The kittycat city

YVONNE GILLISSEN

For Gerda

Xpath Design multimedia productions￼Afbeelding

Copyright

All characters and events in this story are fictional.

Any resemblance to actual persons is purely coincidental.

© 2022 Yvonne Gillissen/Xpath Design multimedia productions

Amsterdam

Translation: Lizzie Kean

Publisher: Xpath Design multimedia productions

Cover: Niek van Wijngaarden

Layout: Xpath Design - www.xpathdesign.nl

Yvonne Gillissen - www.yvonnegillissen.nl

ISBN: 9789493016293

Nur: 283

No part of this publication may be reproduced and or distributed by any means, including printing, photocopying, recording, electronically or any other way whatsoever, without the prior written permission of the publisher. www.xpathdesign.nl

THE MARCH OF THE CATS (ebook part 1, ISBN:9789493016262)

Amsterdam's headstrong cats are discontented and cross. They're not being treated well enough, at least they don't think so. During a meeting, they decide to leave the inhabitants of the capital city and go off into the wide world. In just one night, they form a procession and disappear quietly to look for adventure at the North Pole. In the meantime, the people and children are left behind, sad and desolate.

THE CATS HAVE A PLAN (ebook part 2, ISBN:9789493016279)

Those cheeky Amsterdam cats are back. After years of peace and quiet, they've had enough. A few of the more enterprising animals decide to take matters into their own paws and forge a fantastic plan. It will take courage, and also a lot of money. But how do they get that?

THE KITTYCAT CITY (ebook part 3, ISBN:9789493016293)

Belle is imprisoned at the police station and Amsterdam is angry! The headstrong and cheeky cats have to show that they actually deserve to live in the capital city, otherwise they are to be banished. The animals themselves have their own ideas on the subject and want to get Belle out of prison. But will they manage?

Other translated work by this author:

NOW WOULD YOU BELIEVE THIS..?..?! (ebook ISBN: 9789493016101)

Is a story about the secret of love. Zaven and his girlfriend Camilla like playing outside in the snow together. They want to make snowmen. But then something strange happens….For children (7+) and grownups who want to know more about that.
Also available as an audiobook: ISBN: 9789493016088

THE KITTYCAT CITY

The residents of Amsterdam can't stop talking about it. In the street, at the markets, in trams and buses, at the office and in the pub, everyone's talking about it. The anger is great but the astonishment is even greater. People are puzzled. They simply can't understand how such a thing could happen. Men and women who work for newspapers and television are having lots of meetings about it. At universities, the best brains are thinking long and hard about it. Even clever thieves and criminals are scratching their heads and are deeply impressed. Nobody can believe that a bunch of cats could have been so incredibly bold.

They're short-staffed at the police station. New police officers have arrived and have to be briefed before they can get to work. They're all sitting in a circle in a big, grey room, listening attentively.

"We'll explain it all very clearly," the police chief begins. "We'll list everything we know and when we have a good overview, we can look at ways of solving this problem. Okay?"

Everybody nods.

"Well, most of the residents of our beautiful capital city are particularly fond of their cats. But as everyone of course knows, the tomcats and pussycats of the Amsterdam cat community are a difficult lot. They're impudent and self-willed and quite demanding. That's a well-known fact. They may look like lovely, fluffy, sweet, brilliant, blindingly beautiful, cute pets but... they're not... they're just not. Not at all. I had one myself once," the police chief falters, fiddling nervously with his big moustache.

There's a silence. He swallows and tries to continue talking but doesn't really manage. It seems as though he suddenly doesn't know how to act.

"I had a cat," he says, with a lump in his throat. He stammers and is having difficulty finding the words. The new officers wait, not daring to move. "I had one once. I thought it was wonderful, I was crazy about that animal! I loved it so much...," he says shakily. He holds tightly to his chair. And then he bursts into tears.

Everyone is as quiet as a mouse. Nobody knows what to say.

"... I loved it so much...," the police chief says, trying to pull himself together, "...but one day the creature just disappeared... gone... not a trace... flew the coop... vanished into thin air!" All of a sudden, he pounds on a desk with both fists. One of the new officers gets such a fright, he falls off his chair. Dazed, he stands up and rubs his backside. Then he sits down again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," the police chief hastens to explain, "I got a bit carried away. But this case really affects me! I'm so terribly disappointed at what those cats have gone and done. Can you all understand that?"

All the officers nod.

"I understand you completely," says a woman with a blonde ponytail. "I love cats too and I'm absolutely dumbfounded. I would really like to help solve this. What exactly do we already know about the case?"

"Well naturally, everyone knows that a number of cats robbed the bank on Frederik Square. They went about it particularly cleverly but luckily, we're just a bit smarter. We were able to catch one of the perpetrators and detain them here at the police station."

"Which cat is it?" ask two young officers at the same time.

"Her name is Belle. She's beautiful, really she is. When you see her, you can't for a minute believe that such a cute, sweet little pussycat is capable of something like this."

"So how do you know she did it, then?" asks the officer with the blonde ponytail. "Has she confessed to it?"