Dildrum

In a tradition from South Lancashire, a man was sitting in his parlor when he was interrupted by the appearance of a cat, which came down the chimney, and called out, Tell Dildrum, Doldrum's dead. Shortly afterwards, when his wife entered, the man related to her what had happened, and their own cat, which had accompanied her, exclaimed, Is Doldrum dead? and immediately rushed up the chimney, and was heard of no more.

The general opinion appears to be that Doldrum had been the king of cat-land, and that Doldrum was the next heir.

References

Source

  • Harland, J. and T. Wilkinson. (1873). Lancashire Legends. London: George Routledge and Sons, p. 13.