Browse:Smothered to Death (Volume 1, entries 306)
Smothered to Death
Volume 1, entries 306. Source context: SPIRITS → BLACK CAT BONE. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 306
I heard of a man telling another man that, "If you can get me a black cat - he must not have a white spot on him - and get him alive and bring him to me, I will get a certain bone out of that cat that will enable you to do anything you wish to do." So the man said, "Well, how will I manage to get the cat?" "When you are walking at night" - you walk in a certain direction - "when you meet this cat you won't see anything but its eyes. But when you see his eyes, open your eyes and stare into his eyes, and don't blink until you have caught hold of him. He will not move as long as you do not bat your eyes." When the man went out he met the eyes that the man told him he would meet. When he met them he did accordingly the way he was instructed. When he gazed into the eyes of this black cat he crept stealthily up to him without batting his eyes and grab him around the neck. Then he had him. He went on to the man with him which is supposed to be a cunjure. He took him to him. The man took him and wrapped him up carefully, smothering him to death with- out hitting him a lick. Then he was placed into a box and let remain there until his flesh rotted away. Then this man, which was the cunjure, was able to get all of the skelton of this cat without any strength being taken out by heat or by suffering - he was only smothered to death. It is said that a cat, especially a black cat, has nine lives. And it is stealthy. And in order to concentrate all of these qualities, that is why he was not hit, he was not cut. No violence was done to his body. He was only caught back of his neck, wrapped up carefully and smothered to death, so that all of his qualities were left in and went to the bones when the flesh decomposed. Then the man, it was said, got the bone that he wanted right between the two front shoulders and right down where the ribs of the cat joined from the back of his neck down his vertebrae. Those are the places that they say the vital bone are gotten that will enable you to keep with you to do anything you wish. Take this bone and wish whatever you want to and it will come to you.