cats cats short story written american fantasy author june tale unnamed narrator relates story law forbidding killing cats came town called narrative goes city home old couple enjoy capturing killing townspeople cats passes city orphan traveling band disappears hearing couple violent acts cats prayer leaving town causes local cat killers house witnessing result local politicians pass law forbidding killing cats influenced lord tale personal favorite remained popular death considered best short stories early period aspects cats referenced author works gods dream quest unknown published literary journal november resides public domain synopsis unnamed narrator pet cat begins law town killing cats relates story law came tale begins introduction old wife delight trapping violently killing cats venture property people town afraid couple speak acts instead focus efforts keeping approaching house night travelers distant land arrives passes village bring orphan named having lost family plague small black company unable find day stay hears stories old wife decides action spends time prior prayer affects shapes movements clouds sky leaves night shortly townspeople notice cats gone missing townspeople suspect old couple son witnesses property morning cats returned owners fed wife vanished townspeople explore abandoned house discovered skeletons picked clean local reviewing evidence stories townspeople decide pass law killing cats background outlined plot friend wrote cats june months completing previous tale terrible old man conceived author early period influenced writing anglo irish writer lord attempted mimic style literary aspects vengeance motif tone influence evident surface text similar ones portrayed cats appear earlier tale idle days character shares semi mythical founder ancient city memphis egypt ancient cats crime kill export prior cats penned tales style lord including white ship street doom came terrible old man tree tale considered scholar best significant cats published literary journal november later appeared february privately reprinted copy run december reception legacy cats personal favorite ardent cat lover number contemporary critics consider story best tales critics noted story famous tales fits weird fantasy style literary critic comments cats resembles mood execution obvious parallels story refers prose restrained notes unlike preferred dogs unlikely written enthusiastic tribute scholar claiming tale owes fantasies character son witnesses cats antagonists cottage later appear gods short story written august published november adult apprentice travels seek tale eponymous deities mentions law killing cats connection appears priest long written published protagonist visits city years events cats town heavily populated carter later able summon cats aid cats scholar calls original way work rats walls later tales cats attraction horror unlike human protagonists pursuing horror point horrible text cats like works fallen public domain accessed compilations author work internet
The Cats of Ulthar