Evening star., 1925-03-15
Heard and Seen

Jack Spratt, my cat. holds me per
sonalIy responsible for many things
Rain and snow, he firmly believes,
are the result of my i'll will toward
him. He is convinced that I cause
both in order to prevent him from
having a night out.
Il do want out, Mister" he declares
in prodigious meow.
So l open the door. But when Jack
sees the rain. he refuses TO proceed
any farther. Turning his eyes on me,
he gives me wicked look. as much
| as to say, You did this"
No sooner is the door shut than the
cat forgets about the rain and i'm
medlately meows to get out again. \
second time it is opened. Jack looks
out with infinite disgust.
TIL bet you did it," he says as well
as feline can. What's the big
idea?"
Snow too. OF which we had plenty
this Winter. is largely my machina-
tion. The Weather Bureau ought to
be glad to know about my ability as
a rain and snow maker. Maybe |
could help them out
Snow is wet, too. old Spratt knows;
something different from rain, some
what resembling a saucer of milk.
| but It the same time possessing the
| disagreeable qualities of coldness and
wetness.
| In this opinion Jack is scientifically
correct. If he could read an encyclo-
! pedia, he would find out therein that
snow is just another form of water.
So the old cat Is right, after all.
Another matter for which I am
blamed is Spratt's tendency to get his
tail caught in wicker chair. He Is
never to blame. / always am.
Jumping up in my lap, Jack will
purr at a prodigious rate for a time.
His purr by the way, is not the ordi-
nary kind. 1t is special. Most cats
pu-r irrespective Of their breathing
Their purring is uninterrupted, is
suing in a steady stream. Jack
Spratt, however. being most unusual
cat. does not purr like others of his
tribe. His purring comedies with his
breathing.
His best purr is sort of tremen-
dous groan. resembling a rusty pump
Well, when he gets this in good oper-
alton, he invariably gets his tail
caught in between the meshes of the
wicker of the arm of the chair
He waggles his tail. Something is
holding it. He waggles it again. 1t
is caught.
Jack turns his head to give me a
questioning look. This deviltry. he
knows full well. is solely my doingS
Although he knows l never tease flim,
he believes l am holding his tail. frt
He begins to lash his caudal lap-
pendage. 1t will not come loose.
Jack stops purring. He gives me "A
warning meow. Let go of my taiiy
he seems to say. s1s-.
Reaching back, ] pull his tail out
from the wicker work. He fiaunts Its
striped length several times, then re-
sumes his purring. Funny little ami
mall =.fss.
-es
One wet night recently Jack re-
fused to go out for the evening. So at
bedtime we put him down in the
basement Going down later to look
at the furnace, / found Jack eager to ,
escape. ~
He ran up the stairs and then
started to go up the staircase to the
second story. l made a lunge for the
cat. thinking to catch his launches
as he went by. Missing that, / grab
bed his tall thinking that the cat
would stop when he felt the pull
Jack, however. was determined to
go upstairs. He begain to pull. The
harder he pulled. of course. the more
severe became the tug at his tail.
Harder and harder he pulled.
Finally he turned and proceeded to
spit at me in the age-old manner of
the cat tribe.
why. you were doing all the pull
ing. Jack" / said. "All ] was doing
was holding your old tail
c. f. TRACEwELL