Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-07-16


duce him to enjoy himself.
Far from being ruled by the discourse of
tho wizard, Tom no sooner found himself
alone than he rushed out of the window upon
the tiles, and there devoted himself to such a
pugnacious existence that. when the moon
was at the full, and he returned home in
answer to thes~izard's summons, he looked
in worse condition than ever "a dissipated,
abandoned, shaggy scamp of a cat without
an ounce of fat upon his bones. Loud was
the indignation with which he was received
by the wizard, who, determined to be fooled
no longer, thrust him into an empty coop,
| and placed before him II sausage of such
delicious odor that abstinence was impossible.
Want of exercise and a course of irresisti-
bic sausages at last brought Tom to the de-
gree of obesity required by the arch-wizard,
and awful preparations were made for carry
ing out the contract to its full extent. The
kitchen fire was lighted, and a pot was
placed thereon to boil down the feline car
case, and extract the precious material while
poor Tom looked wistlully through the bars
of his coop at the menacing blaze. Despe-
rate, indeed, seemed his case, when the
wizard sharpened knife, and took him out
OF his prison; nor was he particularly
touched by the considerate question of the
wise man. whether he would be beheadcd
first and skinned afterwards, or whether the
process of ihaying should precede that of de-
capitation. He decided, however, on rehec
ton, that it would be less painful to lose his
head before his skin, than to have the opera
tion reversed, and his choice was generously
allowed by the wizard.
Notwithstanding this satisfactory arrange
ment, no sooner did Tom perceive the knife
waving over his head, than he began to ut
ter such singular expressions of contrtion,
that the wizard was checked in his proceed
ings by the sheer force of curiosity, for the
cat, in wild terms, alluded to a certain sum
of ten thousand fiorins the property of his
late mistress, which, he said, lay like a
heavy burden on his conscience; and then,
suddenly changing the subject, he hinted
that 1t would be expedient for the wizard to
take wife The conjuror, after staring for
some time, deliberately laid down the imple-
ment of death, and requested an explanation
of the cats meaning Hereupon Tom most
provokingly uttered wall Of despair, and
requested to be beheaded without further
questioning, nor did he cease this tantalising
conduct until the wizard informed him that
if he did not reduce his wild calculations to
something like an ineligible narrative, the
loss of his head should be preceded by that
of his ears and tail.
Thus prompted to become historical, Tom
began an exceedingly long and dismal story
respecting his late mistress, who, it seems,
had been great beauty in her younger days,
and who being, moreover, exceedingly rich,
suspected that every lover who solicited the
honor Of her hand wooed her for her wealth
alone. To one young gentleman, whom she
really loved, she behaved very shabbily, in
deed, for the mere purpose of testing his sim
cerity answering his offer Of marriage by
assuring him, most nntrnly, that eho was
betrothed to a poor man, who could not
cspouse her on account Of his pecuniary en-
barrassments. The deluded youth, in per-
feet frenzy ofmagnanimity, ruined himself by
placing in the lady's hands sum sufficient
to cover the debts of her imaginary lover
and even allowed himself to be cajoled into a
promise that he would be present at the we'd
ding of his rival, which was to take place on
such and such a day. The lady was, o.
course, delighted to find that she had at length
met with purely disinterestcd heart, and
intended, when the appointed day ar
rived, to bring the fiction to happy
termination by declaring that the sup
posed insolvent was phantom OF hel
| own invention. and that her heart belonged
exclusively to his (the phantom's) generou
benefactor. Unhappily, however, the oni,
disinterested creature in the world filled W
his time by going to the wars, and his dcatf
on the battlefield prevented him from keep
ing his appointment. News of the sad even
was brough to the lady, who, in an agony o
contrition, flung the money given to her b.
the deceased into deep we'll, declaring tina
it should never be the property of morta
man. However, as death approached, sh
changed her mind, and informing her cat Q
the place where the treasure was concealed
told him there was one case in which
might be lawfully used. Should he find
perfectly beautiful and penniless maiden
whom a perfectly honest man was incline
to wed, in spite of her poverty, then-an
then only-should he EN- ploy the contents 9
the will as marriage portion. So the lad
died, and left the cat sole executor. Th
torments Of Toms conscience were now easl
explained. He feared to die, leaving hi
trust unfulflled.
We grieve to say that this charming tale
so replete with delicate sentiment, 80 whole
some in its moral tendency, was neither nor
nor less than wiredrawn falsehood, devise
by the cat for the express purpose of decei'
, ing the arch wizard. There was, indeed, tn
sum of ten thousand forms at the bottom
, /, the we'll in question, but it had come int
q the possession of the old lady's family by SON
4 unrighteous means, and she, being perso
). of superstitious integrity, had flung it I'M
the well that it might bring her no i'll lucl
. uttering as she did SO, an imprecation on Il
4 head Of any one who might remove it. !
: for the story of the young gentleman, she ha
;, never had an admirer in her life.
= The wizard nibbled at the bait but befo
;, he proceeded further in the business, he sa
;, he would have peep into the well to asce
g tain if the treasure was actually in existenc
= Accordingly he made the cat, whom he secu
- y ed with a strong cord, guide him to the ga
- - den Of the deceased lady, when, with the he
y Of lantern, he saw the coin glittering at t
y bottom of the we'll. Being thus certain of Il
u main fact, he began to inquire after the pa
"A ticulars, asking the cat whether he was qui
= sure that the shining treasure amounted pl
:, cisely to ten thousand forms. Tom repli
a drily that he really could not tell, that
y; never had been down into the well himse
- and that, for all that he knew to the contrar
10 the lady might have dropped few pieces
40 ~ she rushed with the sum Of money to its p
~ - sent place of concealment.
- All this sounded so honest that the viva
,;s declared himself perfectly satisfied protest.
,' nt at the same time his anxiety to become
~ disinterested bridegroom of portionless da
'a Of sci, if such being could be found. T
u averred that a specimen of virtuous pove
m was already in his eye, and that he wo
~ ~ be most happy to render his services to
nnae' wizard if he found himselfin an unembarrs
Ie Io ed condition. But how could any mort
20, whether human or feline, 60 a-wooing
Tsd Tes proxy with any degree of spirit, while aw
'od that there was contract in existence
nu 'n. which his life might be demanded at n
,n- utes notice?
Ihe t Cats grease was valuable, but the yiel'
taS tad a single cat, however plump, was not VIC
.1u .sa ten thousand forms; so the wizard, gr'
,ns ,ns bling not little, slowly drew from his pc
1'1 leu ct the treasured contract, which Tom
wv. annnar .,arcaiued than he nounced unoI