It's Raining Cats and Dogs: The Story of Felines and Canines Falling from the Sky

It’s raining; it’s roaring.

The old sky is pouring

Cats and dogs at such a rate

That I have to set the record straight.

The sky has opened with its pets.

Everyone open up your nets!

Catch a feline if you can;

Catch a canine with a plan: 

Cocker spaniels with their curls,

Collies loved by boys and girls,

Basset hounds with dangly ears,

Beagles who raise their tails for cheers.

A Shetland Sheepdog and a Pomeranian

Are not at all subterranean.

A Golden Retriever is man’s best friend,

A Labrador Retriever is a different blend.

Poodles melt your heart to pieces.

German Shepherds know what peace is.

Dachshunds are a short-statured pup.

Boxers are always looking up!

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Is the kind of dog that avoids a scandal.

The Bichon Frise is small but vocal

And friendly to everyone who’s local.

The Maltese is almost like a cat, 

And cats aren’t dogs and that is that.

Maine Coon cats are a friendly fluff.

British Shortshair are adorable enough. 

Persians have the sweetest beard.

Ragdolls are sometimes sheared. 

Bengals have stripes and rosettes.

Munchkins are the happiest of pets.

Siamese are black and white.

Abyssinian would never ever bite.

Scottish Fold are cute as pie. 

Birman have a striking blue eye.

Russian Blue have silver coats. 

These cats are cuddly anecdotes. 

The sky has opened up to spit.  

Every cat has a dog for it!

Dogs and cats like wind and rain

Tend to line your windowpane. 

Full of fur and friends galore!

Open up the sky and pour!

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Waters

THE CHRISTMAS LANTERN FESTIVAL synopsis

LOGLINE

An angel troubles the waters for a brother and sister at Christmastime. 

PITCH

When a magical old bridge breaks on Christmas Eve during a lantern festival on the Rhine River, 10-year-old Jule Schmidt and her 7-year-old blind brother Killian descend into freezing water. Since Killian cannot swim, he almost dies except for the divine intervention of the Angel that Troubled the Waters. As the children arrive on the bank of the river with the help of their father, Killian reveals a Christmas miracle took place—he can see for the first time.

SYNOPSIS

Holding hands, 10-year-old Jule Schmidt and her 7-year-old brother Killian admire glowing Christmas lanterns on the Rhine River. Since birth, Killian has been blind. So, Jule is his eyes and always tries to see for him. She points out all the wonderful sights in the world. On this special night, Jule and Killian wander from their parents and sit on the old rickety bridge that crosses a narrow part of the river. Jule likes to make prayers to the angels and insists that she has met a large angel by the bridge. She tells Killian that the angel told her that he would be healed of blindness. 

 

As Killian sits down on the corner of the creaking bridge, Jule sits beside him. She hopes that the angel appears. When Jule spoke to the angel, she said the angel told her that in certain seasons she descends into the river and stirs up the water. Then, after she stirs up the water, whoever first steps into the river is made well from whatever disease is in their body. Killian says he thinks that he shouldn’t get into the river because he cannot swim, and he might drown. With that, a mighty wind blows the lanterns across the river in a squall, and the side of the bridge where Killian and Jule are sitting breaks. The brother and sister fall into the raging current of the river. Jule kicks as hard as she can to keep her and her brother afloat.

 

As Jule looks at her brother with fear, a bright light shines on them from above the river. Then, a loud voice booms throughout the rippling water: “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened.” Suddenly, the angel with long golden hair and a pink dress with a blue flowing jacket stands before them. Before they drown in the water, their father grabs both children by the arms and swims with them to the surface. Both children feel a second pair of large hands on their forearms from the angel in the pink dress. The crowd of people on the riverbank throw a scarf into the river, which Christoph grabs. The father and his two children are pulled to shore as the angel did more than her share of towing the family to the bank. Killian covers his eyes from the shining lights from the Christmas lanterns. He buries his head in his father’s shoulder. Killian realizes that he can see for the first time because of the Angel that Troubled the Waters. Jule got her prayers answered for her brother, and all the trouble had somehow been turned to good because her brother could finally see.  

 

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters

THE MIDNIGHT CHRISTMAS CONDUCTOR synopsis

LOGLINE

All aboard the Christmas Railroad!

PITCH

When 11-year-old Joyce accidentally runs the locomotive from her father’s toy train off the tracks, she tearfully asks for an angel to help her rebuild the family’s prize possession. Then, the angel Gabriel and Joyce spend Christmas Eve secretly renovating the Christmas Railroad. On Christmas morning, Joyce rejoices that her parents love the gift of the newly decorated railroad, where everyone arrives at his or her destination right on time. 

