FORGOTTEN BOOK: MISS KELLY

 Miss Kelly by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding  (1947)

Miss Kelly is a cat, the sort of cat who would make an admirable person.  She is also probably the only cat who can speak English, although she does not want her owners to find out.  Miss Kelly also had ambitions, although she was not quite such what they were.

"She was two years old, which for a cat means eighteen, and she had never yet met one single other cat who% could both understand and speak Human.  She had come across several dogs who could understand Human fairly well, but not one could say so much as 'Good morning."  She did not see how she could find any really interesting work, young as she was and so very much alone in the world.

"Miss Kelly's mother had been thoughtful and sensitive.  She had taught all her kittens to understand the few Human words most important to know.  The first was cat, so they would know if they were being talked about, then milk and fish and mouse and like and don't like, and others.  Miss Kelly's mother had never said anything about learning to speak the words, though, and when one day her daughter, after long, secret practicing, said very proudly, 'Like fish,' she was greatly alarmed.

" 'Never do that again, child!' she had said.  'It's extremely dangerous.' "

So Miss Kelly kept her kitten/cat mouth shut, even after she found a comfortable home with M0r. and Mrs. Clinton and their two children -- all of whom she loved very much.

Then a vicious tiger escaped from the circus, a tiger so untrainable that it could not be used in any of the wild animal acts.  The tiger 1) hated humans and wanted to kill them all, and 2) wanted to go back home to the jungle.  That evening, the tiger burst into the Clinton's kitchen where the maid and Miss Kelly happened to be.  The door to the kitchen was open to the other room where the two children were.  All three, as well as Miss Kelly, were terribly afraid.  but fear does not stop a cat who knows right from wrong and who is also very fond of her family and, just as the tiger was about to attack the maid, Miss Kelly moved in front of him to plead for their lives.  This struck the tiger as odd, but eventually M1iss Kelly was able to convince the tiger to leave the house with her.  She and the tiger in some  bushes and promised to find some food for him, swearing that she would be back and that she would not abandon him.

But before Miss Kelly could return, the police found the tiger and captured him.  Now miss Kelly was afraid the tiger would think she had abandoned him.  Because the tiger was so uncontrollable, the circus did not want him back, so he went to the local zoo.  Miss Kelly was obliged to go to the zoo (whatever that was, and wherever that was) so the tiger -- who called himself Prince -- would not think she had abandoned him.  But how to get there?  She would have to speak human to get someone to bring her there.

She spoke to Mr. and Mrs. Clinton, who were astounded that their cat could talk.  Eventually, though, Mr. Clinton agreed to take Miss Kelly to the zoo, and it was there that Miss Kelly found her calling in life.  She would work to teach animals about human and, in doing so, could help to improve the animals and their live.  Miss Kelly decided to stay at the zoo and, with the cooperation of the Curator, as able to provide a communication bridge between the species, rectifying some of the animals' complaints.

It wasn't easy.  The monkeys refused to believe that humans were capable of anything. The  birds were nervous around a cat but the Eagle helped Miss Kelly calm their fears.  The snakes felt put upon an=d unloved.  The wolves, a fox, and the wild dog all had impossible schemes.  And the lion, the black panther, and Miss Kelly's friend the tiger were all jealous of each other.  But Miss Kelly has found her calling and worked diligently and contentedly., tying to settle the animals' quarrels, explaining away their foolish notions, and working to make them better understand humans.  The Clinton children would come by occasionally to visit, and the Curator had given Miss Kelly come blocks with letters on them to help her learn how to read; it's difficult, but she works with them every day.

A sweet and gentle talking animal story with a sweet and gentle cat...a warm, philosophical children's book that is truly perfect for all ages.  Anthony Boucher wrote of it, "one of those too-rare juvenile fantasies with delightful appeal ton the adult connoisseur."  I had been wanted to read this one for a number of years now, and it finally became available online at Roy Gashan's Library/freeread.

Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (1889-1955) began writing romance novels in the 1920s but turned to detective and suspense novels after the stock market crash.  Her work was highly praised by Raymond Chandler.  Her crime novel was filmed twice and was included in the Library of America's Women Crime Writers:  Four Suspense Novels of the 1940s.  Among her other suspense  novels are The Obstinate Murderer, Speak of the Devil, Miasma, Lady Killer, The Death Wish, Nest of Cobwebs, The Strange Crime in Bermuda, Too Many Bottles, The Old Battle Ax, Dark Power, The Unfinished Crime, The Girl Who Had to Die, Kill Joy, The Virgin Huntress, Who's Afraid, and The Widow's Mite, all currently available from Stark House Press, as are four story collections.