Evening star., 1926-06-13
This and That
By Charles E. TraceioeN.

Today's cat tale is divided into three
parts, the first concerning Jack Spratt
and the catbird. the second treating
/ of Spratt and the gladiolus bed. and
the third, Jack Spratt and Betty's
| pups.
| Jack held an extensive converse ton
with the catbird as he crouched on
the walk. and il poised on the fence
rail. hurting epithets directly into his
white whiskers.
A catbird is rakiSh.l looking fell
low, with a long bill and a sort of
buccaneer cap on his head. He pos
sesses one of the most disagreeahle
squawks among birds. a cry which
does. it must be admitted. somewhat
resemble the cats meow. but is, in
the main, a. slander upon the clear
treble of the feline tribe.
The particular catbird of our tale
deliberately called Jack Spratt names,
swaying on the fence. ewing the cat
in an impudent manner
Jack crept forward. but finally
crouched down. as if realizing that the
bird would never allow him to get
within feet of it.
"Ya-a-a." creaked the bird
Jack Spratt looked around. as II for
| sympathy from his admirers. and then
glared at the feathered imitator.
"Na-a-a." meowed Spratt.
"Ya-a-a-a-a"' croaked the catbird.
"Na-a-a.a a-a-a cried the cat.
| &
The story of how cat can walk on
a crowded mantel and never touch a
single piece of bric-a -brac has been
told often. but perhaps no one has.
ever related before how a member of
the sOft-footed family may wend his
way through crowded gladiolus bed
without touching a leaf.
Yet this was the feat achieved by
Jack Spratt, who performed ii with
| nonchalance. as if it had been no more
than a simple stroll through a wide
plain on a Sunday afternoon.
Although the arrangement of four
| small beds. with grass paths between
and a grassy circle in the center, had
been named Spratt Circle. in his
honor, Jack was not allowed to spend
| much time in their vicinity.
Naturally enough. being a cat, he
| wanted TO do nothing go much as walk
through those beds. or recline his
striped length beneath the waving
leaves of the growing flowers.
This day he was feeling in a par
ticularly frisky mood. so he lost no
, time in pointing his white nose in the
direction of Spratt Circle.
Hey, get out of there" came the
| warning. But 1t was delivered too
late. Arching his long TAIL ringed
by circles Of black, Jack made n dash
| forward
Along one grassy path he sped. then
stopped squarely in the center of his
circle. lie bowed up his back. looked.
wildly around. seemed to make up
I his mind.
! quick as a flash. he marched boldly
| into bed. Onlookers held their
breath. trembling for the fate of the
somewhat brittle gladiolls stalks, but
Jack Spratt stalked straight onward.
| Truth compels us to record the fact
that he did not stir a single sword
snaped leaf. And when he got
through. he turned around, and eyed
us. much as If TO say, who's going TO .
hurt your old bed anyway"
~ ~
Betty Is the Boston terrier next
door. The stork brought her two pup
| pies, and il was only the past week
| that she had brought them out to en-.
| joy the light of day.
Jack lifted his ears widely at the
! sight OF the pups attempting to walk
| in the grass. The little fellows stum-
bled and fell in their first stroll in
the sunshine.
Betty was not satisfied, evidently,
with the progress of one of her chill
dren. Leaping upon it, she staggered
1t to the ground with a blow of her
| paw, rolled 1t over. and pushed 1t up
again.
The pup squeaked with pain.
The mother then put her paw
squarely over the puppy's mouth.
Every time it cried out, she would re-
peat the performance.
Jack Spratt finally got tired Of
watching the dog show. and turned
his back upon it, after hearty
stretch, which took in every muscle
i'm his fur-clad body.
Dogs bore me-" he meowed. IL
any one doubts that Jack actually said
this, all we can say is that we have
spent much time learning his lam
guage. and are quite sure we inter-
pref his meow" correctly In this in
stance.
show that the time has not come from