Evening star., 1925-11-22
This and That
By Charles E. TrdcepeH.

On the back fence sat
Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus
Africanus Minor. His name did not
matter to him. All that interested
him was the enhancing odor OF
chicken that fioated from the open
kitchen door.
He had smelled it when far doTa
the alley, and having had little to
eat for a week, made bee-line for
the place whence issued those
delectable odors, enough to make
even the most pampered cat hungry.
Africanus, glistening black, wiggled
his nostrils. The question with him
was whether he should advance or
sit still. Forward movement might
mean danger, either in the shape Oh
a broom or a dog.
Warrior though he was, AfrlcanuS
chose to meet neither dog nor broom
this day He was hungry and he
wanted some chicken. To sit on
the fence. however, would keep be-
tween him and 1t far too much dis
tance.
Easing himself down, Afrftanus
skunk along the path by the withered
zinnia stalks, close by the rosebushes
doing their best to sport blossoms
despite the cold.
He reached the steps, then looked
around cautiously, then gingerly
soft treaded it to the porch where
he could look into the kitchen. The
smell was overpowering now.
Forgetting the necessity for eau.
ton. Africanus meowed seVeral
times. There was movement in the
kitchen, then a voice called: why
hello there. kitty! Where did you
come FROM"
Meow" cried Publius Cornelius
Scipio Aemilianus Africanus Minor
"Oh, You want some chicken. eh -
Meow"
well. maybe we can let you have
a leg. But we will have TO ask JACK
Spratt about it"
Suddenly a tiger-striped gray and
black cat appeared in the doorway
on the inner side of the screen.
It was none other than Jack Spratt
himself, who was so full of chicken
that he could scarcely waddle.
"Shail we let this poor hungry cat
have some of your chicken. Jack!
Jack Spratt was swelling at an
alarming rate. His tail already was
three times as big as normal. his
eyes glistened, his ears stood erect
his fur on his back had become very
fluffy.
Curving his neck, his head on one
side, cycling Africanus out of the
corner of his eye, Jack pronounced
the following verdict:
'Yow-ow-ow-ow:"
Africanus held his ground. how
ever, as bef1tted hungry old Roman.
He was too close to food to back
out.
AS the screen door came open,
Africanus retreated just enough not
to get his tail caught, then darted
forward to receive the big leg of
chicken that was thrown on the
porch floor between the two cats.
Africanus won by minutes. Jack
Spratt, surfeited. looked with aston
ished eyes at the precipitate snatch
of the hungry cat. Perhaps. he was
thinking to himself, "Once upon a
time I had to jump like that for my
grub
Africanus backed off a foot, then
began, to devour his rare treat.
Spratt watched him with interest.
He made no move forward. He
watched the black cat finish his bone,
and also two small scraps of round
steak left over from previous
Spratt meal.
Africanus. with his first square
meal in a week reposing in the place
calmly eyed Jack Spratt, then fell
to washing his face.
WAS that pretty good, Africanus? p
the black cat was asked, as a hand
stroked his head.
A tremendous scream of rage split
tho air.
spratts tail has swelled to four