Deal With A Cat

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Fishing tales

Me and my fishing travel partner Vadim spend every vacation in Karelia. We have long chosen a deep forest lake and every year we fish there. It is clear that this closed reservoir does not differ in variety … Pike, perch, roach, that is, perhaps, the whole range. But the pristine nature, the absence of restless, ubiquitous tourists and fishing competitors make our vacation very morally comfortable.

So last summer we went to our usual place. Of course, we couldn't wait to start fishing immediately. However, having curbed the quite natural impatience, they decided, first of all, to settle down. At the very end of the cape, which juts out far into the lake, they pitched a tent, prepared a place for a fire, erected a table, two benches around it, and set up a smokehouse for fish. After that, they brought in firewood and made a fire.

And while the water in the teapot was boiling, they looked at the lake with excitement understandable for every fisherman, wondering what we would catch this time - the record trophy for us was a pike weighing five kilograms, caught by Vadim on a spinning rod three years ago. And the lake beckoned and attracted us … Mirror water surface now and then was agitated by splashes of frolicking fish.

Having hurriedly sipped tea, we pumped up the inflatable boat and, having sailed about fifty meters from the parking lot, settled down against a high wall of reeds. There, with float rods, they caught fry for the circles and scattered them all over the lake. After that, our paths with Vadim, as they say, parted … He began to fish from the shore for a spinning rod, and I started trolling from a boat into a plumb line.

By the end of the day, our catch was not particularly impressive, but we still caught five decent (more than a palm) roach, seven perches and a small pike caught one circle. We were very pleased (after all, the initiative was made!) We cleaned the fish, salted most of it, cooked fish soup from the rest.

After supper, we climbed into the tent and, lying on sleeping bags, enjoyed the sounds of the forest receding to sleep. Somewhere on the other end of the lake a cuckoo was crowing, quite close to us, probably a crow cawed in dismay in fright. Suddenly there was a rumble of a teapot falling from the table …

We jumped out of the tent and in the twilight semi-darkness managed to notice that some small animal threw itself like lightning at the nearest tree. No matter how we peered into the crown, we saw nothing. The night visitor did the housework thoroughly: he raked the ground in the place where we cleaned the fish, turned over the dishes, scattered spoons and mugs, not to mention the teapot lying on its side.

- Who could it be? - Vadim stared inquiringly at me.

I just shrugged … We both knew that there were no animals dangerous to humans in the area. On the contrary, animals and most birds try to stay away from people, instinctively feeling what danger they pose to them. And here…

Without coming to any conclusion, we again climbed into the tent, but barely lay down when a piercing screech was heard literally over our heads. But as soon as we got outside, the screeching immediately stopped. For some time we stood motionless, shivering from the coolness of the night and intensely peering into the circular darkness. But all is in vain. The impenetrable darkness did not allow to see anything …

This screeching, albeit intermittently, followed us almost all night. And as soon as it began to dawn, something thumped on top of the tent, then quickly rolled down and everything, with the same piercing squeal, rushed away.

Vadim quickly looked out the window and, seeing the man running away, exclaimed in surprise:

- It's just a cat! Black and white with yellow markings.

The second night was an exact replica of the first. We spent it awake. A screech followed us. On the third day, they held a "military" advice: what to do?

- Maybe change the parking lot? - Vadim suggested.

I completely rejected this offer. First, I didn't want to leave this place at all. Secondly, where should we go? Therefore, on reflection, he said:

- Let's try to pay off this cat.

- How so?

- We'll leave fish for him every night. And let's see what happens.

In the evening, after we cleaned the fish, I put three small roach to the side of our camp. Lying in the tent, I thought: will our "deal" with the cat work out or not? But neither in the evening nor at night there was no screeching. It was only heard in the early morning. This was repeated for two days.

“We treated the cat to dinner, and he seems to be demanding breakfast too,” I suggested.

- Then a few fish should be kept in the cage, and in the morning they should be given to the extortionist cat, - reasoned Vadim.

No sooner said than done. This measure helped, every day in the morning and in the evening we left the fish in the usual place, and the squeal did not bother us anymore. This went on throughout our vacation.

I must admit that we are so used to the cat that, leaving, we even thought with some regret about how he would be here without us? Especially in winter. After all, the nearest village is fifteen kilometers away. True, this cat was somehow found before our coming! Let's hope he gets along without us.

… However, when we again arrived at the lake this summer, there was no cat. He disappeared. And nobody bothered us anymore. Perhaps mice …