Once upon a time, in a country not so far away lived a wealthy man. He had his own

small kingdom called Drain Corporation that served him well. He had no need of

anything more: he had a gorgeous wife, smart and beautiful children, a modern, kitchy

house with all the things a consumer of our society may dream of. He was the wisest,

the richest and the most handsome man of the country he lived in. But still, he couldn’t

find delight in all these things… Soon he got bored of all he had previously gained in

his life so far, and wanted to get something different that could be in the serve of his

heart’s content. But since he got everything a man would need, he couldn’t satisfy his

desire.

Day after day he became more and more apathetic, melancholic and desperate. He ran his company, loved his wife and raised his children. But he did the same things everyday. And the routine of a perfect life finally turned out to be a burden for him.

Then one day, while he was preparing himself for leaving home for job, the telephone rang. He was just tying his necktie and was in a hurry, so he cursed a lot, but finally picked up the phone.

’John Smith speaks here.’

’Oh, my dear Sir, at last! Finally, I could reach thee. My heart is filled with joy that you answered me in the end…’said an enchantingly deep but in some ways so feminine voice.

Hearing this, Mr Smith concluded that the speaker must be definitely a beggar or at least someone from the press.

’Okay, Mr’ addressed Mr Smith the speaker, but in fact he could not decide precisely whether this person was a man or a woman. ’What do you want? I have no time or money to waste, so please, be straightforward…’

’Oh, my dear Heavens! That’s not it!’shrieked the person on the other end of the line.

Now, Mr Smith seemed to know for sure the speaker’s identity: it was a woman according to this voice, since only a woman could shriek like this.

’I am afraid that thy judgement has totally gone astray. I am not a filthy pauper, nor a man who finds his only delight in knowing others’ dirty little secrets. I am a man of merchandize. A simple and poor merchant, call me as you like it. My only wish is to satisfy my customers’ needs. I only listens to the songs of their hearts that are grieving for joy and deligth. I am thy servant. And I will serve thee well, as my sir may see it if he comes and visits my jewelry – box: my precious little pet shop.’

After this monologue, Mr Smith changed his previous opinion: now he thought that it was a man, who had the most unusual voice he had ever heard. It gave him the shivers. But at the same time, a silent voice from his heart told him he could relay on this person. That maybe this person could solve his problem. But it was so absurd to think about that…

’I think you may called the wrong number. I don’t need a pet. My son has a dog and my daughter has a turtle – and that’s completely enough for my family. So it was nice to talk to you, but if you don’t mind I’m in a hurry so…’he said so, now aloud.

’Sir, but thy have already sent me an order. My humble self only tried to notify thee about the arrival of the pet. Please, come to my shop, and at least visit her.’ Now the mysterious caller’s voice became even more kind and captivating.

’But I… I… I didn’t send an order. It might be a mistake… Maybe it’s just…’ Mr Smith tried to find the words to resist but he had been already lost by this point. And he knew it well. Too well. He foresaw himself as stepping into some filthy shop in a forbidden district of the town. And the caller continued:

’Yes, thy ordered a pet from us. And that precious little animal has arrived. So please come, and visit my humble self. Then, if the pet is not in my sir’s taste, if she lets you down, then it may be still possible to send her back to where she came from. Just please, come… Oh, and I almost forget. My poor and simple name is Count D, though I am not a nobleman anymore. Remember it well.’ Then the Count hung up on him.

So Mr Smith did not waste his time: he immediately headed for the shop. The most unusual thing in this was that he didn’t even got an adress or didn’t even know the whereabouts of that place. He just started to go, and soon, for his greatest surprise, he reached Count D’s Pet Shop – as the huge neon - letters said so.

He was standing outside the shop, still wondering about how such a thing could happen, when the door opened. An extremely beautiful woman stood there. She had straight, shoulder – length black hair. Her features were Asianlike, and her marblelike skin was as white as snow. She was slender and tall, and was wearing a long dress made of Chinese silk decorated with an embroidered golden dragon.

