Based on the legend of Cornish fisherman Tom Bawcock and the stargazy pie,[1] it tells the tale of his cat, 'Mouser' (or 'Mowzer'), whom accompanies him on a fishing expedition in particularly rough and stormy seas.

Tom Bawcock (only called 'Tom' in the book) and his loyal black-and-white female cat, Mowzer, have long enjoyed their tranquil lives of daily fishing, cooking their catch and relaxing in Mousehole.

Tom would cook many different dishes each evening from the bounty of the sea; morgy broth (a fish stew), hake topped with golden mashed potatoes, kedgeree with smoked ling, and stargazy pie on Sundays.

Upon seeing this great feline spirit, Mowzer saves the day by "soothing" the tempest with her purring, which eventually becomes an operatic "song" in which she sings from the boat in a human voice.

In 1994, Grasshopper Productions and The Red Green & Blue Company created an animated version of the tale for Channel 4, narrated by Siân Phillips.