Tale 2: The Litten's Servant

(real tale: The Colony of Cats)

"Long, long ago in Alola, during a time Pokemon could speak the words of humans, there lived a community of Littens in a deserted house they had taken possession of not far from a large town." Brock begins. They had everything they could possibly desire, they were well fed and had a roof over their heads, and if by any chance an unlucky Pichu was stupid enough to venture their way, they caught it, not to eat it, but for the pure pleasure of the chase."

Giggles and "aw"s fill he room as the audience pictures one of the black and red cat Pokemon chasing a Pichu. "The elders of the town told visitors how they had heard their parents speak of a time when the whole country was so overrun with Rattatas that there was not so much as a Cornn Berry to be gathered in the fields; and it might be out of gratitude to the cat Pokemon who had rid the country of these plagues that their descendants were allowed to live in peace." Brock explains. "No one knew where they got the money to pay for everything, or who paid for it. But one thing was for sure--they were rich enough to keep a servant; for though they lived very happily together, and did not fight any more than humans would have done, they were not clever enough to do the chores themselves, and preferred to have someone to cook their food. Not only were they very difficult to please about the housework, but most women quickly tired of living alone with only Littens for companions. It was for this reason no servant stayed for long; and it had become a saying in the town, when anyone found themselves reduced to their last penny: 'I will go and live with the Littens,' and so many people actually did just that."

He pauses for a moment before introducing the heroine of his tale. "My story concerns a lady named Lani. She was not happy at home, for her mother, who was a widow, was much fonder of her elder daughter--whose name is not important to us yet--so often the younger one was mistreated, and did not have enough to eat, while the elder one could have everything she desired, and if Lani dared to complain she was beaten. At last the day came when she was at her wit's end and she exclaimed to her mother and sister..."

"As you hate me so much you will be glad to be rid of me, I am going to live with the Littens!" he nearly screams in character as Serena for Lani, to some laughter.

As himself, he continues "With that, Lani ran and never stopped until she reached the door of the Littens' house. She was warmly welcomed, and she immediately set to work preparing dinner, but not without many misgivings as to the tastes of the Littens, and whether or not she would be able to satisfy them. Going about her work, she found herself frequently hindered by a constant succession of Littens who appeared one after another to inspect the new servant; she had one in front of her feet, another perched on the back of her chair while she peeled the vegetables, a third sat on the table beside her, and five or six others prowled about among the pots and pans on the shelves against the wall. The air resounded with their purring, which meant that they were pleased with their new maid, but Lani had not yet learned to understand their language, and often she did not know what they wanted her to do. However, as she was a kind-hearted girl, she set to work to pick up the little ones that tumbled about on the floor, she resolved many a conflict, and eventually befriended the chief Litten, the biggest and wisest of them all."

"Aw"s go up as the crowd pictures the heartwarming scene. "Lani's kindness made a favorable impression on the Littens, and it was even better after a while, when she had had time to grow accustomed to their ways. Never had the house been kept so clean, the meat so well served, nor the sick ones so well cared for." Brock explains. After a time they had a visit from an old Litten, whom they called their father, who lived by himself in a barn at the top of the hill, and came down from time to time to inspect the little colony. He too was smitten with Lani, and asked...

"Are you well served by this two-leg?" he asks in a mimic of Meowth for the Litten.

"Oh, yes, Popoki-dono, we have never had so good a servant!" he replies in a female version of Meowth for the other Littens.

He explains as himself "At each of his visits the answer was always the same; but after a time Popoki, who was very observant, noticed that Lani looked sadder and sadder."

"What is the matter, my child? Has anyone been unkind to you?" he asks as Popoki.

"Oh, no! They are all very good to me; but I long for news from home, and I long to see my mother and my sister." he replies as Lani.

"You may go home, and you will always be welcome here." he assures an imagined person as Popoki. "But first you must be rewarded for all your kindness to my children. Follow me down into the inner cellar, where you have never yet been, for I always keep it locked and carry the key with me."

As himself, Brock narrates "Lani looked around her in astonishment as they went down into the great vaulted cellar underneath the kitchen. Before her stood two big earthenware water jars, one of which contained oil, the other a liquid shining like gold.

"In which of these jars shall I dip you?" he asks as Popoki.

"In the oil jar." he stammers as Lani.

"No, no; you have deserved something better than that." he smiles as Popoki.

He smiles as he continues as himself "Lani swallowed hard, closed her eyes, and took the plunge into the liquid gold. When Lani came out of the jar she shone from head to toe like Ho'oh in all her golden glory. Her long black hair kept its natural color, but her skin had gained a golden sheen."

"Wow"s fill the air as the crowd imagines what Lani may have looked like. "Go home, and see your mother and sisters; but take care if you hear the Combusken to turn towards it; if the Ponyta whinnies, you must look the other way." Brock cautions as Popoki, quieting the whispers.

As himself, he continues "Lani, having gratefully kissed Popoki's head, set off for home; but just as she got near her mother's house a Combusken cried..."

A sound effect of a Combuusken's cry plays for effect. "...and quickly she turned towards it. Brock continues. "A beautiful silver moon appeared on her forehead, crowning her glossy black hair. At the same time a Ponyta whinnied, but Lani took care not to look over the fence into the field where the Ponyta was. Her mother and sister, who were in front of their house, gasped in astonishment when they saw her, and their cries became still louder when Lani, taking her handkerchief from her pocket, took out a handful of gold. For some days the mother and her two daughters lived very happily together, for Lani had given them everything she had brought with her save for golden clothing, for that would not come off, in spite of all the efforts of her sister, who was jealous of her good fortune. The silver moon also could not be removed from her forehead. But all the gold pieces she took from her pockets somehow found their way to her mother and sister."