SYNOPSIS

Even at age eleven, Joyce Trewyn hasn’t grown tired of watching her father set up the toy train for Christmas. Not only has he handpicked the locomotives, coal cars, train cars, boxcars, caboose, and trolleys, but he also set up the track on the railroad and hand-painted every snowy building and mountain. Joyce runs down the stairs in her red and green striped Christmas train pajamas. She wears her own conductor’s hat and hands her father a plastic bag of people who would soon get the ride of their lives. Mrs. Trewyn serves up hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream. As Joyce helps her father set up the train set, piecing together the curving train track, her mother watches It’s A Wonderful Life on television in black and white. 

After Clarence the angel has finished saving George Bailey in the film It’s A Wonderful Life, Mrs. Trewyn turns off the television and heads to bed with her husband. Joyce decides to stay up a little longer and play with the train. Only minutes after both her parents are asleep, Joyce runs the locomotive off the train tracks, hitting the covered bridge, which topples the water tower and collapses the entire train set, closing Grand Central Terminal. The locomotive smokes, blinking its headlight, and the caboose loses a wheel. She runs into the storage closet, crying. Looking at the supplies, Joyce decides she needs an angel, like in the TV movie. Joyce prays for angels to hear her and come help her fix the Christmas Railroad. All of a sudden, a cold breeze blows the family room window open, blowing the curtains to the ceiling. Joyce runs to shut the window, only to be greeted by Gabriel, an elderly-looking man, trying to climb through the window. He explains he is a Christmas angel that works extra hours on Christmas Eve. For the next five hours, despite a few setbacks, Joyce and Gabriel paint, glue, and hammer, emptying every toy train box from Gabe’s bag. Then Gabriel crawls back through the window, telling Joyce that God’s angels are always nearby, even if you can’t see them. A flash of light blinds Joyce for a moment, and she can no longer see Gabriel. 

When Mr. Trewyn wakes up, he catches Joyce with her head sticking out the window. Joyce closes the window and nervously turns around to find her mother and father in their Christmas pajamas and robes. Her father is thrilled that she spent all night renovating the Christmas Railroad as a gift. Joyce says the angel Gabriel helped her. Both Joyce’s parents give her a funny look, thinking she must have had an extra-large imagination on Christmas morning. Joyce and her father rejoice all Christmas day that the Christmas Railroad is open for business, working better than ever. Everyone on the train arrives to his or her destination right on time.

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters

CHRISTMAS BOXING DAY synopsis

LOGLINE

When true love fails, try holiday shopping with a pair of boxing gloves.

PITCH

Because Frances Mountbatten’s boyfriend Spencer doesn’t propose on Christmas day, she slugs him for it with his Christmas gift, a new pair of boxing gloves straight out of the box. When Spencer doesn’t show up at Christmas World at Harrod’s the next morning to buy her an engagement ring on the British holiday of Boxing Day, Frances wears the gloves, ready to slug Spencer for the second time. Instead, she finds a gentleman who is willing to fight for her, and she never has to fight Spencer again. 

SYNOPSIS

On Christmas morning, Frances Mountbatten wakes up to a glowing Christmas tree and waits for a knock on her door. Spencer Arthur, her longtime love, finally stands at the door with a pile of packages. She hopes that he asks her to marry him. On the side table sits a stack of Frances’ romance novels. Of course, she is one of Britain’s most famous authors. When he doesn’t propose, she stiffly hands Spencer a large, heavy box. He rips open the gold wrapping paper, pulls off the lid, only to find a pair of red boxing gloves. Frances grabs the gloves and shoves them on her tiny hands. Then, she punches Spencer on the cheek and knocks him over in one full swing. He topples onto the wooden floor. 

Moments later, when Spencer regains consciousness, he holds his head. Frances tells him that tomorrow, on Boxing Day, Harrods is having a sale. It starts at 10 o’clock sharp. He is buying her an engagement ring, or she’s knocking him out for good. He says he was planning on doing just that. She will not take off the boxing gloves until he puts a ring on her left hand. When she arrives in Christmas World the next morning, she takes a seat next to Santa Claus’ house and waits for Spencer. As Spencer has still not arrived, she starts to cry and causes the Harrods shoppers to stop with tissues. 

Then, she decides to ask a stranger to lunch, a handsome gentleman with a handkerchief. He tells her not to cry because it’s Boxing Day, and everything is on sale. Aware of the holiday, she shows the man her gloves. The man introduces himself as Harry Williams and agrees to lunch up on the second floor at The Tea Room. In fact, the gentleman, who works in publishing, has read her novels. Harry helps Frances take off the boxing gloves and leaves them in Christmas World for Santa. Days later, when Spencer appears in shame at Frances’ flat to propose, Harry quickly gets his own pair of boxing gloves and sends him away once and for all. By summertime, Harry proposes on one knee, and Frances marries Harry on Christmas Eve in St. Paul’s Cathedral. Spencer only hears about the wedding. Happier than ever, Frances never puts on boxing gloves again, she just makes sure to catch the good sales with Harry on Boxing Day, the most brilliant shopping holiday.

