The Little Palace

By Jeffery Erlacher and Mary P. Williams

A hundred years ago, during WWI, there was a tiny island in the middle of the Seine that held the best restaurant in all of Paris called
Le Minipalais —The Little Palace.

Head chef, and businesscat, Narcisse, believed it was necessary to create a refuge for the artists of Paris, animals and humans alike.

The

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zimbell House Publishing, LLC
• Release date: Oct 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643900360

Jeffery Erlacher

Jeffrey was born and raised in Iowa, though he's called Venezuela, Chicago, Costa Rica, and Denver, where he currently resides with his family, home. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology/International Studies and a Master of Arts in English. His first professional job after college was teaching bilingual third-graders in Illinois. Upon moving to Denver in 2001, he continued teaching bilingual primary school as well as conversational English to adults in the community. Upon receiving his graduate degree, he was a full-time instructor in the Department of English at the University of Colorado, Denver. In 2008, Jeffrey moved from the classroom to designing curriculum for adult learners. In this capacity, he has co-written and/or edited nearly a dozen curricula (in English & Spanish) and has trained countless mental health professionals, community educators, ministers, social workers and professors in the curricula he helped develop. He has written and spoken on topics such as healthy romantic partner relationships, fatherhood and parenting, and male incarceration. Jeffrey's passions include his family, travel, reading and writing, food and drink, music-especially bop-era jazz, and soccer. He lives with his wife Marisol, son, and the family's faithful dog, Scout. He has traveled to six of the world's seven continents (Antarctica, you're next) and is willing to eat or drink any dish or beverage once, which has led to many wonderful meals-and a few good stories. Jeffrey enjoys reading and writing poetry and fiction, and counts both adults and children as his audiences. He still believes the world is only ever one day away from being more just, verdant, and peaceful.

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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. All characters appearing in this work are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the written permission of the publisher.

For permission requests, write to the publisher

Attention: Permissions Coordinator

Chipper Press

PO Box 1172

Union Lake, Michigan 48387

mail to: [e-mail]

© 2019 Jeffrey Erlacher

Published in the United States by Chipper Press

An imprint of Zimbell House Publishing

http://www.chipperpress.com

All Rights Reserved

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-64390-033-9

Trade Paper ISBN: 978-1-64390-034-6

.mobi ISBN: 978-1-64390-035-3

ePub ISBN: 978-1-64390-036-0

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019936228

First Edition: October 2019

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Chipper Press

Union Lake, Michigan

Dedication

With love to my son, and first reader,

Santos.

Chapter 1

A Little Palace in the

City of Light

Paris is known throughout the world as the City of Light, and anyone who has visited or has the pleasure of living here knows it is true. In the very center of the city, from which the various neighbor-hoods spiral out from one another like a snail’s shell, is the River Seine, the lifeblood of the city. It is in the middle of the river where two small islands sit, that the city’s original seeds of light were planted, and from which the city grew. One of those tiny islands the city formed around is called Ile de la Cite . It was there that the first humans to inhabit what has come to be known as Paris made their homes many thousands of years ago.

The other island, smaller and less remarkable, was once pastureland for cows but has since come to be inhabited by people and animals alike. It is now known as Ile Saint Louis. It is on this petite island, filled with otherworldly glow both day and night, surrounded by the radiance of millions of Parisians, and the animals who call this city home, that there exists a small but beautiful restaurant called Le Minipalais, The Little Palace. On its best nights, this humble eatery on a nearly-forgettable little side street of cobblestone and lamplight is the greatest restaurant in the world.

But this Little Palace, this shining jewel in the very heart of the City of Light, has a particularly curious distinction, for the chef happens to be a quirky little cat with sleek black fur and wide, soft, green-yellow eyes, named Narcisse.

There are many versions of how Paris came to be known as the City of Light, but the best was told by Narcisse’s father, Max Jacob, a grey and black striped tabby cat who wore small circular black-rimmed glasses and was known for his delightful storytelling.

Most often, he told his version of the city’s history to his lovely clutter of kittens in this way, Some say Paris received its nickname because it was the birthplace of the Age of Enlightenment when many great and new ideas lit the way for the world’s thinkers. Others believe it was because Paris was one of the first cities in all of Europe to light its broad boulevards and winding streets with the soft yellow light of gas lamps, whose poles we love to wrap our curious tails around, as you know. Still, others say it is because Paris possesses an other-worldly glow that cannot be extinguished day or night, or by the most difficult of circumstances. And that, of course, is true. But we felines have a story that belongs only to us!

WHAT IS IT, PAPA? the kittens would ask in unison, though they had heard the tale dozens of times.

Well, he resumed with an air of delight in his voice, and more than a little mischief in his eyes, "I have it on good authority ... from the wise old cat that lives on the quay just below the Pont Alexandre,  that during the construction of—"

You mean the blind cat that sells those lovely wooden sailboats to the children? interrupted one of the kittens excitedly.

He’s the one, darling. Oh, now, where was I? wondered Max Jacob. "Oh yes, the construction of the Palais de l’Industrie under Napoleon for the 1855 World’s Fair, during which there was a severe shortage of firewood to light and heat the city. As a result of the large project, all the logs being floated down the River Seine that would normally go to sale at the market were being diverted to complete the building in time. Napoleon wanted this building to be even more glorious than the Crystal Palace the British had built for the previous World’s Fair." Max Jacob, as usual, was getting carried away in his tale.

Anyway, he continued, the city was dark except for the construction site and the essential city buildings, and since the builders were behind schedule, visitors from around the globe began to arrive for the fair and were utterly disappointed to see Paris looking so dismal and dark when they had expected it to be magnificent and light-filled. It seemed the whole fair was going to be a disaster.

