The Klondyke King...

I wish Holly would keep her room tidy. Just look where she’s left her computer, if Misty comes in she’ll probably sit on it and break it. I’d better find Holly and get her to shut down and move it…

“Good she’s left it on. Time for a game of solitaire I think. I love solitaire. I’m very good at it; fast, never a stumble. I don’t ever make a single mistake. I am the King of Klondike; that’s the most popular form of Patience. Patience - I can be very, very patient. I have to be – Foodies takes ages to feed me sometimes, she makes me wait hours between feedies, sometimes two or three!

I play Cat Solitaire; we use it to tell the near future, as a kind of "luck" meter. If I don’t win a game after a few tries it means caution; don’t climb tall trees, don’t take on any dogs, be prepared to lose your life (or at least one of them). If I win at the first try then I’m in luck; maybe they’ll give me a treat, or this hissing collar might break, or maybe (if I win and I do it really quickly) I might even catch a mousey!

It’s important to play by the rules if you want good luck, AND to concentrate. I concentrate hard and have learnt the rules by heart. Here, I can prove it...

In Cat Solitaire you must play only available cards - those that are not "blocked" by other cards and not forbidden by the rules. Of course I can use the released cards - those which, by removal of the cards that were blocking them have now become available, and the suitable cards - those whose value and suit fit them to be played or placed in the tableaux – the individual piles of cards. Now I need good Foundation cards – the ones on which Patience is formed, generally the aces and kings; and a good Marriage - the placing a card of the same suit on the next one above or below it in value. Sequence - the regular succession of cards ascending from ace to king, or descending from king to ace is vital and the sequence need not be of the same suit. So it’s important to take extra special care to look at the value - The figures of the court cards, and the number of points of the minor ones.

I could go on, but I won’t – I think you get the message. I know my Solitaire – all cats know their Solitaire… it’s in their nature, we are solitary creatures.
Now let’s see… Mmm not bad, good, good, not so good, bad…I didn’t want that to come out… better, better still, yes, yes, yes, yes, no, yes, yes, yes, yes… I’m getting there… yes, no, no, no, no, rubbish, rubbish, rubbish, hissing rubbish.

Nope!!!
That’s that. I’d better stop. I don’t want any bad luck.
Oh well! Anyone fancy a game of darts?”

Can’t find Holly anywhere, perhaps I’m worrying too much – after all, why would Misty bother with Holly’s computer?