Rama the gypsy cat

Home sweet home this weekend, I'm relaxing and reading as the laundry spins. Having done all other domestic duties, I finally finished a cute little book given to me on Christmas. It's about a black cat and his adventures. My son's niece, Courtney Anne, gave it to me. I loved the personal touch, she colored in the illustrations and her creativity added to the story's uniqueness. The story reminds me of our visiting neighborly black cat. I picture Blackie going through similar antics. In the book Rama's owner, a gypsy woman, places a ring on his ear and so begins the adventures. The caravan moves on and Rama is displaced. He goes to the wharf and he has a turf fight with an older nasty cat. He jumps up on a raft and it floats down the river, petrified he hangs on for dear life. Frozen and near dead Rama is rescued by a farmer's son. He is taken indoors and placed in front of the fire place. It's so sad, makes me wonder how Blackie survived outdoors, when it rained this winter. Feeling safe and brave, Rama takes for the outdoors. Foraging for food, curiously he climbs atop floating tree stumps and they let go! Rama finds himself struggling for his life. Finally, he makes it to land and is attracted and adopted by a traveling tinkerman. The traveling tinkerman visits a home, where a little girl holds and begs to keep Rama. The traveler respectfully declines; the tinkerman understands the ear-ring means Rama's a gypsy cat and, like himself, prone to be a wayfarer. No better companion could he ask for in his journey through life. Makes one feel adventurous, now, where is that ear-ring?...From Our Front Porch to yours, Ana & Andy (Thank You Courtney Anne).