Tom Tildrum leaps toward the chimney after claiming kingship, Batten
Actual leaping black cat beside printed proclamation I am the King of the Cats; specific Jacobs succession episode.
Overview
A sexton returns home late and urgently asks who Tom Tildrum is. While working at a grave he has witnessed nine black cats, each bearing a white chest mark and eyes that shine green. Eight carry a small coffin under a black velvet pall bearing a golden coronet, while the ninth leads them. They cry together at every third step, then halt beside the grave. Their leader gives the human a spoken message that Tim Toldrum is dead and that Tom Tildrum must be told.
The household’s large black cat, Old Tom, punctuates this account with meows and increasingly attentive looks. At the decisive message he swells, speaks and announces that he is now king of the cats. He rushes up the chimney and never returns. The story reveals a hidden social order within familiar household animals without describing a separate biological cat species. The coffin’s crown explains the status of the deceased, while the repeated feline responses allow the listener to notice the connection before the humans do. This profile covers Jacobs’s named succession episode; other regional cat-funeral tales may use different names or circumstances.
Origins & earliest records
Jacobs explicitly combined points from several English variants and expanded Hartland’s Dildrum and Doldrum into the rhyming names Tom Tildrum and Tim Toldrum. The selected 1894 collection therefore documents a composite literary version, with its earlier local witnesses identified in the source note rather than independently reread here.
Records & interpretation
The speaking message, miniature funeral and chimney departure constitute literary evidence for an extraordinary feline social world. The source gives no physical evidence for a hidden cat monarchy. Ordinary black cats should not be classified as supernatural on the strength of the tale.
In the literature
“rushed up the chimney and was never more seen”
The King o' the Cats; Old Tom responds to the death message
The succession declaration is followed by departure, not a narrated feline court.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
More English Fairy Tales
Complete “The King o' the Cats” and its source note inspected. Preface acknowledges rewritten and combined sources.
- 02
More English Fairy Tales — The King o' the Cats
Joseph Jacobs, More English Fairy Tales; first publication1894, selected Gutenberg14241 witness explicitly Fourteenth Impression, undated. Jacobs’s preface acknowledges rewriting, combined sources and altered incidents. Exact heading/anchor used; no invented print pagination.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Located primary passages
Specific passages supporting details in this entry, grouped by their published witness.
More English Fairy Tales — The King o' the Cats
Joseph Jacobs, More English Fairy Tales; first publication1894, selected Gutenberg14241 witness explicitly Fourteenth Impression, undated. Jacobs’s preface acknowledges rewriting, combined sources and altered incidents. Exact heading/anchor used; no invented print pagination.
- The sexton tells his wife that nine black cats with white chest spots approached a grave; eight carried a small coffin with black velvet and a golden coronet. Their leader told him to convey Tim Toldrum's death to Tom Tildrum. Old Tom responds to the repeated meows while listening.
- As the message is repeated, the household cat swells and stares, then announces that Tim's death makes him King of the Cats. He rushes up the chimney and is never seen again; no further reign is narrated.
The King o' the Cats; Old Tom claims succession and vanishes
Complete selected tale and its source note read. Jacobs’s edited narrative is distinct from direct oral transcription. No song or ritual-formula excerpts; no invented print page or earliest date.
Primary source witness
Joseph Jacobs, More English Fairy Tales; first publication1894, selected Gutenberg14241 witness explicitly Fourteenth Impression, undated. Jacobs’s preface acknowledges rewriting, combined sources and altered incidents. Exact heading/anchor used; no invented print pagination.
- Jacobs says he selected points from several English versions and expanded the names to make a jingle from Hartland's Dildrum and Doldrum. His list of earlier witnesses is bibliographic evidence in this note; those editions are not claimed independently reread here.
Notes and References, LXXIV The King o' the Cats; Jacobs's composite text and altered names
This verifies what Jacobs reports and changes; listed earlier works and informant claims are not independently verified by this note alone.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary textJacobs, More English Fairy Tales: The King o' the Cats and editorial noteResearch access: 2026-10-05
- ReferenceUniversity of Pennsylvania Online Books Page: Joseph Jacobs bibliographic listResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationTom Tildrum leaps toward the chimney after claiming kingship, Batten
Actual leaping black cat beside printed proclamation I am the King of the Cats; specific Jacobs succession episode.
