Here, kitty kitty. Come to Cricket.

This month’s Cricket is a Japanese delight. In “Bushi’s Bullfight” you’ll read about one of the early masters of karate and how he upheld the code of the true warrior by fighting a bull with his bare hands. Hiyah! If you ever lose anything in the crowded Tokyo subway station, you might try looking for it in a magical place called “The Lost Property Office.” In the final episode of “The Girl Who Drew Cats,” young artist Ariko encounters a rat demon in a Japanese temple, as well as a two-tailed cat spirit. And if that’s not enough of a meowthful, Margot the cat continues her imitation of a princess in Lloyd Alexander’s hilarious “The Cat-King’s Daughter.”

There’s also the beginning of “Mermaid’s Blood,” a two-part story about boys who get more than they bargained for when they visit the hut of a mysterious, witchlike hermit. In “The Fairy Flag,” the chief of a Scottish clan falls under the influence of a shapeshifting fairy. Finally, there’s the true adventure of “Growing Up on a Whaleship,” about a young New England girl who lived four years on a whaleship captained by her father.

And never forget the beautiful art, challenging contest, thrilling bug adventures, and Old Cricket wisdom you’ll find in every issue of Cricket! Thar she blows!