Evening star., 1925-08-30
This and That
By Charles E. TracesoeH.

Jack Spratt, the cat, was covered
with feas.
Now there are some people going
around declaring that cat feas will
not leave A cat. This may be true
Of fieas on dog. but it is not true
of fieas on a cat.
Certainly it is not true of Spratt
feas.
Not that ] believe Jack is the proud
possessor of a new brand of Glencoe
phalus canis. This so-called dog
and cat flea is the common flea in
America. not the European human
f1ea)
Jack, disdsinful of all dogs. never
theless bears upon his tiger. striped
person numerous specimens of this
nasty fellow labeled in all the books
dog and cat flea
The fact that cats share them, az
we'll as their name. with dogs is no
solace TO Jack Spratt who fought
them back with his long. red tonRue
Hours he spent licking himself. in
an attempt TO rid his fur of the crawl
ing things that made life miserable
for him. In Summer when you see
your dog or cat suddenly make a dart
at some portion of its anatomy. know
that ii is a flea he is after.
] was not particularly solicitous as
to Jacks 'fieas until one of them left
their host and decided to make his
home upon the writer of this column.
Immediately | got flea in the
ear, as the saying is. This was a
horse of a decidedly different color,
You are" told myself. "a superior
animal to your cat, SO YOU ought TO be
able to catch flea where he cannot"
This writer Immediately puts his
superior human brain to work. and
soon proudly nipped the festive flea
between his right thumb and fore
finger.
The f1ea was then drowned in
bowl of water. and sent on its way
rejoicing down the drain.
You see how | do it, Jack" | said.
But Jack was busy. with one leg
hoisted up in the air. attempting 10
kill few 1eas on the tip of his tail.
so evidently did not hear me.
Despite my success with the first
flea. other members Of the Glencoe.
phslus family left the cat. as was
evidenced by various bites distributed
around my anatomy.
Jack. old fellow, we have got 10
do something about this" said
firmly.
''Rlub-hluher." licked Jack. franti-
ilv.
We'll just try little sulphur on
you. ! retorted. hs suling out a news
paper clipping. 1t read:
Sulphur will rid your cat of feas.
and At the same time will be good
for him if he licks it off," Succinct.
was that clipping.
So we got out a nice big box Of
powdered sulphur. and lured the cat
down into the basement where we
stood him on large sheet of paper.
Perhaps 1t should he stated here that
we would just as leave try to battle
tiger as Jack Spratt. A hath was
out of the question. Applicable of
powder, however, he will stand for
somewhat.
With much kicking and buckins.
Jack endured the rubbing in Of the
yellow meal. He soon took on the
appearance Of the stransest looking
cat in the world His eyes grew
rounder and more indignant. while
his gray and black watermelon body
became sickly yellow grean.
From the tip Of his tail to the end
Of his nose, Jack Spratt was showsred
with sulphur. Not a bit Of his hide
nor a one Of his feas escaped.
I'll bet those old fieas are all dead
now" we triumphantly chortled.
The old heas, indeed. gave no sign
of their presence. The victory seemed
complete.
Jack Spratt. on the other hand.
seemed wonderfully depressed. Per
haps he caught sight of himself in a
mirror.
Each time he gave himself
vigorous shake. cloud Of yellow dust
new up. We visiored him shaking
off dead heas at every vibration.
When Jack began to lick, as usual.
we said tn each other, 1T won't hurt
him, 1t will do him good" That was
what the clipping said.
Alas for clippings. hooray for heas,
Ctenocephalus canis simply reveled
in that sulphur. He ate II and grew
fat. on II. He thrived nightly.
Sulphur Is what don't like nothir
else but. Jacks fleas seemed TO say.
Evidently they had been reading
Octavus Roy Cohen.l
Reader, never let anybody. or any
clipping. fool you into trying to kill
Neas with sulphur. IT won't do It.
Ask Jack and me-we know,