What Cats Dream

Shandana - you`re right and most of them have actually been watered down from the original gruesome versions. However the vocabulary and the concepts in your verse is a lot more sophisticated than the average nursery rhyme, and I think would be appreciated by adults reading the rhyme as well as the kids they`re reading them to. Maybe you could develop something along the lines of ``maus``, the classic comic for adults?

This sounds like a story of pretty active, devious, and chalak cat. I think it will be real nice to have art work depicting different moods of Mr./Ms. Duffy-u-Din-Bangash & and Mr./Ms. Bhooki Aloo. This reminds me of Sabrina`s cat - Salem(I guess was his name) and also ``The truth about cats and dogs`` movie. I am sorry I have never liked cats, but still like the name, ``Mano Billi.`` It has certain sweetness to it.

What Cats Dream

billi ko khwaab maiN nazar aatay hain chheechRRay
Hai zun-mureed voh--jisay bhaatay haiN heejRRay.

The names are hilarious. Now if you had been Madonna, people would have been going helter-skelter to acquire your work, even if it discussed freudian theories. But unfortunately, you`re not. But who knows, you might be able to develop a niche for this kind of work. Best of luck.

Cheers.

anny etc,

tried the book group.

bina,

this is meant for anyone who responds to rhyme. i know my 15 month old does. the old standards like jack and jill, itsy bitsy spider, its raining its pouring the old man is snoring. when you read nursery rhymes aloud you realize most of them really have very little to do with babies apart from the fact that they rhyme; actually, some of them are quite disturbing.

What age group is this meant for? The humor in this poem is probably best suited for teens I think? Who might not necessarily appreciate an illustrated series (too babyish unless it had really macabre cartoons - ask Shahid!). One thing I know about children`s publishing - they are very picky about their target markets and if something is to be published it must be clear what audience it`s aimed at.

Now I`ve got McCavity (sp?) the Mystery Cat playing in my head!!!!

..Book Group used to publish local authors, pretty illustrations and all, for the kids ... that might be a good place?

shandana,
the book group has brilliant books for children, in urdu...theyre doing a great job of bringing urdu story books to bachooz, something that was very rare a few years ago... these books are screamingly bright, funny and informative.. and very reasonably priced also... aamlate (omlette), naani, khatarnaak chipkali, mera sheher and mota haathi are some titles from the top of my head, all localized and so much fun to read.. i buy some whenever i can for nieces and newphews, most of whom are encouraged by school and parents to read only english story books, lady birds, etc etc.. i feel these books will help the coming children (how funny that sounds) take more interest in urdu fiction, literature, than we do or can

a friend who does illustrations for childrens books professionally might illustrate aloo and family for free or a nominal fee, if she can be enticed...maybe publishers will be more receptive to the complete `product`?... ill be in touch

Yaar Godot,

Don`t be a munh-basoora please. Let`s keep your personal tiffs out of tihs.

This was a cutoo si poem, that even a jaahil non-front-pager like me liked and appreciated. Shandana if you write more of these please keep posting. I have a few friends who`d love reading and/or listening to this .

rabia,

many many writers have composed poems about their cats. cats tend to make more interesting poetic subjects than most animals. character. duffy and aloo play out this food fight every day in my house.

thank you all for your comments.

Reminds me of the `Saanja Maanja` stories.

twin kittens, but Maanja was grey and Saanja was brown.

Or was it the other way round?

(Damn, this cat poetry thing is contagious)

And Yaeh, there was a third kitten also. It was even smaller. Zulfi was tha name and he was Snow white.

They all used to live in Karachi. (Block-N, North Nazimabad)

:)

Thankyou for taking me back to my childhood.

Regards,

SoulKeeper

Charming! I think it`s a great idea to write within the local idiom so that the kids can identify with it better. Duffy-ud-din is priceless! Maybe we should get some writers together and come up with an anthology.

Yes it does remind you of T S Eliot`s Old Possum`s Book of Practical Cats . . . http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/258.html

ironic that it`s so t.s. eliotish, then. Or is that what you were aiming for - a pakistanised eliot kitty poem?

Very cute...wish I was a kid again...fact that I`m not didn`t stop me from enjoying the piece, though. :-)

How about a resident chowkie artist to illustrate? Anyone?

Beauuuuuutiful names!!! Duffy-ud-din! Love it!

You should go ahead with it. Find someone to do the illustrations and then take it to a publishing house. It may be putting the cart before the horse, but considering the way things are done in Pakistan, it`s a worth it step.