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters

THE MISTLETOES synopsis

LOGLINE

A little Dutch girl from Holland and seven musical elves from the North Pole defeat a wicked witch with the help of Sinterklaas at Christmas. 

PITCH

Twelve-year-old Daniëlle Kappel is so sad that her mother died that she is desperately trying to get along with her stepmother. She tries to please her father by running an errand for her stepmother on Christmas Day. Her stepmother wants her to deliver a basket of baked goods to her deceased mother’s sister on the coast. Her jealous stepmother also leaves for Christmas Day and says she is running her own errand. Mr. Kappel agrees, and he expects them back for Christmas dinner. However, the stepmother is actually a witch and kills Daniëlle’s aunt and almost does the same to Daniëlle and her father except a magical group of Sinterklaas’ elves named the Mistletoes help save them with their songs. The heroine and her father celebrate Christmas in peace and find true love!

SYNOPSIS

A twelve-year-old Dutch girl named Daniëlle Kappel lives in a castle on the Holland coast with the windmills. She places her wooden shoes next to the fireplace for Sinterklaas and kisses her father on the cheek. Then, she displays her large Christmas bouquet of mistletoe from her friend Niels on the fireplace mantle. Her stepmother is jealous of the gift she has received from her friend Niels. Not sure what to say, the little Dutch girl seeks compassion from her father. She asks him what he is getting her for Christmas. She flips open her father’s pocket watch and looks at the late hour. After all, her father is a very rich merchant who sends ships all over the world and trades rare goods in foreign lands. When she was young, she and her mother would spend hours in the fields by the ocean and frolicked by the windmills. 

 

When Daniëlle awakes on Christmas morning, she finds her shoes filled with candies, coins, and her father’s pocket watch. More jealous of Daniëlle than before, the stepmother manipulates her to run an errand on Christmas Day to her deceased mother’s sister, who lives in a cottage on the coast. She asks her to deliver a basket of baked goods and fruit. The stepmother says that she has an errand to run as well. Mr. Kappel anticipates his step wife and daughter to return for Christmas dinner. However, Daniëlle’s stepmother, dressed as a witch, locks her in a windmill and leaves her for dead. Daniëlle dreams about her mother and wakes up to find the singing Mistletoes at her side, seven musical elves from Sinterklaas’ blistering cold North Pole: Joyful, Cheerful, Merry, Peaceful, Carol, Nightfall, and Claus. Apparently, the elves had been living with her aunt. When the elves found her aunt dead, they followed footsteps in the snow to Daniëlle. The elves explain to Daniëlle that her aunt always thought a witch killed her mother, and the witch was her stepmother.  

 

At once, the Christmas Dutch Girl and the seven musical elves set out to save Daniëlle’s father from the witchy stepmother. When Daniëlle and the elves reach her father’s home, Daniëlle bursts through the castle with the Mistletoes who sing in full voice. The witch, who grew as big as the ceiling, holds a large knife at Daniëlle’s father’s throat. The Mistletoes sing in harmony and shrink the witch back to normal size. Before the witch can regain her large stature, Sinterklaas lands in the front yard with Rudolph and his sleigh of reindeer. Daniëlle wrestles with the witch until she drops the knife on the kitchen floor. Sinterklaas takes the witch to the North Pole to work for him as punishment. As the years go by, Sinterklaas brings both Daniëlle and Meneer Kappel true love. The wicked witch never bothers anyone in Holland again, and Christmas lives on in peace. 

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters

TINY TINA AND THE MAGNIFICENT ELEPHANT synopsis

LOGLINE

One moonlit night in Cloverfield, Indiana, little “Tiny” Tina tiptoes to the circus train and befriends a magnificent purple elephant, setting off a moonlit parade that teaches her the magic of feeling just the right size.

 

PITCH

When eight-year-old “Tiny” Tina, three inches shorter than everyone in her class, hears that The Grand Golden Circus is coming to Cloverfield, Indiana, she dreams of meeting a real elephant. But waiting until showtime isn’t enough for a girl with a heart that big. One moonlit night, Tina sneaks out to the circus train and discovers a magnificent purple elephant named Charley who longs to be free. Together, they lead a parade of escaped animals through the sleepy town and straight into Tina’s backyard, where chaos, laughter, and a few broken beds follow. In the end, Tina’s mother sees that her daughter’s courage is every bit as grand as her imagination, and for the first time, Tiny Tina feels just the right size.

