At long last the brig CatAvenger arrived at South Africa to see Ginger and cats. Timpodge helped unload the presents for all the cats.


After delivering presents up and down the coast of Africa the ship set off to Australia. We finally docked at Sydney and made are way overland to deliver presents to Misha fur crew, there we also caught up with Tiny Tasha herself (we had previously seen Baby Tasha and the cats in Canada). We also found Snail. After delivering gifts down under, Topcat checked the ships manifest, "I can see that Rudolph will be no help whatsoever this voyage. We will have do this ourselves." He said looking at the snorring reindeer. So the valiant cats plotted a new course on their quest to deliver gifts around the world. The ship sailed north to Great Britain once more to see Mazzi and Offy's meowlings. We also finally got the correct country for Fluffy, Scotland and also gave a secret present to the Loch Ness monster. The CatAvenger set off to return to the USA. We delivered gifts to to Ms Kitty and her kitties and doggy too. From there we saw Princess Kitty and Momcat/CharliTuna. "Where do we go now Topcat ? "Said Spooky. "This shipping manifest is in some elf language and harder to translate than Shel's handwriting but I believe we need to cross the Pacific once more to see the Siamese cats in Thailand, the Singapuras of Singapore need need gifts too. So the good ship CatAvenger started back across the ocean. The sea was rough,the brigantine had weathered far worst storms but the barge it was pulling was in in trouble it had sprung a leak and was sinking fast...

Bad news, nothing but bad news! Topcat had lost the Presidential election and had conceded to India, the Bush cat.The gift barge had been lost, do to faulty elf workmanship and Spooky had been clawed in the face by these same elves.

" You should have let me eat some of those little suckers. They at least would have made a good snack." Panther said in disgust to Captain Topcat.

"Looks like the fish will have a good Christmas." Said Spooky; "but what about all the poor Asian cats?"

"Never fear," spoke the brave captain."We are near Gorgon Island we can just fill the ship with the treasure there, and deliver that for holiday gifts." So the good ship CatAvenger sailed to the island. When we got there though we found a problem. The Gorgon hair-snakes/sea serpents had surrounded the isle.

"I have a plan" said Spooky. "We can sail in, the three of us Topcat, Panther and my self, in the pinnace. While we engage the brutes the CatAvenger can sail around to the back and fill the holds with treasure. Panther was not so sure of the plan but Spooky insisted she had a secret weapon that could deal with the serpents. Chief engineer Spott was put in command of the CatAvenger we quickly sailed to the back of the isle. We were met by are old friend Cerebus, the three headed dog

"Thank goodness you have come, those sea serprnts have been trying to come ashore fortunately the really big ones can't squeeze through the entrance. I am exausted from fighting them."

Around the island Topcat, Spooky and Panther were preparing to face the serpents. Spooky got out her secret weapon. "This was given to me by my cat friend Bazooka." It was, of course, a bazooka. This one was made to fire golfballs. One of the few things able to stop this type of sea sea serpent. Spooky blasted away at the serpents driving them off. At the back of the isle the crew and I loaded all the treasure into the ship. Since there was no longer any treasure to guard Cerebus came aboard with us.

We sailed off in the heavily laden ship. We had not sailed to far though before we were confronted by ten of the biggest smartest sea serpents. They had not been fooled by Spooky's ruse and were after us. There we were in an unwieldly ship helpless against the serpents.


Suddenly there was a huge head which surfaced and gobbled up all the serpents. It was Nessie, the Loch ness Monster, "thanks for the snack she called," and swam off.

We rendevoused with the pinnace and told of our adventures. "It's too bad you did not get the chance to even thank Nessie." Topcat said.

A little voice called out form the ocean. " How about thanking me; I am the one who sent her to help!" It was the sardine once again.

"I hate to be beholden to a fish once again!" Topcat muttered in disgust." Thanks little one thats two we owe you now!"

The ship sailed on to the far east delivering gifts to the Siamese cats in Thailand and to the Singaporas. I received an email on my crystal ball gift were needed for more folks. We sailed onward.

Topcat determined that more speed was needed so he fired up the coal burning engines engineer Spott had installed . The ship quickly lightened of its treasure trove made good time.

Onward we went quickly running out of the treasure Topcat was delivering for gifts. As luck would have it we ran out of treasure just as we finished delivering gifts to the folks on our list. Hurrah and Happy Hanukkah, we celebrated by drinking a fresh batch of catnip rum punch (none for Rudolf only black coffee.)

"There is only one problem," observed Topcat," we did not get a present for you Shel."

"Oh well I have the greatest cats in the world, what more do I need?"

Later Spooky declared that something was still not right even those who had not signed our guest book deserved gifts.

Panther pulled out a lump of coal saying "I have something for them."

"Be nice Panther !" Topcat ordered.

"You don't understand, what is a lump of coal but a diamond waiting to happen? Or to put it another way a diamond is just a lump of coal under pressure!" With that Panther squeezed the diamond with all the strength in her great paw. There appeared a perfectly formed pink diamond. The crew looked on in hushed awe Panther using her great strength had solved our problem we had plenty of coal!



It was hard for I, Shel to stifle a grin even Panther with all her power could not crush a lump of coal into a diamond. She could create that illusion however using the knowledge she had learned in the book of magic tricks I had secretly given her for Christmas. It seems She had found a cask of diamonds which had fallen in coal bin as we had hastely loaded the ship on Gorgon Island.

Using the "catmade diamonds" as gift the ship resumed diliveries. taht CatAvenger sailed sout to Argentinia with a diamond for for Babu.

On we sailed maybe even to your house... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!

Kwanzaa is a vry special day for black cats like Spooky she made sure Panther had a very rare black diamond for her friend, a black cat named Snowball, (too much Simpsons I guess.) This was actually a shameless bribe as we desperately wnat him as a crew member, We may even resort to shanghaing him !

Happy New year So in the week following the CatAvenger sailed giving out diamonds.Engineer Spott made sure we we sailed back to Gorgon Island to se a special suprise he had prepared there.

On new years eve we all waited ... 4...3...2...1...BANG!!!!!!!!!! The whole Island blew up taking with it many silly sea serpents which had crawled ashore, ( good ridance.) Engineer Spott had created more space for treasure to be carried by clearing out old explosives from the ships powder magazine! Afterwords we returned to deliver a freshly sober Rudolf to Santas house, ( Topcat of course did not snitch on him and tell Santa what a drunken as ... er ... reindeer he he had been. "Oh Ho Ho thank you for all your help. I could not have done it with out you. How about I give you the title of Santa Claws and make you my permennant helper?" Said the fat dude Santa.

"Yeah well thanks but no thanks Nick I gotta respect its not an easy gig you do, I myself find it more fun to take than give besides which I don't want to keep owing favors to a certain little fish! "Oh well is there anything I can do for you or your crew?" The white bearded one said.

"Yeah," said Spooky sharpening her claws on a whetstone,there is a certain elf I would sure like to see!

Click the ship to go back to the start page:

This story dates to when Spooky was still with us in the mortal world.