Hobbes

By Rhiannonw

Mon, 24 Jul 2023
  • 1498 reads
16 comments
 

Oranges are orange
and so is marmalade
and sometimes cats have fur that is
a marmaladey shade!

Our cat is orange but
has very smartish stripes
so he’s called Hobbes, like the boy’s tiger-toy
in the popular American comic-strips*.

* Calvin and Hobbes’

[IP: include a colour, and animal and a fruit]

Certificate U
Poem
Colours for Kids
Children's
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by marandina on

Another lovely vignette, Rhiannon. Marmaladey shade, yes. I have two ginger tom cats and adore them. I enjoyed reading about Hobbes and that's a super pic. Paul

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Paul. He is really my son's family's cat, who are still in our annex, but he creeps into us sometimes when they leave the connecting door open, and is making friends more. I was trying to catch a good photo yesterday afternoon, and he kept moving away from a good position, but this one seemed to show him possibly stalking 'tiger-like'! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

He is like Rango, the feral cat I am feeding :0) That is a wonderful photo! I had not heard of those comic strips. I really like the rhyming in your first part, how it ends with "marmaladey shade" is great :0)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

thank you, Di. When I think how I nearly gave up on getting a decent photo. Up to then the best one had been of him hiding under a bush as there were 3 young girls following him around!

I don't personally know the comic strip, but Hobbes I gather is a stuffed tiger to everyone else, but to the little boy Calvin he comes alive and taking part in the philosophical discussion.Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Am glad it is not only me who has trouble photographing cats :0) Feel a cat should not be that hard as they do not run off like deer or fly away like birds and bees etc, or roll into a ball like hedgehogs, but they ARE :0) Anyway, that is a lovely photo!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

!smiley Thanks! Rh

 

Submitted by Turlough on

In Bulgaria, marmalade cats are often called Sharky (Шарки) which means patterns.

We had one with this name but a a result of a terrible incident that I won't describe, he is no longer with us.

Our other marmalade cat is called Boris. He's named after the former Bulgarian football captain and goalkeeper, Borislav Mihaylov, who lives in our town and whose nickname was 'The Cat' during his playing days. He played for Reading for a couple of years in the 1980s (the goalkeeper that is, not our cat).

Every cat tells a story (or poem). I enjoyed this one of yours, though I must admit I had never heard of Hobbes the comic strip character.

Turlough

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

thank you, As you say, pets get named by children or parents for all sorts of reasons and funny memories! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

What beautiful markings he has Rhiannon. I'd heard of Calvin and Hobbes but only vaguely. Have you heard of Orlando the Marmalade Cat? It was a series of stories for children written in the first half of the 20th century and it had/has stunning illustrations. If your son has children, do point him in its direction if he hasn't heard of it.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I'd forgotten about Orlando. I don't think it was one we got into. I must look into it! Thank you. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rhiannon,

this was such a clever little poem dedicated to Hobbes, and perfect for the I P. I love the photo too.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Jenny. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Nolan on

Whenever I hear the word "marmalade" I think of Paddington Brown.

Keep well Rhiannon! & Nolan &

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Yes! I remember my daughter, age about 6 dressing up as Paddington in a school fair, with a 'fisherman's rainhat' I had and a school mack and a little attache-case of her father's with  a jar of marmalde in it I think! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Nolan on

Your little daughter dressing up as Paddington! As a rule don't uise the word but, so Cute! &

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Long, long ago now! But we do have a little 'cute' photo! Rh