The Cats and the Hat
Recently, the media has made much of portraying the work of the famous children’s author, Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel [3/2/1904-9/24/91]) as racist. Here follows a Cat and the Hat story from over 100 years ago.
Dressed in his British pith helmet, John Patterson arrived in northern Kenya in March of 1898. John Patterson was the British engineering officer put in charge of building a permanent railroad bridge across the Tsavo River. Along with the work, he ended up experiencing several terrifying months trying to protect his workmen and rid the area of two menacing lions. Theodore Roosevelt, himself a famous hunter, called it “the most remarkable account of which we have any record.”
The animals that Patterson hunted were fearsome man-eating lions and they were full of cunning. Historians believe that the two lions may have killed over 140 people (28 confirmed railroad workers, plus countless locals). The killing began shortly after Colonel Patterson arrived. With hundreds of Indian and native workmen, the lions began to boldly drag the men from their tents at night. One night, even the hospital was raided and a patient taken. Fences were built for protection, but the massive lions would still penetrate, and snatch a victim. Fear ran rampant among the workman, as the pair of rogue lions looked at these encampments as huge smorgasbords. The cats of this story certainly weren’t racist. They ate white people and folks of color, alike. The lions often scared the workmen by roaring in the night. Eventually construction on the bridge halted for almost a month.
The story finally came to an end nine months later. After weeks of unsuccessful hunting, Patterson, at great risk to himself, killed one of the man-eaters on December 9th and the second one on December 29th. When measured, each “maneless” lion stood almost 4 feet tall and was over 9½ feet long. It took 8 men to carry a dead lion.
I am reminded of I Peter 5:7, where the devil is likened to a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The devastation from that adversary can be great, but we are protected by being sober & vigilant (7), resisting in the faith (8), and by the God of grace (9).
John Patterson’s story is about one man’s determination against two enormous man eating lions. He wouldn’t give up, nor would he flee.
In reading Patterson’s book, The Man-eaters of Tsavo, we see a man full of courage and devotion to his work. John Patterson also finished building the bridge.
