Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-07-05
Furry with Wings.


1t was troublesome question! No
wonder it proved too much for Puss.
cats little mind to settle. Pusscat's
mind was only about as big as your
little doubled-up fist! 1t was covered
over with pretty silky black fur, and
there were two big pointed ears prick.
ing up on top.
This was the question. Why is II
good and clever to catch little furry
things with four legs, and naughty to
catch little feathery things with two
legs? f here were four feet. Pusscat
was patted and praised and called a
nice kitty and a good mouser. Some
times they gave her milk to drink. for
desert, after she had eaten up the
four-legged thing.
But, if there were only two legs, II
ives all very different. She wasn't al.
lowed to eat it at all. They took it
away from her and hid it.; and, if she
showed it to a certain person. she had
her ears boxed. too. Sometimes the
smallest person cried. and all the per.
sons scolded and called her a bad
cruel cat to catch the poor little bird.
Now what was it that made such a
difference between the things with
two legs and the things with four?
One kiud-the furry kind-had little
round ears, to be sure; and to be sure
the other kind-the feathery kind
had big wings. The furry one had a
nice long wriggly tail, while the feath
cry ones tail was fiat and stiff, and
not good to eat. But both the things
tasted very nice. and both were hard
to catch.
Pusscat thought upon these ques.
tions great deal, especially when.
ever the persons boxed her ears; but
she never succeeded in understanding
it. Still, as the family always made
such a disagreeable fuss about it, she
learned to be very particular in her
proceedings.
Whenever she caught one of the
four-footed furry kind. she brought it
up on the veranda and was very proud
of it, curling her long tail and purring
and step-stepping with her forepaws.
But if it had but two feet and was
feathery, she carried it under the
hedge, out of sight, and ate it up as
quickly as she could.
Somehow the family found out about
this practice of Pusscat. And one day,
when Pusscat came in at the gate with
thing in her mouth. they all came
out on the veranda to watch her anf
see what she would do this time. Puss'
cat started up the path; but she trotted
slower and slower. and soon stopped
short. Then she turned and looked
toward the hedge, and after moment
started to go that way, then stopped
again.
Then she laid the thing down on
the ground. and stood still aud looked
at it. She was thinking. She was
wondering whether she had better
risk losing the pleas sire Of showing
her prize or risk having the prize
taken away from her. 1t was the
worst puzzle Pusscat ever had had.
She started first one way, then the
ether way, several times. At last she
came on toward the veranda, but very
slowly and all ready to run away like
a flash, should she ind she had made
a mistake. When she laid The thing
down on the top step. ths family saw
just what the trouble was; and how
they all laughed at poor Pusscat!
No wonder poor Pusscat was in ,
puzzle! 1t was a furry thing, so
must be right to catch it. But it had
wings, also, so probably it was naughty
to catch it. When she tried to settle
the matter by counting is legs, she
found it hadn't any legs at all!
1t was a bat. And bat has soft
fur like mouse; but it also has wings.
The family laughed at poor bewildered
Pusscat. And then the smallest per-
son took her up and carried her around
to the kitchen and gave her a big
saucer of milk. because. she said. a
bat couldn't be good to eat.
But Pusscat ate both the milk and
the bat.-Edith Frances Foster. in
Little Folks