A Dream of a Thousand Cats is issue 18 of the Sandman comic series, created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, and Mike Dringenberg. It was originally released on June 26, 1990.
Synopsis[]
In this issue, visit the realm cats transcend to when they dream - and learn why you should be worried!
Summary[]
A young white kitten is put to bed by her owners, Don and his wife. Soon after, an alley cat comes to the window to ask the little one if she is coming to a clandestine meeting of cats. Once the kitten escapes the house, she follows the alley cat and others to a graveyard, where many cats wait. A Siamese cat arrives and begins to share her message.
Some time ago, she lived in the human's world, and life was comfortable, if lacking...something. She met a mysterious cat and took him as her lover. When the kittens came, she vowed she would teach them about the ways of the world. However, her owners, Paul and Marion, did not want the kittens because they were half-breeds and a nuisance, so Paul drowned them in a river.
Devastated by the loss of her kittens, the Siamese cat prayed to the King of Cats and dreamed. She found herself in a desert of bones, and met a dead crow with a skull for a head. The crow told the cat that she would not find justice or wisdom, but if she sought revelation, she might seek out the Cat of Dreams, though it would be a long and treacherous way. The Siamese cat proclaimed that she was unafraid, and began her journey.
After passing through many dangers and trials, the cat came to the entrance of the cave that houses the Cat of Dreams. The Gatekeepers - a wyvern, a gryphon, and a hippogriff - warned her that all dreams come at a price. Inside, she confronted the Cat of Dreams, wanting to know why cats live as they do, and why her children had to die. The Cat of Dreams told her that it was not always so. Many long years ago, cats were enormous and humans were small, made to serve their feline masters. The humans served their every whim, even as prey for the hunt. Then, one day, a rebel human began telling people that if they dreamed, they would be able to change their situation. "Dreams shape the world," he said. And one night, it happened. Enough people dreamed - a thousand, maybe more - and the world changed. Cats became small and humans were large and in charge.
The Siamese cat asked the Cat of Dreams how this could be, and he responded that the humans dreamed the world in such a way that it always had been the way it is now. In their minds, the world where the cats reigned supreme never existed. If that is ever to change, the cats must dream it so, instead. This is the task the Siamese cat has set for herself: to convince enough cats - a thousand, maybe more - to dream and change the world. Though the cats in the graveyard all begin to depart, clearly uninterested with the Siamese cat's message, the little white kitten says she believes. On their way home, the alley cat jokes that he would like to see anyone try and make a thousand cats do anything at the same time. In his opinion, the change the Siamese cat hopes for will never happen.
In the morning, Don and his wife remark on their cute kitten, and how she seems to be hunting something. What do cats dream about, anyway?
Appearances[]
Featured Characters[]
Supporting Characters[]
- Little One
- Alley Cat
- Dead Crow
Antagonists[]
- Paul
- Marion
- Rebel Human
Other Characters[]
- Don
- Don's wife
- Gatekeepers
Objects[]
- Forthcoming
Continuity Notes[]
- Forthcoming
Trivia[]
- Forthcoming