Cotswald the Cat

Across the Channel andHome Againwith Cotswald the Cat

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The sound of sputteringMerlin Aircraftengines rang in the fuzz-covered ears of Cotswald B. Chevre, the local barn cat. He, as his name suggests, lives in a barn about ahalf kilometer (about a half-mile) away, and everyday for thelast six months Cotswald had spent all of his spare time around the airbase, operated by some people called “The Brits.” He hadalways enjoyed watching the people come and go, but now itseemed they were leaving for good.The Brits’ hangars and were boarded up, all of their planes weresitting there at the end of the runway, engines roaring, but notgoing anyplace. Cotswald sniffled at the dust being kicked up by the planes engines, he had perched himself just a little behind the fence that separated the farm and the Brits’ airbase, butwithout going behind a shrub or up a tree to hide he couldn’tavoid the dusty onslaught. Men shouted and said something hecould quite understand, like “we must go now, the “Ger-muns” arecoming. He had hear a lot about these “Ger-muns” the people ofhis village, Cote’ de Chevre’, seemed extremely worried and jittery, he had heard a radio broadcast when he was down by theCafe that said something about “Nat-zees” coming, everyone gotvery nervous as soon as they heard that word too.And ever since he first heard talk of these Nat-zees it lookedlike the Brits were getting ready to leave and by the looks of things today, he figured the Brits were finally going.

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‘Bomb’ Voyage

After seeing a few men point to the sky nervously and thenscatter in confusion, he heard a loud whistle, then someonescreamed at the top of their lungs, “here they come!!!!” He rearedback in fear and amazement as some twin engined planes diveddown low and opened two big doors on their bottom side, thensuddenly without warning half of the Brits’ beautiful airbaseexploded with a thunderous roar. He was used to loud noises but this was too much, he ran back towards home.His home was a warm and comfortable place, insulated by haywhich kept it just warm enough in winter, and when youopened the loft’s shutters and a breeze brew through, coolenough in summer. Apparently, his parents, and siblings, hadheard some of the noises , because they were huddled together,cowering in absolute terror. Cotswald was nervous but not terrified, he had never seen this before but he had witnessed acouple of other explosions at the base. Once a fuel truck hadbeen parked at the end of the runway and a plane that seemedout of control whacked right into it, another time, a plane cameback already on fire and the pilot got away just in time to see itexplode.But these explosions were different, they were very frequentand very loud. When they went off a hot wind coursed through the old barn, and the whole place shook. It was just then that thefarmer and his three children ran into the barn an began to

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