In the beginning there was Bast and Bast was all alone in the firmament. For a long time, Bast was content to sleep and groom, but even cat-gods need something to occupy their minds. As She groomed, Bast's glittering fur flew off in all directions and started to shine. These were the stars and for a long time, Bast was happy to sleep, groom and stare at the shining sparks of light.

After a long time of this, Bast began to get bored again. The stars floating in the heavens were fun, but there was only so much staring at stars She could do before getting bored again. She settled down for a good wash and afterwards She heaved up a great round fur-ball. Bast regarded the fur-ball and She had an idea. She set the fur-ball in the heavens and with a flick of her paw it began to spin until it caught fire. This was the Sun and for a long time it amused Bast as She batted it around the firmament and among the stars.

After too long of this, Bast grew tired of the fiery fur-ball Sun. She settled down for another wash and a think and afterwards She coughed up a smaller fur-ball. Bast had an idea. She set the small fur-ball near to the Sun and with a flick of her paw the small one began to revolve around the big one. This greatly pleased Bast and She settled down to watch it for a long, long time.

Once again, after a long time, Bast grew tired of her toys. What She really wanted was others of her own kind to play with. But Bast was a god-cat and there could only be one Bast. She coughed up another fur-ball (for Bast did a lot of grooming when bored and this meant a lot of fur to be coughed up later) and began to lick it into a miniature of herself. She place the miniature Bast on the fur-ball and breathed life into it. For a long time, She watched the miniature Bast, which She called "cat" as it played on the little world She had created.

After a long time of this, the little cat sat down and said, "Oh Great Bast, I am soooo bored. Make me someone to play with!"

So great Bast licked another fur-ball into another cat shape and She breathed life into it and watched the two miniature Basts play together on their fur-ball world. And when they grew bored, She made another cat, and another, and another, until the fur-ball, circling round the fiery Sun, was full of cats of different shapes and colours.

After a long time of this, the cats sat down and said, "Oh Great Bast, we are soooo bored. Make us someone to chase!"

So great Bast made them trees to climb and grass to play in and mice, birds and moths to stalk and hunt among the trees and grass. For a long, long time She sat and watched her fur-ball world. She watched as the mother cats had kittens and licked them into shape just as She had licked her own fur-balls into cat shapes. She watched when cats grew old and tired and She welcomed their spirits back into her when their time was over.

But again, after a long time of this, the cats sat down and said, "Oh Great Bast, we love this world but we are children of a god and that makes us godlings. Make us someone to serve us!"

Bast laughed at their presumptuousness, but their request amused her so She made the cats a people to serve them. The servants of cats walked on two legs, all the better to have their arms free to carry a cat so that it did not dirty its paws upon the ground. At rest, the creatures folded neatly at the hips and knees to make a platform on which a cat could sit. The creatures had fingers which would tickle and stroke a cat and a voice with which to worship the cat and tell it how beautiful it is. And for a long time all was well.

After a long time, the servants of cats began to think that they ruled the world and though the cats had always been gentle and loving masters, the servants did many unkind things to the cats. Alas, we now live in that time and there are many who would imprison or torment cats. But if we need any reminding that the world was made for a race of small, four-footed purring godlings we have only to look at how humans are perfectly designed to serve cats - with arms, and laps, and voices. And the cats still have their supercilious expressions and even today, mother cats lick their kittens into shape just as Bast herself licked the first cats into shape.