The clutter looked dismayed at the thought of a dark, sorry city for the world to behold.

But, he continued, one of the principal architects on the job had a cat by the name of ... oh what was his name?

Alfred! all the kittens shouted in gleeful unison.

"Why, that was his name! Max Jacob beamed contentedly. My, how smart you all are."

The kittens purred excitedly.

Alfred was a bit of a strange cat, a vegetarian as I recall ... that means he only hunted cucumbers, Max whispered jokingly. All the kittens laughed at the thought of a cat hunting vegetables.

"Alfred was indeed different, though as is often the case with those who live outside of what others consider normal, he possessed a mind that thought about and interpreted his surroundings in a most unique way. And that peculiar kind of mind is exactly what those times required.

Alfred had, that entire previous year, been conducting experiments on the flammability of animal fur. These experi-ments came at great personal expense, you know, as he was his own primary subject for these experiments. Anyhow, he had lit his own tail on fire so many times that, by the early spring of 1855, he was quite convinced that fur woven into logs or large stove pellets could provide enough energy to light and heat much of Paris. Of course, that would make all the wood burned for such purposes available for other purposes.

"Like building the Palais de l’Industrie!" exclaimed the kittens in one voice.

Exactly! exclaimed Max. "And so, as that curious cat wandered in the unusual darkness of those spring nights the idea struck him to light the city with animal fur instead of wood, which would have the effect of freeing up all the lumber for the Palais de l’Industrie. This would assist the builders in getting it finished in time for the opening of the World’s Fair."

What a brilliant idea, Papa! exclaimed one of the toms.

Shhh! all the others pleaded.

It was a stroke of brilliance, my child, Max said, looking lovingly over the rims of his glasses at the excited little kitten. But the idea needed a plan. So, Alfred began a campaign throughout the animal communities in the city to collect as much fur as he could from the cats, dogs, and other animals visiting from the countryside. Well, word of his plan quickly spread, and before long, Alfred had acquired enough fur to light the city’s lamps and exhibition halls from May until November! 

The kittens stood on the edge of their paws, rapt with attention.

And as the lovely old cat down by the bridge tells me, the fur fires burned so brightly, so brilliantly, that from then on Paris was known throughout the world as the City of Light! You see, children, there are times the world of humans needs us more than usual. There are times when they forget or lose their way, and we, as their animal companions, must light the way with our beastly knowledge. We must be ready, each of us, for when such a time arises.

Times such as Max Jacob described to his young clutter—when humanity loses its way—don’t come about in every generation. But when they do arise, animals and humans must be ready to learn and share their wisdom with one another. Though neither Max Jacob nor Narcisse could have imagined how much help both human and animal would soon need, they would both prove valuable beyond measure.

Chapter 2

Narcisse’s Story

As is the custom for cats, newborns are not named until their eyes open, and they begin to show signs of individual interest in their world. The little coal black molly born third in the clutter to Max Jacob and Louise F. came to be known as Narcisse for her kitten habit of playing with her reflection in the puddles that gather in the cobblestone streets after a rain.

Aside from her talented storyteller father, Max Jacob, Narcisse comes from a long and notable line of cats. Gustave F., her great-great-grandfather cat, became famous for beginning a milk delivery service on the city’s islands during the Revolution. He bravely kept up fresh milk delivery even during the heaviest of cannon fire against the new Republique, earning him the nick-name Ten Lives.

Those many lives and a generation later, the family dairy business Gustave began was placed into her great-grandfather, Verlaine’s, very capable paws. Being nocturnal in nature, cats are ideally suited to deliver fresh goods to the city’s day-dwelling humans.

Verlaine took advantage of this natural feline talent and decided that fresh cheeses could be

Reviews for The Little Palace

[mishker-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

During World War I on a tiny island in the Seine sits The Little Palace, a restaurant run by master chef and cheese maker, Narcisse.  Narcisse happens to be a cat who believes in equality and service for all.  The stress of the war has allowed for animals and humans to communicate in ways unknown before. With the help of a very special group of animals, Narcisse has made The Little Palace an oasis for good food, company and a refuge for artists.  In the cafe animals and humans work side by side; however, one of the servers at The Little Palace believes that animals and humans should not be equal.  The server hatches a plan that damages the reputation of The Little Palace.  At the same time Narcisse gets word that her father has been injured in the war.  A creative and charming story that highlights the animals that, without choice, serve alongside of us in the midst of war.  Written for a middle grade and teenage audience, The Little Palace resonates with adults as well as with themes such as equal rights, justice and kindness.  At first I thought the anthropomorphic animals characters were the only characters in the book, however when I learned that humans were also characters, I became very intrigued at their interactions.  I do wish the mechanism for the human and animal communication was brought up earlier in the story, although it made sense once it was finally disclosed.  I loved the camaraderie between the many species of animals and their willingness to help in the war that was decidedly human. This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[ladyofthelodge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book seemed slow to start, but I became interested in the story once I got into it. It took a little time to get the characters straight. The story takes place in France, in a tiny restaurant called "The Little Palace." The author took a unique theme upon which to build the story, which is the personification of animals. These artsy animals form an integral part of the restaurant. They pitch in and help the humans who run the restaurant, and often save the day with their antics.The story is both poignant and humorous. I received this book from Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review.

[stephivist · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this with my 9 year old. It took us a bit to get into it, but we enjoyed it. He loved all of the animal characters and I found the story charming. Overall a good read.