He smiles. "Did I mention that the elder sister, whose name was Pouli, was jealous?"

In a mimic of Jessie for Pouli. he sneers "I will go now and see what I can get out of the kitties. I would like some of the Litten's gold for myself."

As himself, Brock goes on "The Littens had not yet taken another servant, for they knew they could never get one to replace Lani, whose loss they were still mourning. When they heard that Pouli was her sister, they all ran to meet her. 'She is not the least like her,' the young Littens whispered among themselves. 'It is not what is on the outside, but on the inside that counts.' their parents cautioned."

He sighs--he least favorite part is coming up. "But this was one of the few times you could judge the book by its cover--Pouli was not at all like Lani. Even the oldest of the Littens soon acknowledged that. The very first day she slammed the kitchen door in the faces of the Littens who enjoyed watching Lani at her work, and a young and mischievous Litten who jumped in by the open kitchen window and landed on the table got such a whack with the rolling pin, you could've heard him yowl across the entire Alola region!"

The crowd roars with laughter at this, but Brock isn't done yet. "With every day that passed the household became more and more aware of its misfortune. The work was as badly done as the servant was surly and disagreeable; in the corners of the rooms there were heaps of dust; Spinarak webs hung from the ceilings and in front of the windowpanes; the beds were hardly ever made, and the feather beds, so beloved by the older Littens, had never once been shaken since Lani left the house. When Popoki came, he found the whole colony in an uproar.

"My brother has one paw so badly swollen that it looks as if it were broken." he complains as one of the Littens. "Pouli kicked him."

"My father has an abscess in his back where a wooden chair was flung at him; and my sister's three babies have died of hunger beside their mother, because Pouli forgot them in their basket up in the attic. There is no putting up with the creature – please send her away, Popoki-dono! Lani herself would not be angry with us; she must know very well what her sister is like." he pleads as a female Litten,

"Come here," Brock instructs an imagined person, his "Popoki" voice gaining a note of his "somebody's in trouble" voice.

He interjects as himself "He took her down into the cellar and showed her the same jars he had shown Lani."

"In which of these shall I dip you?" he asks as the angry Popoki.

"In the liquid gold," he scoffs as Pouli.

"You have not deserved it!" he yells as Popoki, making some people jump.

As himself, he describes Pouli's punishment. "Pouli was so startled at Popoki's voice, she fell into the jar of oil, where she was nearly suffocated. When she came to the surface screaming and struggling, the vengeful Litten grabbed her again and rolled her in the ashes on the floor; When she emerged all dirty, blinded, and disgusting to behold, he threw her from the door.

"Begone, and when you meet a Ponyta be careful to turn your head towards it." he grumbles as Popoki.

Laughter goes up at this, but Brock has more pain in store for Pouli. "Stumbling and raging, Pouli set off for home, thinking herself fortunate to find a stick by the wayside with which to support herself. She was within sight of her mother's house when she heard a Ponyta whinny from a nearby field. She turned her head towards it, and at the same time put her hand up to her cheeks, and they inflated like two gray balloons. She ran home to her mother as fast as she could go, yelling with rage and despair; and it took Lani two hours to get rid of the ashes that Popoki had dirtied her with. As for her swollen cheeks, it was impossible to get rid of them; they remained swollen no matter what medicine they tried."

The audience can hardly contain itself laughing at how ridiculous Pouli would look, if she were real. "Their mother was furious. She first beat Lani with the broom, then took her to the well and lowered her into it, leaving her at the bottom crying for help." Brock intones.

Gasps go up at this, but Brock is quick to introduce Lani's rescuer to the tale. "Before all this happened, however, the chief of the island's son--we'll call him Palaina--passed that way, and saw Lani sewing on the lanai. It goes without saying he fell madly in love with her."

"Aw"s fill the air as Brock goes on After coming back a few times, he dared to approach the lanai, and whispered..."

"Lovely maiden, will you be my bride?" he nearly whispers in a mimic of Ash for Prince Palaina.

"I will." he relies as Lani.

As himself, he went on "The next morning, when Prince Palaina arrived to claim his bride, he found her wrapped in a large white veil. The mother hoped to make the king's son marry Pouli in place of her sister, and had done her best to hide Pouli's swollen cheeks under the veil. Prince Palaina was young and a little timid, so he made no objections, and invited Pouli in the carriage beside him. Their way led past the Littens' house, and they were all at the window, for word had gotten out that Prince Palaina was going to marry the most beautiful lady in the world, on whose forehead shone a silver moon, and they knew that this could only be their beloved Lani."

He grins "As the carriage passed in front of the old house, a song burst forth from inside, which went something like this..."

He then sings to no tune in particular Nya, nya, nya!
Milord, look quick behind you!
In the well is fair Lani,
And you've got ugly Pouli!

He interjects as himself "When he heard this the coachman, who understood the Littens' language better than Prince Palaina, stopped the Ponytas and attempted to figure out what the Littens were saying. The song burst forth louder than ever..."

He then sings again Nya, nya, nya!
Milord, look quick behind you!
In the well is fair Lani,
And you've got ugly Pouli!

Some light applause goes up at the song "Prince Palaina threw back the veil, and discovered the puffed-up, swollen face of Pouli, with the massive swollen cheeks! He ordered the Ponytas turned around, and he drove Pouli, quivering with rage, to the old woman who had sought to deceive him. With his hand on the hilt of his sword he demanded Lani in a voice so angry that the mother hurried to the well to draw her prisoner out."

Relieved applause goes up as Brock concludes "Lani's clothing and her silver moon shone so brilliantly that when Prince Palaina led her home to his father the chief, the whole ceremonial house was lit up in millions of sparkling lights. The next day Lani and Prince Palaina were married, and lived happy ever after, but it is said all the Littens, including their chief, Popoki, were at the wedding too."