibhse cait. Faoi dheireadh, stop teacht an taibhse cait, agus bhí sé in am agam cat eile a fháil.

Is duine ciallmhar mé, agus ní chreidim i dtaibhsí. Ach bhí áthas orm go mbeidh taibhse cait agam ar feadh tamall.



Dougal is very happy with his new kitten. The two of them often sleep together. It's difficult to see the black kitten against the black fur of the dog.

When the kitten was smaller, she had very long guard hairs that looked like porcupine quills. She reminded me of the Shakespeare line, "Like quills upon the fretful porpentine". P. G. Wodehouse referred to the line in some of his Bertie and Jeeves novels. So I finally named her "Porpentine" (or sometimes "Porpentina").

I hope they have a long life together. After the deaths of Cluasa Bándearga and Gealán, I waited a while before getting another cat. I was sad, as was Dougal, but I wasn't ready to get another cat yet. But I was comforted by a strange series of events.

One night, when I went to bed and Dougal was asleep on the floor, I felt a cat jump onto the bed. Only Dougal and I were in the house, and Dougal isn't able to get onto the bed. There was only one possible explanation: we had a ghost cat.

The ghost cat came back now and again for a few months. I never saw him, but I felt his presence, jumping onto the bed or walking across my body. It wasn't at all frightening. I was lonely for a cat, and I found comfort in a ghost cat. Finally, the ghost cat stopped coming, and it was time to get another cat.

I'm a sensible person, and I don't believe in ghosts. But I was happy to have a ghost cat for a while.