A Game Of Cat And Mouse

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Recent events have jogged my memory that I was once very much taken up by the illustrated fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen.
And just in case, I am not promoting the latter’s religion by mentioning his middle name. Also, I found these tales fascinating because they gave my youthful mind a peek into the ways of the adult world - good, bad and ugly.
Anyway, a few days ago, one of these fairy tales came to mind in some vivid detail, but for the death of me, I couldn’t recall its title.
People like me, who are still grappling with the idea of intelligence being artificial, prefer checking things out in Wikipedia. Besides, I was not in the mood for a casual chat or to seek deeply into hairy-fairy stuff.
I can now confirm that the title of that story is “The Cat and Mouse in Partnership”. If you think this title unwieldy, you simply don't know Germans!
Here is the original German title “Katz und Maus Gesellschaft”. I told you so! But I must get on with the story before my memory needs re-jogging again.
Firm friends
In a certain town, contrary to their natural instincts, a cat and a mouse became firm friends. So much so that they decided to share a home.
And knowing that good times cannot last forever, they bought a pot of fat and sequestered it in a place of worship. Actually, it was a church, but we must be ever-vigilant of certain “sensitivities”.
Then, months later, when the weather was still good, the cat informed the mouse in a most matter-of-fact way that a relative had given birth to a pretty little kitten and that she was invited to be its godmother at its naming ceremony.
Actually, it was its christening, but you can see how I have avoided saying it for the same old reasons.
When the cat came home looking all sleek and fat, the mouse asked, “What name was the lovely kitten given?” Stroking its whiskers, the cat replied: “Top off”.
The mouse remarked that it was a strange name indeed but that these days, parents give their offspring all kinds of fancy names, and so it let it pass.
The weeks and months pass, and then one day, the cat again says to the mouse that yet another relative had a new kitten and that she is yet again the cute little fellow’s godmother.
She comes back a day later looking all smug and satisfied. “And what is the name of the newborn?” asked the mouse. “Half gone”, said the cat, looking away to avoid eye contact.
Yes, you guessed it right. The cat left the house to be a godmother for the third time some weeks later and, upon returning home, was asked the same question again by the mouse.
“All gone”, said the fat cat with a glint in her eyes that rather unsettled the mouse.
Sad state of affairs
I hate to put it this way, but the mouse smelled a rat and insisted they check out the pot of fat. Actually, it was lard, but you must have noticed how I have strenuously avoided calling it the same.
But never mind all that, they arrived in good time with the mouse running ahead of the cat. There, in a small basement room of the house of worship, was the pot of fat.
But, alas, it was empty! Kosong, pochi, bohliaw. It now dawned upon the poor mouse that top off, half gone, and all gone were the reasons for this sad state of affairs.
It had been tricked! It faced the cat and was about to say something when the cat pounced upon its housemate and gobbled him up at one go.
As I said, I have been fascinated by fairy tales from young.
And if you have any difficulty in following this modern retelling of an old fairy tale, replace “Cat” with “Deep State”, “pot of fat” with “gravy train”, “relative” with “hangers-on”, “Top off” with BMF auditor, “Half gone” with a certain pastor who was abducted in broad daylight and “All gone” with a DPP who was embalmed in a barrel.
“And what of the ‘mouse’?” you ask. Just replace it with “He knew too much of the workings of the Deep State.”
Expect more cat-and-mouse games in the days ahead. - Mkini
MURALE PILLAI is a former GLC employee. He runs a logistics company.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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