"Last year it was our cat lilli who was freed with the help of the police after days of captivity in the castle", reports pastor arnold. On sunday it was merlin, the guest cat, who arnold had to rescue from the castle fountain. "Merlin has been our guest for three weeks because his owner is on a cure. He was born in our house in april and spends his vacations with us, so to speak", describes heinrich arnold.
On sunday morning all the parson's cats (four, without merlin) were there for breakfast – except merlin, who at the age of 4 months is already exploring his surroundings very thoroughly.
Miserable meow from the fountain
it was shortly after nine, just half an hour before the start of the service. "I went to the strabe to whistle and call for merlin once again. Suddenly I heard a miserable meow and went after the noise. No doubt: the screaming came from the fountain in front of the upper castle!" Covered with boards and stones, the fountain has long been a danger in the eyes of the clergy – and now the little cat had obviously fallen into it in his curiosity.
"My son simon and i set to work: the rusted iron plates, broken pieces of concrete, stones of the enclosure, everything had to be carefully cleared away, because there was the danger of something falling in and killing the little animal." When the rescuers finally covered everything and looked into the well, they saw nothing at all. So ladders and flashlights had to be brought in, neighbors came along and helped out. In the meantime, the pastor informed the sacristan that the service would start a little later today…
Merlin is doing well
"We love the ladder down into the about five meters deep well, i climbed down. Nothing to see from merlin! When I shone the flashlight around, he was sitting in a side entrance to the well and after some persuasion he was able to climb up on an old board, which we pushed in, and loved to be transported up by me without any problems."
Pastor arnold found the appropriate bible passage right away: "jesus says (luke 14:5): who is there among you whose son or ox falls into the well and who does not immediately pull him out, even on the sabbath day??"
The service started a quarter of an hour later, the visitors understood. Merlin is doing well. And also the pastor has digested the horror.