I have a deal with my friends Malgorzata Koraszewska and Andrzej Koraszewski, who run the well-known Polish website Racjonalista, a beacon of secularism in that religious country. In return for letting them translate any of my posts they want without asking (it’s into the hundreds now), I get a daily picture of their young tabby cat Hili. And it’s always in the form of a “dialogue,” in which Andrzej and Hili exchange quips. (They also own two dogs, Darwin and Emma.)
As it’s Easter in Poland, Hili got a special Easter treat: a “cat sausage” that she loves. Here’s today’s photo of Hili nomming her treat on the Good Book, along with the daily “Hili dialogue” (click to enlarge)
Hili: Would eating Easter sausage on the Koran offend religious feelings?
A: Yes, definitely.
Hili: And on the Bible?
A: Thank God, a bit less.
Malgorzata also explained the rest:
The strudel is a poppyseed cake, obligatory in Poland at Easter. I borrowed the Easter basket from the owner of Fitness [another cat who lives there, named after a health club where she was found as a kitten] and the tablecloth was embroidered by my mother. Our religious friends who got such a tablecloth from her are always using it at Easter, so we got it out for this picture. They will understand the meaning.
The bible’s spine (at least) is lettered in English. Which sounds like there’s some history there too.
I remember that during Communist rule there was a chapter of the British Bible Society in Poland (Brytyjskie Towarzystwo Biblijne), which published and sold various editions of the Bible. That was actually the source of the first Bible that I read (my family was atheistic, but my father insisted on a “well rounded education”, which included history of religion). Our copy of the Bible was a Polish translation, but I believe they also sold the English language edition.
Jerry, the proper spelling of your friend’s first name is Andrzej. It is the Polish equivalent of Andrew.
In fairness to Jerry, Polish spelling is a nightmare for English speaker/writers.
Crikey, I’ve spell Andrzej’s name correctly for years, and the first time I get it wrong is in a public post!
Corrected, thanks!
You’ve mangled Koraszewska as well.
Unmangled. 🙁
At least I got “Hili” right!
Well, Hili is not a Polish name. But we could make it Polish by adding a few zeds – Hiliszczewiczewicz sounds far more plausible. Happy Easter from a very wintry looking Poland.
A charming scene. But I can’t help but think that the Bible is a bit unhygienic to eat from.
Even at the Last Supper they used plates.
I wouldn’t think so. I normally flush the pages after using them in the traditional fashion. Which makes them rather soggy and, as the old joke goes, “difficult to light”.
And the cat’s allowed to walk on it?
I love my cat, but after ruining a few sweaters I’ve learned that there are some things she just doesn’t get to touch.
Hiliszczewiczewiczówna it will be from now on, (Hili for short). This Bible is an English Bible (bought in London on a car boot sale), Hile refused to eat on a Polish Bible, because translation is really dreadful.
Lovely! I assume she comes fromthe town of Szczebrzeszyn, of course.
Cat sausage? What kind of sick person would do that? And what kind of sick cat would eat it?
It’s in quotes, so it’s a sausage for cats, not made out of cats. It probably tastes like mouse.
Sarah, you shouldn’t try to explain a joke, especially a sick one, and especially incorrectly.
Is a dog turd made out of dogs.
…oops, sorry, you did explain it correctly. Now I’m making mistakes while correcting someone. I hate it when that happens.
My family always did poppyseed cake for Wigilia and Babka for Easter…
Don’t the Polish make pisanka eggs for Easter?