King o' the Cats

Screenprint – unmounted, unframed.

Sheet size: 297mm x 420mm

Paper size: 50

Gather 'round Ladies and Gentlemen, and I shall share with you the tale of the King o' the Cats.

A man one night was travelling to the house of a friend. Lost in the fog on the way there he espied a light ahead of him, which he followed to an old and gnarled hollow willow tree. Peering within he saw a tiny wooden coffin surrounded by feline mourners, each holding a candle between its paws. Startled by this sight, he ran on until he reached at last his friend's door.

By the roaring hearth he recounted all he had just witnessed on his journey to his incredulous host and his wife. As he finished the tale the tom-cat asleep by the fireside sat suddenly bolt upright and declared aloud - 'Then Old Peter is Dead. And I am King o'the Cats!'. With which, he disappeared up the chimney, never to be seen again.

The folktale is generally thought to be Scottish, but other regional versions exist across the country. In Oxford-shire the same tale is told, but this time with Tim Toldrum (and not Old Peter) as the name of the deceased cat!

This is an original limited edition print, signed by the artist.