H.P. Lovecraft Sundays #13

With so many readings that I need to do, I only got to read on story from the H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction. Here's my review:

The Cats of Ulthar

4 stars

Image by Jason Thompson

"It is said that in Ulthar, which lies beyond the river Skai, no man may kill a cat; and this I can verily believe as I gaze upon him who sitteth purring before the fire."

In Ulthar, cats have become very sacred. The cat is known for doing strange things and is the bearer of many secrets since it is older than the Sphinx. How did the cat become so sacred in this town?

Well, there once used to live an old couple in Ulthar that killed whichever cat trespassed their property. This couple really enjoyed killing the cats for at night horrible cat cries were heard. The villagers were too scared to confront the couple. They could only make sure to keep their pets safe at home.

Then one day, a traveling caravan appeared. In this caravan was an orphaned boy who's only happiness was his small black cat. The black cat disappears on the third day of the caravan's appearance and the villagers tell the boy about the old couple. The boy then sobbed and prayed to the sky about his cat. The villagers were stunned to see that the boy's cries caused strange changes in the clouds.

The caravan decided to leave, but when it did, all the cats in the village disappear. Some of the villagers speculated that the boy took the cats while the rest believed that the old couple got the cats. The villagers didn't decide to investigate until one day the cats mysteriously reappear again and the old couple's cottage remained dark.


Lovecraft with his cat

Though this story was short, it was well written. One can immediately see how much Lovecraft loved cats. I really enjoyed the mystery behind the old couple and the description of the boy who loved his cat. The ending is somewhat shocking. I did not expect the fate that fell on the old couple.

If you would like to read this short story, you can here.