Fergus an the Coorse Cat

In this section
Fergus an the Coorse Cat

Wheeler, Les

Fergus wis a wee field moose fa bade in a wee nest unnerneth an auld rodden tree. He wis a happy wee moose fa likit tae eat an sleep an watch fit wis gyan on roon aboot him. He wis contentit! Weel, maybe jist nae aa thegither contentit. I'll tell ye fu that wis.

Ae day Fergus met in wi a hoose moose. A field moose an a hoose moose disna hae that much in common- the hoose moose is a lot bigger than a field moose an Fergus wisna jist aye sure aboot trustin a hoose moose. But the hoose moose that Fergus met, Harold, wis a fine like chiel an he tellt Fergus aa aboot the wunnerfu things that ye got tae eat in a hoose an fu fine an het it wis in ahin the fire on cauld winter nichts. "Jings," thocht Fergus, "it must be really great haein aa ye wint tae eat an be fine an warm as weel!"

Sae, ye see, fan Fergus wis at the tap o a branch or reed an jist waving aboot in the win he wid aften look ower at the hoose doon the road an wunner fit it wid be like inside.

Ae day Fergus wis oot gaitherin seeds an grass for the winter an he wis jist aside the hoose. As usual he stoppit fit he wis daein tae hae a look an fit did he see? The door o the hoose wis open. Noo the hoose moose hid tellt Fergus that a big, coorse cat guardit the hoose, but Fergus could see nae sign o that an, onywye, Fergus wisna really sure fit a BIG COORSE CAT wis!

Fergus scampered ower the grass in front o the ferm hoose, keepin near the edge sae he could disappear intae the bushes an flooers if danger should appear. As he hurried alang he kept lookin up an roon aboot tae see that aathing wis aa richt. Sac far sae gweed!

He got tae the door. He keekit in. He poked his wee held roon a bittie further. Seemed aa richt. He could see naething that wid dae him ony hairm, but there wis a queer rumblm soond comm fae a big basket aside the fire. Fergus tippy-taed intae the room an hid ahin a cheer leg. Naething, but the rumblin noise wis looder than afore.

Fergus coundna resist it. He nippit across the fleer an stoppit aside the basket. It wis ower high for Fergus tae see in, sac he did an affa feel thing.
He began tae clim up the side o the basket. He got tae the tap an lookit doon. MICHTY! Fergus hid nivver seen onything like it! A great orange, hairy giant wis lyin sleepin in the basket. You micht nae think it wis a giant but tae a wee moosie like Fergus the ferm cat wis a giant an it wis the cat that wis makkin the rummlin noise. Worse still, Fergus hid hardly recovered fae the shock o seein this muckle beast fan the giant let oot a great sneeze an wakkent up!

Fergus wint tummlin aff the basket an boltit for the door. Luckily for him Garth the cat took a twa three minutes tae come tae himsel an only snatched a quick look at Fergus as he wis makkin pel-mel for the door.

But Garth wis seen oot o the basket an efter Fergus. This micht be a tasty wee morsel for the coorse cat! Fergus wis pechin like an aul man as he raced as fest as his wee legs wid cairry him, but the coorse cat took far bigger strides an wis gainin aa the time. Fergus nivver lookit roon he wis feart o fit he micht see- he heided stracht for his wee hoose. Wid he mak it in time?

Fergus wis jist aboot hame fan Garth took a muckle great loup an landit wi his paas an sherp claas either side o Feigns. At the same time Fergus felt the het breath o Garth whistlin thou the cat's fangs o teeth. Fergus louped in the air himsel, an jist as weel he did, for jist as he did it the coorse cat struck wi een o his paas hopin tae trap Fergus. Fergus landit jist aside his rodden tree an like a wee rocket shot intae the wee hole that wis the entrance tae his wee nest.

Garth, the coorse cat, didna gie up. He scrattit an pykit aboot at the hole for a while an the thing that make him gie up, eventually, wis the arrival o een o the young ferm dogs tae see fit Garth wis up till an Garth, nae being fond o dogs, skulkit aff tae his basket haein gaen up hope o makin Fergus his mornin piece!

Curled up in his wee nestie Fergus tried tae calm doon. Pitter pitter pitter pitter wint his wee hert an it wis a gie while afore Fergus got it doon tae pitter-pat, pitter-pat, nivver mind paat, paat, paat like it should hae been.

Jist afore he finally snuggled doon in his cosy bed for a wee snooze Fergus wis thinkin that he should maybe jist be content wi fit he hid an nae gang wanderin awa tae strange places. An he wis thinkin that maybe it wis better for a field moose tae stick tae the fields an leave the hoose tae a hoose moose that could pit up wi a muckle coorse bundle o orange fur wi far ower big claas an fangs.