We just listened to another great audio drama adapted from a short story written by G.A. Henty. It kept us on the edge of our seats as we drove and listened to it!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Setting of the Cat of Bubastes
The Cat of Bubastes is a riveting story about a 15-year-old boy (Amuba) who is carried into slavery in ancient Egypt, around 1250 B.C. A kind Egyptian named Ameres purchases Amuba and his faithful servant Jethro.
Ameres is, in fact, the High Priest of Osiris – a powerful, yet very fair-minded and kind man who has two children. Unknown to Ameres the priest, Amuba is really a prince, the son of the King of Ruba. Amuba’s father the king was killed when the Egyptians besieged his country. Amuba’s character and devotion to his servant Jethro and to Ameres and his family is a wonderful thing to behold.
This is truly a story about friendship, devotion, courage, and character.
The Characters and the Problems they Encounter
Amuba is befriended by the priests’ son Chebron. They spend hours playing, talking and getting into trouble.
Cats in Egypt are considered sacred. Ameres’ family owns a beautiful cat and it is selected to become a revered and worshiped idol . . . the Cat of Bubastes.
The deadly Mistake
But as fate would have it, the cat meets an untimely death during a hunting accident at the hands of Amuba and Chebron. They were trying to protect the family from a predator and the cat is accidentally killed. They are terrified at the possibility of being found out. Killing a cat, no less a sacred one is a terrible thing in Egyptian culture.
The Courage of the High Priest
Chebron’s father helps the boys solve this terrible dilemma. In the process, he demonstrates uncharacteristic faith in the ways of the non-Egyptian God who Amuba worships, and he exhibits incredible, self-sacrificing courage as he protects the boys from rioting crowds, looking for revenge over the death of the cat.
The Boys Escape
Because of Ameres’ help, the boys are able to escape the danger and flee the city; however, Ameres is not so fortunate. The boys journey takes then through many perils where they have to work together to save themselves and help others. The story is full of historical facts (without seeming to be educational) and information about the differences between what Egyptian’s believed about their gods and what Amuba believes about his God.
An Unexpected Appearance
There is an unexpected cameo appearance by Moses as they are running from danger. We expected him to play a larger part in the drama, but Henty thought otherwise. Still, it frames the story into a context we know well and is a welcome surprise.
A Beautiful Conclusion
Amuba and his friends eventually make it back to his home country of Ruba where they work to reclaim his land from the Egyptian occupational force.
The Production Quality
This dramatic presentation is full of great music, excellent acting, and believable sound effects. The producers at Heirloom Audio Productions do a phenomenal job of finding the best talent and crafting a story that keeps the listener spellbound.
We listened to this audio recording during a two-hour drive to Arizona’s north country. Needless to say, the drive seemed to fly by (no we weren’t speeding) as we listened to the story.
You can get an idea of how the actor’s portrayed the parts in this fun video:
A Star-Studded Cast
Heirloom Audio Productions does an excellent job at making these stories come to life by gathering some the best talent available to perform in their dramatic presentations. Just look at the list of actors that were involved in this production:
- Brian Blessed – Star Wars, Tarzan and Robin Hood – is the Narrator
- Other actors include:
- Elizabeth Counsell – The Chronicles of Narnia
- Sylvester Mccoy – Dr. Who and The Hobbit.
- Russell Boulter – Ben Hur
- John Rhys-Davies – The Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones
- Anthony Daniels – Star Wars the voice of C3po
We Love Good Books, Movies, and Audio Products!
If you’ve visited the Books, Games & Movies section of our website, you know that we love well-written stories and especially audio books and dramas. If you are looking for a great Christmas present for your kids or to give as gifts to family and friends, this would make a great option. This story is well written and has great production quality. But the most important qualities that we found in this presentation are the focus on character and courage. The story will grab your family’s attention and in the process you’ll feel inspired to live out the devotion and values of the heroes.
Get more information onThe Cat of Bubastes here.
