Bassie and Scatt: Fairy Tale of Adventure by Lily Alexandrovsky Synopsis In the times of yore in a faraway southern land there was the city of Leopol hidden within the caves of the Catridge mountain range, ruled by Lionell the huge lion, and inhabited by cats of all sizes: from small species to the largest feline predators. Everyday life in Leopol went on without any changes for many centuries until the tabby cat Meowra and her son Bassie had to run away from the city to save their lives, and Bassie met Scatt the black tomcat domesticated by a family of humans. Bassie and Scatt overhear the story of Cat City told by Scatt’s master Keo to his daughter, and learn that there are no black cats in Leopol because all black kittens born in Leopol are to be brought out to the Sacrificial Stone and left there to die of exposure and hunger. Scatt decides to go to Leopol and avenge all his murdered brothers and sisters-in-colour. Bassie proves more ambitious having learned that lions belong to the felidale the biological family of cats, and not vice versa. He decides to overthrow Leopol government and bring the cat majority to power. When spring comes, the two friends leave Keo’s homestead and wend their way to the Cat City. After the adventurous, thrilling, breakneck odyssey in the grasslands and hills, pursued and chased by jackals, hyenas and other four-legged enemies Bassie and Scatt sneak into Leopol and come close to having their dreams come true. They find mighty allies among large herbivores. The terrible Hornville Battle ends in herbivores’ victory, the tigers and leopards leave Leopol for good, and then the hyenas by means of a treacherous trick make Lionell abdicate. An improvised council intends to elect a new ruling clan. Simmering with mutual hatred the remaining medium-sized felines eventually vote for the clan of cats. Bassie hopes to become the ruler himself, yet at the last moment under the influence of a fleeting mood the throng of cats proclaims his brother Barr the Jester their lord. Imbued with poetry and elements of satirical allegory the story ends happily when Scatt and Bassie return to Keo’s homestead. The Author
