The Sandman – Ep11 – Dream of a Thousand Cats/ Calliope
“Dream of a Thousand Cats”: Late one night in this animated story, a Siamese cat holds a gathering of other cats to tell her story about her encounter with Morpheus. A long time ago, she met a tomcat with whom she gave birth to a litter of mixed-breed kittens. This displeased her owners Paul and Marion who took the kittens and threw them into a river, traumatizing the Siamese cat. In desperation, the cat dreamed of meeting Morpheus in the form of a large black cat after encounters with a skull crow and the Wyvern, Griffin, and Hippogriff that guard his cave. The cat begged Morpheus for a solution. Morpheus presented her with a parallel universe in which cats were the dominant species over humans until the humans fought back by dreaming at the suggestion of a golden-haired rebel human, re-creating reality and turning their masters into the cats that mankind sees them as today. Upon finishing her story, the Siamese cat urges the other cats to perform the same enlightenment so that they may reclaim their status as the rulers of the earth.
“Calliope”: In August 2018, struggling author Richard Madoc visits an elderly former writer named Erasmus Fry who has imprisoned the Muse Calliope. Fry transfers ownership of Calliope to Madoc who discovers that by raping her, he receives inspiration. He does this more than once despite his promises until it becomes obvious he never intends to let her go. By August 2022, with Madoc still holding Calliope captive, she tricks him into unknowingly sending a message to the recently released Morpheus (whom she affectionately calls Oneiros), her former husband, whom she has not seen since the tragic death of their son Orpheus. Morpheus becomes enraged and confronts Madoc and curses him with an uncontrollable stream of ideas. Madoc soon has his student Nora free Calliope, who asks Morpheus to lift his curse from Madoc. Morpheus does so and Madoc finds himself unable to remember Calliope, Morpheus, or any of his obtained ideas. Calliope vows to make sure that what happened to her doesn’t happen to her sister Muses. She and Morpheus share a tender goodbye as she expresses the hope that she can visit him in his realm to grieve their son properly. Moviephtv