Skip to content

Behind the scenes Quote by T.S. Eliot

“Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were a very notorious couple of cats. As knockabout clowns, quick-change comedians, Tight-rope walkers and acrobats They had an extensive reputation. [...] When the family assembled for Sunday dinner, With their minds made up that they wouldn’t get thinner On Argentine…” quote by T.S. Eliot
Download Open image
““Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were a very notorious couple of cats. As knockabout clowns, quick-change comedians, Tight-rope walkers and acrobats They had an extensive reputation. [...] When the family assembled for Sunday dinner, With their minds made up that they wouldn’t get thinner On Argentine joint, potatoes and greens, And the cook would appear from behind the scenes And say in a voice that was broken with sorrow "I'm afraid you must wait and have dinner tomorrow! For the joint has gone from the oven like that!" Then the family would say: "It's that horrible cat! It was Mungojerrie – or Rumpleteazer!" - And most of the time they left it at that. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer had a wonderful way of working together. And some of the time you would say it was luck And some of the time you would say it was weather. They would go through the house like a hurricane, And no sober person could take his oath Was it Mungojerrie – or Rumpleteazer? Or could you have sworn that it mightn't be both? And when you heard a dining room smash Or up from the pantry there came a loud crash Or down from the library came a loud ping From a vase which was commonly said to be Ming Then the family would say: "Now which was which cat? It was Mungojerrie! And Rumpleteazer!" And there's nothing at all to be done about that!””

T.S. Eliot

About This Quote

Source Play: Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, 1939

The quote humorously describes two mischievous cats whose chaotic antics cause confusion and blame among a family, highlighting the difficulty of assigning responsibility for shared trouble.

In simple terms: Two chaotic cats cause family confusion.

Key Takeaway

Accept that some chaos is untraceable.

Themes

humor family chaos mischief identity confusion

Mood

playful lighthearted confused

Type

anecdotal humorous

When to use this quote

  • family dinner
  • pet ownership
  • household mishaps
  • blame games
  • identifying culprits

Key Concepts

anthropomorphism identity ambiguity shared blame

Questions to Reflect On

  • Who is truly responsible for the mess?
  • How do we handle shared blame?
A Different Perspective

It assumes the cats are the sole cause, ignoring human responsibility.

5.0 out of 5 (7 ratings)

More by T.S. Eliot

Explore all 206 T.S. Eliot quotes

More Behind the scenes quotes

Browse all 423 Behind the scenes quotes