His Majesty King Thomas

There lived a man in a quiet village in the south of England. He served as a church caretaker and lived with his wife near the church in a very cozy house with a fireplace.

They had a cat—black as coal, with only a white spot on its chest. The cat's name was Thomas.

One winter evening, the church caretaker was unusually late returning home. His wife sat by the fireplace knitting, while old Tom warmed himself by the fire. She had boiled the tea long ago, and the teapot had already cooled, but her husband still hadn't returned.

Finally, he burst into the house, completely out of breath, and shouted:

"Who is Tom Tildrum?"

He was so agitated that his wife asked:

"What happened?"

"You won't believe the strange thing that just happened to me!" said the husband.

"Well, sit down and tell me!"

And they sat by the fire, with old Tom between them, and the husband began:

"Today, I was fixing the fence, the one closer to the woods, you know. I was almost done when suddenly I heard a loud 'meow!'"

"Meow!" said Thomas.

"Exactly, just like that," nodded the husband. "I looked around and saw... Oh no, you won't believe me anyway. Nine black cats, completely black as coal, with a white spot on their chests, just like our Tom, walking solemnly... Can you guess what they were carrying? A small black coffin! Covered in black velvet, with a golden crown on the lid. One cat came up to me and said, 'Meow!'"

"Meow!" said Tom.

"Exactly, just like that," continued the husband. "He looked at me and said, 'Tell Tom Tildrum that old Tim Toldrum has died.'"

"Look at our Tom!" exclaimed the wife.

But before she could finish, their beloved cat Tom jumped up and cried:

"Oh heavens! Old Tim Toldrum has passed, which means I am now the king!"

And without another word, he leaped into the fireplace and disappeared forever...

More fairy tales

• The Black Shirt
• The Rooster and the Fox
• The Magic Ointment
• A Purse of Gold for a Pair of Pants
• Mossy