The Fire Cat

By Esther Averill

Copyright 1960

Revisiting favorite old books from childhood is always fun. Upon opening up The Fire Cat, memories came flooding back of sitting in an armchair next to my mother while she read this books to me over and over again. I clearly remembered the illustrations of Pickles the cat and his escapades. 

When the story opens, Pickles is living in a barrel near an apartment house, bullying all the other neighborhood cats. Mrs. Goodkind lives in the house. She believes that Pickles is not all bad. He just needs a loving home. Unfortunately, Pickles had a hard time adjusting to his easy new life with Mrs. Goodkind and ended up escaping back to his barrel, chasing and teasing all the little cats. One day, he chased a cat up a tree and would not let her down. When a storm blew in, Mrs. Goodkind ended up calling the fire department when she noticed Pickles was stuck. The fireman that climbed the ladder to get to Pickles not only saved his life, but also gave him a new purpose. 

Pickles should not be a house cat – he should be a fire cat! His great big paws are meant for big things.

Pickles rode back to the fire house and began training with the fire fighters. He worked hard day after day, and learned to slide down the pole, ride the fire truck, help with the hose, and even save a little cat that became stuck in a tree. Brave Pickles not only learned the job, but he also learned how to be kind.

 

It turns out that a lack of purpose in life made Pickles into a grumpy bully. He found no satisfaction in being a pet and so, due to boredom, he teased the other cats. Once he found his passion and had a goal, his energy was directed towards fulfilling that goal. 

Everyone – and every cat – needs a purpose in life!