The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-15
A CAT STORY.
Written for the Indianapolis Journal.

Written for the Indianapolis Journal.
''Ratsl Aunt Dinahl" shouted Carl, as he
few into the kitchen one Saturday afternoon.
''You audacious chile exclaimed the old
woman as she gathered her skirts about her
feet and hoisted them on the wood-box in pre-
cautionary manner
You don 'spect you can fool me dat away, an
ole Brinnel lyin dere with her two eyes shut fas'
an tight. do you9 Cause tell you dat no rats
is gwine to fool roun' dis house s long as ole
Brinnel keeps her seven senses handy"
whats de match with you anyhow9 I jes'
been noticin' you teasin' po old Prince out on de
do STEP an done see Uncle Jake shakin' his
fLgeh at you not to shoe de chickens roun' an
roun', an now you want to come foolin' along NV
me an ole Brinnel," said the old woman re-
proachfully. Pears like you amt got yo' sat
isfy Mess somebody's n'glectin' dere work maxim
gingerbread. dolls an fxn things fur you haf
de time, an rackn dere Brains fur stories to
tell yo' de otheh haf"
'Brindle don't catch any rats, Aunt Dinah.
never saw her with a rat in my life," remon-
strated the little boy alphabetically.
''You didn't, heya An you neveh see any rats
roun heah. neither, did vou?"
mo- Aunt Dinah," said the little boy, reflect
lively.
''Well. I kin tell you jes' how dat happens"
said the old woman in gentler tone of voice.
20, a story, a story!" shouted the little boy.
"Dar, now! It's jes' as done said-boys kin be
KEEP IN boun's eff a pusson's a min to weah
themselves out with entertainin EN- all de day
long. So, now, you jes' quit maxim ole Brinnel
wink her eahs by ticklin' her with dat straw an
set down fur enough away from dat window to
keep yo' fingers often de glass, an I'll tell
you de romance Nv Brinnel's great great great
gran ma; least ways. twas Nv her way-off
relashuns, an it's de cause Nv de reason dat
Brinnel always shoe de rats away without
ketchin' 'em.
We'll, one time when yo' nanny wuz little
cyril, her nanny took her an de res Nv dc
chilluns to visit dere gran'ma, an she lef' Gray
dy tdat wuz Brinnefs wayoff kinfolks dat
don't mentoned) at home with passed. NV young
kittens kite to take cyar Nv. An she leave
to %0ra feed er aS wes 90 sh esgHD0s
gone if 'twould be no trouble an
de neighbor low dat shed ten to her Bimeby
you all come home an fin things right side up
with cyar an mongst othehs dere wuz Graydy
jes' as glad to see de chilluns as eff shed bin
folks herself. De mex day yo' gran'ma sent yo
nanny up IN gyarret to git an ole tin can dat
wuz up dere with some gyarden seeds in it, an
10 an beholes!'-here Aunt Dinah dropped her
knitting In her lap and raised her hands i'm
veiy-"what do you think 20 nanny saw,
chile?'
20, can't guess, but do tell me" said the
little boy, with eager lips and sparkling eyes.
"'Deed you can't. chile, cause nobody could
guess sech unlikely thng-nobody," said Aunt
Dinah, soemny keep right still, an I'll tell
you. Well. right dere in box Nv ole newspa-
pehs wnz ole Graydy, lyin down sirgin' kitten
songs. an whole passel Nv young rats tuggin'
and nursin' NV her!"
''Why, Aunt Dinah. rats and cats can't live
fnra har coi2 toxv
quarter of dollar
Il know dere's mighty onfreinly feelins atwxt
EN-, honey. an I'll tell you how de quail come
about some time, but its de fur shure trufe
I'm tellin' you now An more'n dat yo' nam
my run right down stars an tell yo' gran'ma,
an she tell yo granpa, an all yo aunties, an de
neighbors, an dey all come in to see de Gurus
an onnatchurel sight. An de neighbors what
fed Graydy whites you all wuz gone vistin'
tole yo' gran ma dat one dav she had harth
taken up, an foun nes NV young rats an give
EN- to Graydy. one at time thinkin' dat she
took EN- home an ct EN-; an den dey all low
dat Graydys kittens all died an she took de DO
motherless rats fur her own chilluns An law
sakes, honey" said Aunt Dinah, af-
ter pause. I've done seed yo
nanny pick up dem little raises an let EN- run
up an down her sleeves an come outen de neck
Nv her dress, an ole Graydy would growl an
scole when anybody teched the little orphants
jes de same's eff deyd bin her own kittens, an
she'd pick EN- up by de back NV the neck, an
cyarry 'em back to dere bed js' like she's dere
own flesh an blood nanny"
Here Aunt Dinah paused to note the effect of
her improbable, but true story on her young
listener.
Did they grow up to be big rats2" he in
quired.
''Bles yo' SOUL no, honey Dc you spect de
otheh catses would low Graydy to upset de
No sir; dey jes' lay fur dem onnatchurl rats
when Graydy wuzn't watchin' an stole every
blessed one Nv 'em an ct 'em up"
Here the old woman paused to finish toeing off
her knitting, and continued refectivelv: Its
mighty cheerin' sign to see raises an catses
Twin togetheh in sech closte family relashuns
An now honey. OATS de reason dat ole Brinnel
chases all de raises away without ketchin em;
cause she done iphehit kinly feelin' todes 'em
from her great, great, great gran'ma Run
along now, an ask yo nanny eff you earnt any
five cents dis week fur bein' good.'
LOUISE ANDREWS