My Father, The Cat

by Henry Slesar

Henry Slesar, as we have said before, is a young advertising executive who has rapidly become one of the better known writers in the field. Here is an off-trail story that is guaranteed to make some of you take a very searching second look at some of the young men you know. "He wondered if I'd told her everything, and, faltering, I had to admit that I hadn't. She was wonderful—but human."

Genres: Short Stories, Fantasy, Fiction

11 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_S...

alternate names:
- Clyde Mitchell
- O.H. Leslie
- Ivar Jorgensen
- E.K. Jarvis
- Lawrence Chandler
- Sley Harson
- Gerald Vance
- Jeff Heller
- Eli Jerome

Reviews

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 3 out of 5]

I noticed this title on Henry Slesar's author page at Project Gutenberg a little bit ago and decided I had to read it right away. But I found it to be not as 'off-trail' as the editors of Fantastic Universe (December 1957) claimed it to be. Yes, it has off-trail possibilities, and I think Slesar could have delved deeper into them, could have made this a longer, more complex tale; but perhaps he had only a certain amount of space to fill, who knows. Anyway....

Etienne's mother was a lovely, delicate woman from the coast of Brittany, who was miserable sleeping on less than three mattresses, and who, it is said, was once injured by a falling leaf in her garden.

Shortly after her protective father dies, a cat strays into the estate. Dauphin was an unusually large Angora, and his ability to speak in cultured French, English, and Italian was sufficient to cause my mother to adopt him as a household pet. It did not take long for her to realize that Dauphin deserved a higher status, and he became her friend, protector, and confidante.

She is convinced he was an enchanted prince, and Dauphin allows her to believe this. They are married and have a son, our narrator Etienne. When Mom dies four years later, Dauphin and his loyal servants raise the boy and he is eventually sent off to America to attend university, with strict orders never to mention his father to anyone. Well, yeah. Who would understand, right?

But what happens when Etienne falls in love? How to explain to your dearest sweetheart, the girl you plan to marry, that your father is a cat? What else can you do except take her to the family home and plan on introducing them? What could go wrong? Well, for one thing, Dauphin does not think it will be a good idea. So now what? Does father know best?

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young Etienne has met a lovely young woman in college. They're engaged and now he's bringing her home. He hasn't quite told her the truth about his family, but he wants to now. His father, the cat, disagrees.

This is a lovely and ultimately sad short-short tale about magic and family secrets.

[Royce Ratterman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for personal pleasure and historical research. This work was of immense interest and a nice window into the literary past. I found this book's contents helpful and inspiring - number rating relates to the book's contribution to my needs.
Overall, this work is also a good resource for the fantasy/science fiction researcher and enthusiast.

[Ralph McEwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first person male narrative is gently read by a female so well that this incongruity is not an issue. The story is wonderful and picturesque.
I listen to this short story while walking to and from work.

[Isis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a short story, which I got from the library's downloadables. Cute, sweet, well-written, and a bit sad.

[Akrabar · Rating 5 out of 5]

a beautiful touching story

https://ia800509.us.archive.org/24/it...

[J.l. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky. I love this story.

[Elizabeth Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just in case you thought Furries were a modern invention

[Veronika · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated it… probably one of the worst short stories I ever read

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird, fantasy, short story, by a master.

[Forked Radish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purrfect for all the Darwinists who believe in the religious idiocy of speciation via evolution which would mean that all “species” are the same “species” and capable of interbreeding! 😹

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, it makes me feel warm and sad, the good kind of sad. I would say it's about real paternal love and how sometimes we have to sacrifice things for the people we love, not losing who we are but adjusting, specially for our kids.
And yes, we all know cats don't talk you don't need to keep writting it in reviews and disliking the book because of it.

[Yzobelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly found the story very odd! I do like cats but this one is over the top!

A human lady who married a cat, who is so refined and a connoisseur, and the marriage bore fruit to a man. Now this man marries a lady and is now in a dilemma of how he will introduce his father who happens to be a cat.

A very short story that I read in one sitting and ended up so perplexed as to how to react to it. So, I am giving it 2 (actually 1.5) stars since honestly up to now, I am still confused and quite dumbfounded.

[Pamela K. Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story for the ages

This story has long been a favorite of mine, I first read it in an anthology published in the Sixties. The lyrical prose and imagery captured my imagination. Already a science fiction fan since age seven, and a cat lover as well, it
lead to a lifelong love of fantasy. Especially fantasy featuring cats. But nothing has surpassed Slesar's depiction of Dauphin. I wish he'd been my father.😺

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute and simple, but I enjoyed it.

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

a beautiful little story to be read in the warm sun.

[Ema · Rating 3 out of 5]

too short.

[Deborah Orr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story and quick read.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizarre little story with a great deal to think about, should you be put in this position. A bit heartbreaking.