Just So Stories · Chapter
The Cat That Walked by Himself explained
The chapter tells how the Cat, the wildest of all animals, chooses to remain independent while other wild animals like the Dog, Horse, and Cow become domesticated by the Woman.
What happens
The chapter tells how the Cat, the wildest of all animals, chooses to remain independent while other wild animals like the Dog, Horse, and Cow become domesticated by the Woman. The Cat makes a bargain with the Woman to gain entry to the Cave, fire, and milk only if she praises him, and eventually wins her praise by playing with the Baby.
Themes in this chapter
Domestication and Civilization
The chapter explores how wild animals become tame through the Woman's magic and bargains, contrasting the Cat's refusal to fully submit.
Cunning and Resourcefulness
The Cat uses cleverness and patience to achieve his desires, making a bargain and waiting for the right moment to win the Woman's praise.
Communication and Misunderstanding
The Cat's independent nature and the Woman's bargains highlight the nuances of communication and the misunderstandings between wild and tame.
Characters to notice
- The Cat
The wildest animal who walks by himself and negotiates a bargain with the Woman to enter the Cave.
- The Dog
The first wild animal to become tame, becoming the First Friend and servant to the Man and Woman.
- Daddy
The Man who lives in the Cave with the Woman and hunts with the Dog and Horse.
- Mummy
The Woman who makes the First Singing Magic, domesticates the animals, and makes a bargain with the Cat.
- The Baby
The newborn child of the Man and Woman, whose fondness for soft and ticklish things allows the Cat to win praise.
- Wild Horse
A wild animal that becomes tame and helps the Man in hunting.
Key passages
“I will be kind to the Baby while I am in the Cave, as long as he does not pull my tail too hard, for always and always and always. But still I am the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.”
The Cat promises to be gentle with the Baby unless his tail is pulled too hard, but he insists on his independence and freedom to roam anywhere.
This captures the Cat's conditional loyalty and his core identity as a solitary wanderer.
“She made the First Singing Magic in the world.”
The Woman created the first magical song, which attracted the wild animals to the Cave.
This marks the beginning of domestication through the Woman's magical influence.
“I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.”
The Cat declares his self-reliance and indifference to any particular location.
This recurring phrase defines the Cat's character and his refusal to be tamed like the other animals.