The Three Lives of Thomasina

Who is the most

self-reliant animal

made since the world began?

Who can be the most

defiant animal

known to the world of man?

born with emerald eyes

so cold, so warm, so wise

within her kingdom lies

the world's arena

do we need to ask

more than that?

you must know now

it's a cat

but a very important cat

at that

who's called...

Thomasina!

Thomasina

what are you thinking now?

Thomasina

what makes you so highbrow?

for I do think it very odd

if you are an Egyptian God

that the wee, little mouse

runs in and out his house

each time you blink or nod

Thomasina

though you may love to roam

Thomasina

don't go too far from home

there are beasties

in the garden

who would never accept

your pardon

if you left

the jungle yard in

which we play

Thomasina

don't ever run away

Thomasina

come along with me now

Thomasina

though you've seen a

little bird leave the bough

Thomasina

even if it's

a lark or dove, you

let them all

fly away above you

but I guess I'll always

love you

anyhow

Thomasina

come along with me now

Thomasina

I love you anyhow

Thomasi...

Yes, I am Thomasina.

This story's all about me.

I'm a self-made cat,

And here's the house

I live in

With the Macdhui family,

Whom I'd adopted

when they first came here.

They started off

by calling me Thomas,

But when they, well,

got to know me better,

They changed that

to Thomasina.

Humans are funny that way.

That the Macdhuis

are a happy family

Is entirely due to me.

I made them

what they are today...

Although I had to be

murdered first.

Here's the scene

of the crime -

Inveranoch, in Scotland,

In 1912.

And this is Mr. Andrew Macdhui.

From a cat's point of view,

even before my murder,

He was a most difficult man,

Believe me.

His wife had died sometime

before he came here,

So there was just himself

And Mrs. Mackenzie,

his housekeeper,

And Mary, his daughter.

I'd moved in on them a few days

after they'd arrived,

And on the whole,

I got on with them very well,

Though mostly

because of Mary Macdhui.

She appreciated

my rather special qualities

From the start.

Thomasina, there you are.

Of course I had

this sort of thing

To put up with every day -

Fussed over,

treated like a doll,

Being dressed up...

And over a fur coat, too!

Everything that happened

to me from here on

Was due, in a way,

To a blind man and his dog.

Here they are now -

Tammas and Bruce.

Good morning,

Tammas.

Good morning, Mary.

Say good morning to Tammas

and Bruce, Thomasina.

Good morning, Thomasina.

She's not in a very

talkative mood today.

I have the same trouble

with Bruce here.

He can be very reserved

at times.

Isn't that right, laddie?

But what would we do

without them, you and me?

Where are you going?

Oh, just to get some tobacco

for my pipe.

Mind how you go, Tammas.

Och, Bruce is my eyes,

lassie.

Come on, say goodbye

to Thomasina.

Be good now, Mary.

Thomasina, it's rude

not to answer

When you're spoken to.

Aah!

Hello, Geordie.

Oh, what have you

got there?

I found him

down by the loch.

I think his leg's broken.

He can't hop or swim

or anything.

Oh, he looks fair sick.

Doesn't he, Thomasina?

Ah! Don't touch.

Why don't you go and

ask my daddy to cure him?

Och, I don't know.

Do you think he would?

My daddy

can cure anything -

Dogs and cows and cats

and lions and pigs and...

Aye, but frogs?

And frogs.

Everything.

You take him in, then.

Och, I'm not allowed

in the surgery.

You go, Geordie.

Well, if you say so.

I'm only saying I'm here against my

better judgment, minister, that's all.

You'll be glad

you listened to me, Dobbie.

Mr. Macdhui's a clever man.

Maybe so, but up till now,

I've never found much wrong

with dosing Jock here

With Watsons

patent powders.

Ah, you must move

with the times, man.

Macdhui's

a man of science.

Aye. I Haven't heard tell

much good of that.

Ha! Book learnin'.

Up at Kinkairale's farm,

they're grateful enough to him.

Two hundred sheep cured

of the foot rot

And not one lost.

Aye, you're a good persuader,

Mr. Peddie,

But farm beasts

are one thing.

A man's pet is another.

You wait and see.

Och, I'll give him a try.

No one can say

I'm not a fair man,

But it's for him

to convince me.

How old is this dog,

Mrs. Laggan?

Fifteen years and a bit.

I've had him

since he was a puppy,

The year my husband died.

He's been ailing

a wee bit this past year

But not so sick as this.

Well, he's very old.

The kindest thing would be

to have him put to sleep.

Oh, no. You see how bad

he is with the asthma.

The poor dog

can hardly breathe.

He's in pain, Mrs. Laggan.

But you can't put Rabbie

to sleep, Mr. Macdhui,

Or I wouldn't have come.

He's all I have in the world.

Couldn't you give him

a wee bit of medicine

To tide him over

till he's well again?

There is no medicine

that can make him well.

He's very old,

he's in great pain,

And his life is a misery

to him, can't you see?

But I can't lose him.

What would I do without him?

Poor Rabbie.

Be fair now. It's yourself

you're pitying, not the dog.

Oh, dear.

I don't know what to do.

I've told you what I think

is for the best.

Now I've told you

it's up to you

To make up your mind.

Very well.

I suppose

if he is suffering...

You'll be gentle with him?

He won't feel a thing.

He'll just go to sleep.

Willie?

Fifteen years.

Poor Rabbie.

Poor Rabbie.

You're doing the right thing.

It's for his sake.

Oh, no,

there'll be no charge.

Just leave him here

with me.

You're leaving Rabbie

to be cured, then, Annie?

Mr. Macdhui says

there's no cure.

He's to be put away.

now, Mrs. Laggan,

that's a shame.

No cure for him?

If it was my dog, I'd want a

second opinion, I'm thinkin'.

I'll go with you, Annie.

Good day to you,

Mr. Macdhui.

Good day, sir.

Good day.

Who's next, please?

Please, sir, Mr. Macdhui?

Uh-oh. Who are you?

Geordie Macnab,

please, sir.

I'm a bit of a friend

of Mary's.

I found him

down by the loch.

He's hurt his leg.

Can you make him better,

please, sir?

No one can cure

a hurt frog, Geordie.

You put him back

where you found him.

But he might die.

Could you not mend

his leg, please, sir?

No, nature's the only doctor

can do that, laddie.

Come on, now.

Come on, off you go.

I'm busy.

You've lost another

customer, Andrew.

Is there really nothing

you can do

About old Mrs. Laggan's dog?

No, not a thing, just put it

out of its misery.

Well, whoever's next,

Will you come in, please?

Oh, it's all right,

Mrs. Campbell.

You go in ahead of me.

I'm in no hurry.

hey, there's Geordie.

What have you been

doing in there?

I took my sick frog

to Mr. Macdhui.

Oh, aye.

What did he say, then?

He wouldn't even

look at him,

And he's going to kill

Mrs. Laggan's Rabbie.

Kill him? Rabbie?

Aye, I heard him say so.

It's just like grandfather

says about him -

He's only good

with farm beasts.

He's not interested

in people's pets.

A frog Will die

if he can't hop or swim.

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