 

SYNOPSIS 

Third grader “Tiny” Tina wants to join the circus, or at least watches a few shows. After all, her mother In the small rural town of Cloverfield, Indiana, eight-year-old Tina Johnson, nicknamed “Tiny” because she’s three inches shorter than the other third graders, longs to feel big, brave, and special. 

 

When the eight-year-old girl learns that The Grand Golden Circus is coming to town, she becomes obsessed with seeing the elephants. Her mother buys tickets for Sunday night, but Tina doesn’t want to wait. She dreams of befriending one of the elephants herself. When the circus train arrives at the edge of town, Tina sneaks out of her farmhouse late at night and follows the moonlit path across the cornfields to the train yard. Slipping through a hole in the fence, small enough for only someone her size, she discovers a magnificent purple elephant sleeping in a train car. The elephant wakes when she pats his tail, and to Tina’s amazement, he speaks! He introduces himself in a deep voice and complains about life in the circus. Tina promises him friendship, freedom, and plenty of space to play in her family’s acre of farmland.

 

The elephant, whom Tina names Charley the Magnificent Elephant, smashes open the train door and lifts her onto his back. Together, they march out of the train yard, and Charley insists on freeing the other animals as well. Soon, the moonlit streets of Cloverfield fill with lions, tigers, kangaroos, giraffes, monkeys, and macaws, all parading behind Tina and Charley in a glorious procession.

When they finally reach Tina’s farmhouse, the animals sneak into the backyard, but Charley squeezes through Tina’s window and crashes onto her bed, breaking it in two. Tina’s mother rushes in, shocked to find an elephant in the bedroom and her vegetable garden full of circus animals. Tina pleads to keep them all, promising to give them a home full of kindness and care. Amused and exasperated, her mother sighs and agrees to let the animals stay for the week on the condition that they sell tickets to cover the grocery bill.

 

As the moonlight glimmers over the backyard filled with animals, Tina hugs her purple friend and smiles. For the first time, Tiny Tina feels just the right size.

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters

THE SANDBOX GIANT synopsis

LOGLINE

After a violent storm, a protective sister in small-town Virginia must battle a towering monster made of sand that steals her brother’s form and threatens to “unmake” everything they build.

 

PITCH

In Willow Hollow, Virginia, siblings Debbie and Billy Fletcher spend their days building castles in the sandbox their father made until a violent thunderstorm changes everything. The next morning, they discover strange, giant footprints in the grass, and as Debbie watches in horror, the sand begins to swirl and pull Billy under. From the storm of dust rises a monster made of sand and wind with Billy’s face but none of his soul. When the creature declares itself the Sandbox Giant and vows to “unmake what children build,” Debbie fights back with only a garden hose and her courage. As the monster melts away beneath the stream of water, Billy suddenly reappears, quietly building castles as if nothing happened. But that night, as the wind rattles the windows, Debbie lies awake, wondering if the Sandbox Giant will return.

 

SYNOPSIS

In the quiet town of Willow Hollow, Virginia, siblings Debbie and Billy Fletcher spend their days playing in the sandbox their father built beneath an old apple tree. Debbie is protective of her little brother. She defends him from bullies and treasures the hours they spend together building castles and kingdoms of sand. The sandbox is their safe world, a tiny paradise of imagination and love.

One night, a violent thunderstorm shakes the house and knocks out the power. Lightning flashes, windows rattle, and the children’s fear grows in the dark. Debbie hides in her bed and counts backward from one hundred, trying to fall asleep, while Billy curls up on the couch with his stuffed animals. The storm rages through the night, but when morning comes, the sunlight seems to erase it all.

 

When the children return to the sandbox, they find strange, enormous footprints pressed deep into the wet grass. Billy dismisses them as traces of the storm and begins to build a new castle. But as Debbie steps forward, a fierce wind sweeps across the yard. The sky turns black, thunder rolls again, and the sand begins to swirl. Before she can react, the ground pulls Billy down into the spinning grains. From the storm of sand rises a giant made of wind and dust, its face shaped like Billy’s, but hollow and wrong.

 

The creature, calling itself the Sandbox Giant, roars and destroys the apple tree. Debbie pleads for her brother’s return, but the monster growls that “all things return to dust,” and claims it has come to unmake what children build. When the giant reaches for her, Debbie fights back, throwing a pail of water at him. The creature bubbles and reforms, growing larger. Desperate, she grabs the garden hose and sprays him full force. The more water she uses, the more the sand dissolves, until the monster collapses into a muddy heap, screaming as it melts away.

 

Just as the last of the creature disappears, Debbie’s mother calls from the kitchen, unaware of anything amiss. When Debbie turns back, Billy is sitting in the sandbox again, calmly building a castle as if nothing happened. Trembling, Debbie can’t explain what she’s seen, but she knows it was real. Every stormy night afterward, she lies awake listening for the wind afraid that the Sandbox Giant might rise again.

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters