Every day Christine’s walk to school takes her past a talking alley cat. And every day the cat’s insights invariably give her something to ponder.

One day her teacher asks the eight-year-old why she is always late for school. Frightened, she reveals the secret of the talking cat. Her punishment: she must write two hundred times, “There are no talking cats, and from now on I will arrive at school on time.” But the cat is real, no matter how many lines Christine writes. And she might just as well leave out the “no”—the headmaster won’t even notice, says the clever cat.

That’s what the cat always says—that life is all about being clever. And always looking out for yourself, first and foremost! But Christine isn’t so sure, and she is a little scared of the cat, too. There must be more to life than self-interest, surely? The cat is spiteful and pitiless. And that’s what Christine doesn’t want to be.

An illustrated modern fable, The Cat is a unique book for both children and adults to enjoy.