When she saw Mr Smith standing on her doorstep, she got smiled. Her two – coloured eyes suddenly started to fill in his soul with the unknown feeling of hope, and her whole expression got somewhat milder.

’Oh, so in the end, my humble self may welcome thy lord here, in my cramped little pet shop. Please, come in.’said the ’woman’. But were ’she’ a woman indeed? Mr Smith looked at ’her’ in astonishment. Because ’her’ deep voice indicated that ’she’ was a man in fact…

’Oh, and please let me introduce myself. I am the owner of this shop. My name is Count D.’gave the Count the final stab to Mr Smith, who had already been quite shocked. But anyways, he followed the Count into the shop.

Count D’s pet shop was in the basement of an apartment block - no wander it was a little bit dark and hardly lit in the inside. But when Mr Smith’s eyes became accustomed to the darkness, he looked around in amazement: the small shop had the richest furniture he had ever seen. The walls were wrapped in velvet tapestry and there were Persian carpets on the floor. The coffee table and the chairs around it were all made of mahagony, and the chairs had velvet seats. On the coffee table there was a porcelain tea - set. Everything in the tiny room suggested that the owner of the place was full of wealth – that he was even wealthier then Mr Smith himself.

’What an impressive place!’Mr Smith claimed. ’But where can be found the pet?’

’Oh, thank you. I am so glad thy like it.’smiled D. ’The pets are in the back room. But bussiness can wait for a little longer. Would you like some cookies? Or maybe a small cup of tea?’

’No, thank you. I just want to see that pet, and then go to my office. I’m in a hurry as I said it before on the phone…’

’Oh, I am so sorry. I did not mean to hinder you. Then just follow me, please.’answered him the Count, smiling all the time. But so warming the Count could smile, it was no use for his customer, whose anticipation of something terrible was growing by every second he spent in the shop.

No wonder Mr Smith’s heart was beating even faster and faster as he was slowly reaching the back room of the shop, following the Count. And when they finally got to its door, he almost lost consciousness, though he knew deep in his heart that something marvellous awaits him inside that room…

Then the door opened, and he saw it: the most beautiful woman on earth. She was so beautiful that he got mesmerized. For a moment he got suspicious again because at first glance he considered even Count D as a delicate woman – but when he looked into that woman’s eyes, he got lost for a lifetime… Those golden eyes framed with long black lashes told him everything about eternal desire by their appearing coldness completed with the promising feeling of warmth. Her whole appearance was imbued with this dual presence of warming cold: her kind and modest features, her dark complexion, her long and shiny, silky black hair were all attracting, but at the same time there was something in her that stopped Mr Smith from embracing her – though he really wanted to do so. Those eyes told him: ’Be aware! I am cautious!’ But it had nothing to do with him anymore. He had already fallen in love with her…

’Well, how do you like our little kitten, my lord? Isn’t she wonderful?’ disturbed him the Count with these words.’Do you want her or should I send her back?’

Mr Smith looked up at him dazedly.

’What are you talking about? Where is the cat? My eyes only see this beautiful woman…’

But the Count chuckled: ’Actually, she is the cat, sir.’

Mr Smith got baffled hearing these words. But he didn’t care. He wanted that woman so much that his heart almost got an ache from the desire. He wanted to bring her home and lock her up for himself in the tidiest room of his house, no matter what. He didn’t care if she was regarded as a kitten by the Count. His heart was craving for her.

’I need her. I will buy her.’said firmly Mr Smith, still under the spell of those golden eyes. And hearing his murmur, Count D’s smile got even broader.

’Then it is dealt.’ told he Mr Smith – and a strange flash came into his eyes.’I only need your signature for the contract. With that, you will agree that you accept my conditions, that is, feeding the cat only once a day, letting her sleep eight hours a day, and providing her complete freedom as it is an extremely important and characteristic feature for an animal of her kind.’

