QOD: Which do you prefer and why: whittling with soap or whistling with wood?

Done called her Cat, her pa ‘n’ that so-called uncle a hern. Warn’t what her ma plunked on her fer a name, but that skinny gal with them big doe eyes warn’t meant long for this world, no sir, ‘n’ any ol’ body with a grain a sense knowed she warn’t cut out for livin’ in no cabin off in them woods. Din’t bury her in sacred groun’ neither, but dug ‘em a hole right out back, keepin’ her bones close. Askin’ for trouble, that.

So them men done called that bitty chil’ Cat for her baby mewling, poor motherless. They kep’ her fed, I s’pose, but knowed squat none ‘bout tendin’ a young’un. Miz Tyler down Bascomb way give ‘em to know she’d take that poor chil’ in, but her pa warn’t havin’ none a that. Seems his doe-eyed skinny gal done swore she’d come a’hauntin’ from the grave was he to shinny out from under the task a doin’ for his own.

Anyhow, that poor chil’ crawled ‘round that cabin day after weary day, playin’ with dust ‘n’ grime, bits a this ‘n’ that what I’s right skeered thinkin’ ‘bout. Possum claws ‘n’ rat tails, most like. Got her big ‘nough to git her own self outside, the good Lord only knows what her playthings was then. Miz Tyler shamed them men ‘n’ give ‘em a doll for little Cat, but that girl din’t seem to like it overmuch. ‘Bout that time that so-called uncle a hern taked her out in the reeds one day ‘n’ showed her how to pick a likely one, how to cut it fore ‘n’ aft a them nodes, then showed her how to awl some holes. So there was her first whistle. Miz Tyler squawked right royal when she heared a that. What blazin’ lame’d go givin’ a little chil’ a knife ‘n’ awl? But Cat never give herself so much as a scratch, ‘n’ purty soon it warn’t just them men getting’ used to Cat’s whistlin’ day ‘n’ night. Oh, it were right amiable music, that. ‘Nough to stop a body right in the middle a anythin.’ Some got to callin’ it magic, but that were just a turn a phrase.

Miz Tyler gits after them men for cleanliness next, sayin’ it were fine for their sorry souls gittin’ carried off to hell, but it were a darn shame visitin’ such vile endin’ on a poor chil’ like Cat. So Cat’s pa carried four bars a Miz Tyler’s oatmeal ‘n’ lavender soap on back to little Cat. Figured she take it on down to the stream ‘n’ come back gleamin’ or what not. Cat liked that soap jus’ fine, sniffin’ ‘n’ smiling,’ ‘n’ that so-called uncle a hern declarin’ she give ‘em a little “ta.” It’s up to y’all if’n that’s a lie or God’s own truth. Certain sure there ain’t nobody else never heared word one come out’n Cat.

Cat’s pa come home one night t’find soap chips ever’where. Seems Cat done taked a bar a Miz Tyler’s soap ‘n’ carved herself a little songbird. Right perfect, it was, ‘n’ her pa that proud. Kep’ it up, young Cat, ‘n’ by week’s end had herself a bitty little squirrel, a water turtle, ‘n’ a fish carved so fine it looked to be wrigglin.’ Warn’t what Miz Tyler’d meant, but them little soap critters caught her heart same as ever’body else, ‘n’ she took to makin’ extry batches jus’ to keep Cat in soap. Not that Cat spent ever’ minute soap carvin,’ ‘cause we heared her music comin’ out’n them woods same as always.

Then one day Miz Tyler done a batch a oatmeal soap with rose ‘stead a lavender. Come out so fine she warn’t about to wait on Cat’s pa to come git it, but trots out her own self into them woods, thinkin’ to surprise Cat. Turns out the surprise was on Miz Tyler that day. She heared Cat’s whistlin’ ‘n’ smiles ‘cause she cain’t help it, ‘n’ picks up her pace. She stops cold when she gits to the cabin. Cat’s sittin’ out on the stoop, with her little soap critters all ‘round, ‘n’ them pieces a soap are dancin.’ They’s flappin’ wings ‘n’ bobbin’ heads ‘n’ stompin’ this way ‘n’ that. Miz Tyler goes runnin’ back home, screamin’ the devil hisself be livin’ in them woods.

‘Course, ain’t body one be believin’ tales like that without checkin’ it out for their own selves. So one by one we all goes tippy-toein’ out in them woods to see soap critters dancin’ to Cat’s music. ‘N one by one we all gits convinced that’s ‘xacly what’s goin’ on. Some few talked Miz Tyler’s view, sayin’ it were devil work, but it were durn hard to believe any such thing when you was seein’ that purty little gal lookin’ jus’ like her ma with them big doe eyes. Warn’t naught but innocent magic. Well, what harm? Jus’ bits a soap jiggin’ ‘round.

The argufyin’ goes on ‘n’ on ‘bout what to do with Cat, ‘n’ most thinkin’ ain’t no reason to do aught but leave her be. Meanwhile, word gits out, ‘n’ purty soon they’s people comin’ from far as Bascomb to git them a peek at our gal ‘n’ her dancin’ soap. Got harder seein’ it, though. Cat took to goin’ away from the cabin, ‘n’ whether she carried them critters with her or jus’ had ‘em dancin’ ‘long behind, don’t nobody know.

Some git to talkin’ ‘bout makin’ money on the gal, ‘n’ Cat’s pa gits riled at that, knowin’ it shore ain’t what her ma would be wantin.’ Some say it’d give Cat a chance to see the world, ‘n’ she’d be famous ‘n’ could have what she liked. So that argufying goes on ‘n’ on, ‘til Cat stops it all by up ‘n’ dyin.’

Cat’s pa laid her ‘side her ma, ‘n’ put her soap critters ‘round to guard her. All ‘cept the little bird what she first carved. That’n he put in her palm ‘n’ closed her little fingers ‘round it. Never did see Cat’s pa after that. Man seemed to jus’ melt away, same as the little soap critters on Cat’s grave when the rains come.

Some say Cat were like her ma, not long for the world, ‘n’ God’s will ‘n’ so forth. I’m thinkin’ a body’s got to be careful ‘round magic, ‘specially the young ‘n’ tender kind.