Our little friend, Grenadine, had been adopted by a powdery old lady who was also the owner of Demeter and Bombalurina. The old woman called her Shirley Temple. (he he) The red queen liked having a home, but she missed Pouncival's warm body next to her. Grenadine was still a little mysterious and wouldn't tell anyone about her past, except that her father's name was Llyadon and her mother was a cat named PinklePaws.
One day, Munkustrap cornered Grenadine in the stove and asked her if she would tell him her past. "I can't." She replied. "It's secretive business."
"You have to." He said. "I will just have to let you leave if you don't."
Grenadine had second thoughts. *If he kicks me out, I won't be a Jellicle, and then I won't get to see any of my friends.* She thought.
"Okay," she said, a little reluctantly. "Here goes."
"I was born in a little red chair in a house near Leeds. My father left us and my mother and I stayed with the old man; his name was Edmund. We were well fed, well cared for, etc. but a year later, my mother, PinklePaws, died. I was left with the old man, who died soon after. Then I followed my mother's instructions and went to the Jellicle Junkyard, like she said. But I didn't get there as I hoped."
Grenadine stopped to take a breath. She was about to start, but Pouncival came over to her.
"Pounci, you should stay. Gren is telling me her past. As her mate, you should hear it." Gren started her story again....
"I was entering an alley, where I figured I would stay for the night. I quickly washed my fur and fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in a cold building, where I was surrounded by humans. *Where am I?* I thought. Then it hit me. I was in the PET STORE!! I was in a cage with another red cat. It was a male. His name was Tom, but his Jellicle name was Lynkinstittle. He told me he would help me escape. There was a small hole in the roof of our cage, and he pushed me through it. There I was, in the storage room of the pet store. I quickly jumped out of the window and escaped. But before I came here, I found I was pregnant with kittens. I had my kittens in an alley. There were two of them."
"That's why you have been disappearing so many times!" Munku said.
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"I was afraid you would get mad at me, Pounci."
"I love you, Gren. I would never get mad at you." Gren mewed and purred.
"So anyway, I had two red kittens. They are two females. I named one MarchLong and one Clyestmeantrea. (Clest-men-tree-uh) They live in an abandoned house. They are there right now."
"Let's go find them!" Munkustrap said. The two toms and the red queen raced off for the kits.
The cats stopped and Gren entered the building quietly. There were two little kits snuggled up in a basket. Gren picked one up and Pouncival the other. They took the sleeping kittens to the junkyard.
The two kittens had moved in with Grenadine. The old lady loved all her cats. She named the kittens Ginger and Athena. So, Grenadine was safe...for now.
THE END