Evening star., 1923-12-23
Heard and Seen

Jack Spratt, famous alley cat,
whose feat of getting his tail caught
in a swinging door brought him to
city-wide notice last week, has two
new claims on fame.
After Jack got his tail mussed up
like that he felt bitter on the world.
He sulked for a whole day. He lay
under beds, and couched himself
beneath chairs. He refused to come
out.
Perhaps the universal liking of
cats for soft chairs is determined not
so much by the softness Of the cush-
ions thereof, but by the safety Of
fered by the back and two arms. Also
the seat
Ensconced in chair, a cat is pro-
tected from beneath. back and both
sides. He can face the enemy with
his mouth and all four paws, and
need only fear an aerial foe.
Felines like to get underneath
beds, bureaus, kitchen cabinets, ia
bles and such things. Undoubtedly 1t
makes them fell safe, since they are
protected from onslaughts in all d.
rections except the front
\.
Jack Spratt moped around all that
day, after getting his tail caught in
the door. He would not be comforted
until late in the day, almost time for
him to go on his nightly prowls. For
it must not be forgotten that Jack
Is an alley cat. The stamp OF his
breed Is on him.
Unlike the cat raised from a kit
ten by kind hands, Jack Is ever sus-
picious. No matter how kind one Is
to him, he Is always on the lookout
for suspicious moves or unusual
noises. In the alley ones life depends
upon his quickness..
So that evening Spratt left his
warm home of the time being to
take up the grand business OF life.
He came to another home, where the
inha bitants welcomed him. He en-
tered.
The small boy of the family had
just been reading the funny pic.
recounted the adventures of some
rreg-1ar fellers" with a cat. The
hero Of the yarn had seized cat
by the tail, and when reproved by
his mother, had stated that 1t was
the cats own pulling that hurt the
creature, since all he, the youth, did,
was to hold on.
Just as the boy of the household
was finishing this somewhat warped
bit Of ethics. in comes Jack spratt
well, IL there isn't Simon" cried
the boy, using the name he had
given Jack. Spratt goes by diff
ferent name in every household he
visits.
to try out the system of the funny
piotura on Jack or Simon, as he
or course, he knew nothing of
Jacks misadventure with the swing
So he grabbed the cat by the tail
right on the sore spot where his
caudal appendage had been scrunched
in the door in the morning:
Meow, meow-ow-ow-ow! squalleo
Jack Spratt.
"See, he pullsw shouted the boy.
Just like in the picture. :.
But ne never did know just why IL
was that Jack me-owed so very Wig
orously.
Now for spratt's second claim to
fame.
Life, even for an alley cat, Is not
all hard luck.
The next day he visited the home
where his tail had been hurt, there
TO find a contrite household. anxious
to win back his outraged affections.
Wise beyond his months, Mr.. Jack
spratt did not show himself any too
ready to accept dainties.
But six oysters appealed to him
immensely.
After consuming the six oysters,
Jack graciously accepted saucer
f milk.
Then another. Then third. Then
fourth.
By this time Jack was pretty full.
ut the enhancing aroma of salmon
ound him ready.
He ate half a can of the fish, and
| 6en me-owed for more.
six oysters, four saucers of milk.
| nd half q can OF salmon--can any
Il -. T.. touyp baat that recOrd2