’I agree.’whispered the customer as he signed the contract. He scarcely heard the Count’s words. He just wanted to get away with his newly found but already most treasured jewel.

’Then the deal is a deal. Take care of her. And please don’t forget that, sir: her name is Galathea.’said D farewell with these words.

 

The days had gone by, but the newly – fledged cat – owner turned out to be no less obsessed with the kitten. After buying her from the Count, he went straight home, and locked himself up with her in the secret back room of his private library. From that day on, he didn’t even sleep or go out to the kitchen to get some food. He didn’t even visit his wife and children. He didn’t even go to work. Instead of all this, he was just sitting on a kitchy velvet sofa all day long, in front of Galathea. His eyes saw only her, his thoughts lingered only around her. Indeed, he got so lost in that slender figure of the ’kitten’ that he completely forgot about all his duties.

But one day, his wife knocked on the door.

’Darling, darling, please, come out! Let me see your face. I need you so much, my husband since I know only you to praise.’said her softly. But she got no answer.

’Darling, please answer me!’tried she again, now bursting into tears. But the answer of her spouse was silence only. And finally, she ran away crying…

The other day one of his subordinates ’went on pilgrimage’ to his door.

’Mister, mister, please come out! Let us see your face. We need you so much, our boss since you are the only one who leads our way.’begged him Mr Shrine. But he got no answer.

’Sir, please answer us!’ tried he again, now kneeling in front of the door. But the answer of his boss was silence only. And finally, he went away…

On the third day, his children came to him.

’Father, father, let us in! Let us see your smiling face. We need you so much, father, your kind and warm heartedly manner. We need you to be with us since we love you so much.’cried they out. But they got no answer.

’Father… We love you…’fading their cry away. But his heart turned out to be deaf, even for their cry…

Days came and days went, but he never set a step aside. He lost his company and got divorced without even caring or at least knowing about these events concerning his life. His only interest was the beautiful Galathea, to whom he did nothing except for watching her all day long.

But one night he fell asleep. And when he woke up, he found Galathea sleeping at his feet. As he saw her, he got smiled, and thought that he was the happiest man alive since he could spend his time with the most beautiful creature on earth. His admiration towards her was so great that he could not touch her skin without his hands shaking. And that morning he even had a reason for shaking since Galathea’s skin was extremely cold. To be more precise, it was deadly cold…

 

Weeks later the arrival of Mr Smith, a police officer visited D’s pet shop. He wanted to know the details about the cat and how Mr Smith bought it. Then when he got the answers from the helpful, willing Count, he showed D a recent newspaper cover. The headlines said: Successful businessman’s tragical suicide. And beneath the headlines, there was a photo of a dead man, carrying a black cat in his arms.

’Oh, how terrible!’shrieked D.’She was just a lovely creature… The most beautiful cat on earth. A Greek one, to be more precise. But a very capricious animal. Oh, I told this man that she needed freedom… But, as it seems like, he had fallen in love so much with her that he completely forgot about our contract. And when the cat died, he must have definitely committed suicied. What a shame, what a pity…’

And for the greatest surprise of the police officer, D added more, telling a story that did not seem to fit into the whole case of Mr Smith.

’Oh, it is just like the tale of Pygmalion, who was an extremely skillfull artist, a sculptor. One day, following his heart’s whispers, he created the statue of the perfect woman, but he could not help it: he had fallen in love with his work of art. Then the ancient gods had pity on him, and gave life to that statue. He was so happy and treated her like a real woman, a lover in fact. He even gave her a name: it was Galathea. But he wanted to make her so perfect for himself that he totally forgot about the fact that becoming a living creature she got an individual personality, and thus tried to restrict Galathea’s freedom telling her what to do and what not. And finally, with his excruciatingly idealized love, he killed his lover. Surely, love can be a selfish desire for possession…’

After these words, the Count heaved a sigh, and then asked the police officer with the most charming smile he had ever seen if he wanted some tea with cookies…