Evening star., 1926-04-25
This and That
By Charles E. Tr0ceWeU.

When Jack Spratt. the cat. wants
to go out in the back yard to roll
in the dirt. one car be sure that
Spring has come.
The vernal season is here. then. for
Jack took his first dust bath one fine
day last week, when the lilacs were
budding. the peonies shooting up.
and the altheas showing their green
little knobs.
Meow" asserted Jack. which, in
,at language. meant nothing less than
.he following:
Mister. il seems to me about time
for a good old roll in that bed out
there wherein you have just planted
seeds of the Four.o' Clock, otherwise
known as the Marvel of Peru.
Just how Peru got mixed up in the
matter is a subject for future investi-
CATION. but at the present time. Mister.
all | am particularly interested in is In
getting out there, so that l may throw
myself prone on the earth. and take
q good roll
You must realize, Mister. that the
various members of the feline tribe.
which includes the great lions of the
Sahara Desert as we'll as the striped
tigers of India. manifest their pleas
ure at the coming of Spring. with a
few rolls in the dirt.
LAS a matter of strict personal pref
erence. a cat would rather have dry
dust. but will be content with mealy
earth, or even red clay, so long as Il
is sufficiently dusty.
'"rhe rationale of this process" con
tinued Spratt. may be sufficiently in
dicated by an appropriate example.
which l am perfectly willing. nay.
anxious. TO give YOU the moment
YOU will unlatch the screen door.
before which now sit in an implorinc
attitude"
SO saying. Jack Spratt rose on his
hind legs, curved his forelegs against
the door jam. and stretched his neck.
looking up with his green eyes ablaze
with anxiety.
Master of Condensa ton. Jack had
compressed 200 words into one tremep.
dous Meow" The result OF this elo,
quence was that the door. came open
Immediately. and Jack dashed down
the steps on padded paws. determined
to make the most of his freedom.
The first thing he did was TO Chas,
Tumblebug. a back member Of his
race. out of the yard. In describing
this action. we may resort to the
language of the sports writer's. who.
when describing Jack Dempsey in
and sometimes his last.
Jack Spratt saw Tumblebug calmly
seated. paws beneath him Jack
made a pass at Tumble. but Bug saw
Spratt coming. and hoped away.
Spratt ran after Bug. but Tumble saw
Jack coming. Swiftly Ttimblebug
leaped over the fence, whereupon
Jack Spratt was satisfied.
A dog down the alley drew a few
| looks, but as a general thing Jack IL
not afraid of dogs. The. one under OBJ
servation being about Jacks size. the
latter paid him no more attention, but
went on about his busine,AE. which was
to roll in the dirt, it will be remem>
bered.
Arriving at the bed, Jack plunged
in. threw himself down and began
to roll over. His back and sides soon
were coated with red dust. He was a
picture of animal satisfaction.
| Now slow. now fast, he twisted over
and over. scratching his fur in tho
dirt. Arising. he shook himself until
the clay few like cloud of red taicum
powder.
{, Tumblebug. over in his own yard,
was indulging in similar tactics. Soon
he took on the appearance of a rusty
black cat. His technique was superior
to that Of Spratt, however.
| Tumhlebug twitched himself from
side to side on his back with the rapid
motion which had earned for him hts
insect name. Jack Spratt, on the
other side. seemed to profess the
slower motion.
| Between these two SCHOOLS Ur coffing
in the dirt the renfer must decide
which he likes besi. in case he feels.
at <his Seaspr, an urge to go and DO
| likewis-s.