The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-24
DADYyEWN[|K'
ARY TALL H|,l|
THE CATS COMPLAINT.
~ MARY CpAHAM BONNER

better than l do the winter" said
Tommy Cat.
sThen you can't be very happy
now" said Teddy Cat,
Il wouldn't say that" said Tommy
Get.
well, you almost said IL a moment
ago. For it's the winter time now
and you're in the city and not in the
country. You said you like the coua-
try and summer"
THAT is true" said Tommy Cat. Il
said Just what you heard. Your ears
are good. But didn't say that | was
unhappy in the city, nor did say that
/ WAS unhappy in the winter.
"Ah," said Teddy Cat, snow L see.
what do you mean by saying such
childish thing?" asked Tommy Cat.
| whatever do you mean: asked
/ Teddy Cat. II am very much puZ-
| zled. Is it childish to understand
anything? And besides | think chill
dren often understand things which
grownups don't They often under
stand animals better for instance.
happy and how to have good times.
81 didn't mean,' said Tommy Cat.
/ that you were childish like child.
/ meant that you were childish Ike
: kitten. You said. as you remember,
Now / see.' OF course you meant
that you understood. But when you
= said that now you could see it sound
o ed as though you hadn't been able 10
? see before and as though You had
t just been baby kitten with your eyes
tight shut as all baby kittens are for
y the first week and a half Of their
O lives"
s "well, did everr' said Teddy Cat.
II must be very particular when L
; | speak to you. I mustn't say the
II wrong word in the wrong place, but
must say the right word in the right
place.
Il will have to buy myself a read
er and a speller and a dictionary.
Then / will have to get pair OF
glasses and have a pencil fastened to
my collar"
Not bit of it." said Tommy Cat.
You simply have to say what you
mean"
That sounds simple but il. is often
very hard" said Teddy Cat. Please
don't be so fussy."
e "All right said Tommy Cat, Il
won't be, for il l were. you would End
me making as many mistakes as you
, would be making. And we're such
good friends. We go back and forth
from the city TO the country and from
the country TO the city. From sum-
mer to winter and from winter TO
summer and we always go together,
we two"
I'VE do" agreed Teddy Cat. But
now that you are speaking once more
= of the city and the country and the
summer and the winter won't you tell
me why you like the country and the
t; summer so much:"
Il will tell you" said Tommy Cat
* but you mustn't think I am unhappy
for / am not Sometimes / have
@ thought ! would like to be cat living
in the country all the year and Their
again have thought ] would like q
be a cat living in the city all ths
year.
> But when / have thought hare
enough about the whole .aatter hay,
decided that I'm a very happy, puri
ing cat all of the time, but that thu
st summer and the country are my de
lights.
For, listen, Teddy"
And Teddy drew nearer.
= Il used to go into the kitchen var,
!. and so did you, and we took the tol
of the garbage pail and we had q,
ri; feast. Night after night we had 4
feast, and our mistress would say
Some strange animal came again il
the kitchen yard last night AM
knocked of the top of the gsrbsg'
in pail
"She didn't know we two were tit
nd strange animals OF course I used Il
81; complain that they didn't take tn
cover of for us, but 1 SUPPOSE the.
thought we were so well fed we didn'
=, need such treats. -
"we were fed well too, but ah.
II garbage pail is a garbage pail no mat
ter how We are fed
$50 I like the summer when tn
garbage pals are kept in the kitche
yards and where we can get to on
easily. Here in the city they kee
them tucked away in little place
= made for them where cats. no matte
: how clever. can't get at them.
I'VE can sometimes get a delicae
from a barrel on street, but oh.
o love the country and garbage pals |
:. kitchen yards
D $50 do l." said Teddy Cat, ''bu
+. most creatures when they speak G
: loving the country speak OF lotin
II flowers and fields, We most certain
IS ly are not like other creatures. Pur
s purr."