the cat helps the rabbi pass a french language exam so that he might one day become head rabbi, but after the exam the cat loses his ability to speak (as he invoked the name of god to pray for his master). after the discovery of a russian jew who has stowed away in a shipment of religious texts, the cat learns he can speak russian. he eventually regains his ability to speak french, finding he knows many languages and can act as a translator. the russian reveals that he is a painter who has fled from soviet russia. he has come to africa to search for a hidden city of black jews deep in the heart of africa, and convinces the rabbi, his cat, and a former russian soldier to help him in his search.