The day after his tenth birthday, Wilfred’s godfather, Jim, came to the house to tell him that his parents had been killed in a car accident.
Wilfred packed a small bag and left with Jim to his garden apartment in the City.
The adjustment was difficult for Wilfred, as he was something of a country bumpkin.
While he knew Jim well, he’d never lived anywhere but in a suburban townhouse where everyone had two automobiles, bicycles, and lawnmowers.
Wilfred was not completely left alone, as he still had his Cairn Terrier, Benny.
Jim agreed to keep Benny if he would behave.
As the weeks passed, Wilfred and Benny adjusted to the busy pace of urban living.
The school was just up the street, and Wilfred was allowed to bring his “service dog” to class. This seemed like a good idea until Wilfred discovered that all his fellow students hated him for it.
He soon became an outcast, and begged Jim to let him study alone at home.
This arrangement was finally approved by the school authorities as long as Wilfred did his homework and passed his exams.
Benny found comfort in being a constant companion to both Wilfred and Jim. He had also discovered that the backyard was populated by scores of feral cats. They tormented him at first, but soon became docile friends.
When Wilfred was introduced to the tribe of felines, he began feeding them. Soon they would gather on the back porch for their regular meals. Some of them were particularly athletic, and would jump high through holes in the fence to get in.
This inspired Wilfred, who was intrigued by books about the Circus.
It was then that he decided on a career as a lion tamer.
Afterall, he reasoned, are not small wild cats just as unruly and dangerous as the big cats of the jungle?
Jim’s garage was filled with junk that could be easily bent into shape as hoops and pedestals.
Creating fire was out of the question, but Wilfred make his props appear to be ignited with flame by using flashing strobes.
Bringing in all the cats to the garage would be a challenge however.
Benny was not a herding animal, but his forceful personality was effective in the art of persuasion.
Slowly, one or two cats would approach the props to play on them and explore their dimensions. Wilfred encouraged them to sit on the thrones and leap high into the air to retrieve treats. The tougher tabbies would even be so bold as to growl and feign fierceness.
Benny sat down and barked his encouragement.
In due time, Wilfred arranged to have a costume made for himself, featuring black leather riding boots and a felt stove pipe hat.
To be continued….