Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-27
This and That
By Charles E. TrdcepeH.

JACK OpIhLC6 SbOmdCn may DC Sdl0
to be set at o'clock. Just as the bears
theirs adjusted for o'clock.
Feeding time for the bears 10
o'clock in the afternoon, but Jack
Spratt, the cat, gets his dinner at I
pm. Eastern standard time.
Out at the Zoo the bears and otheA
creatures growl. roar and in other une
mistakable ways manifest their correct
knowledge of time.
Jack Spratt, he Of the white shirt
front and gray and black tiger stripes,
knows almost to the minute when {
o'clock comes around. -.
He begins to get interested in every
sound that comes from the kitchen
about that time. Usually he begins
to prick up his ears about $3.50 o'clock,
listening for several sounds well known
to him.
The rustic of a paper bag may mean
dinner.
The sharpening of knife may mean
dinner.
The clank Of the meat grinder may
mean dinner.
The sound of a can opener in full
swing may mean dinner.
The opening of the refrigerator door
Is almost conclusive-it is practically
as good as dinner itself.
X X
Jacks eyes grow round and his en-
tire face takes on its most amiable ex-
preston when listening for any one
or more Of these five distinctive sounds.
The clank of q milk bottle or the
rattle OF pan in no wise disturbs his
meditations. All the clicks and clacks
which may come from q kitchen roll
on his back like so much sound and
said
Jack is listening for the rustic Of
q paper bag. which means beefsteak;
for the sound of the whetting Of a
knife, which means meat: for the clank
OF the meat grinder, which also means
meat: the sound of the can opener.
which means salmon, or the opening
OF the refrigerator door. which may
mean anything-or nothing.
= \
Now Jack is very fond of canned
peas, which he prefers to any other sort,
and likes the more expensive grades,
He will eat half q saucer of l5-cent
peas. but a whole saucer of Accent
peas, nor can you fool him. On baked
beans he is the same way: one brand,
and q very good one. he will not eat
at all, but another. but which costs q
few cents more. he eats avidly.
The othey afternoon about I O'Clock.
however. a plate of Jacks favorite peas
were responsible for him missing his
usual 4 o'clock dinner.
1t was this E1y:
Receis ing the peas 8 hours before
his regular meal time, Spratt appre-
ciated them to the LAST drop, we were
about to say. although pea" would be
more accurate.
H then curled himself up for nap
in his favorite chair. and was so sound
asleep by 4 O'Clock that no one thought
OF waking him for his dinner.
Six o'clock, 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock rolled
BY. and still the tiger cat slept peace.
fully.
He awoke at 10 pm, stretched. and
then looked around with puzzled
look.
Ali Now he recalled-he hadn't
had any dinnerl That dish Of peas
was merely a faster. as 1t were: he
would so down now for his dinner.
There was. alas! no dinner. The oc-
casion had been seized upon as q good
one to give Spratt bit or q fast.
Jack. however. could not see it that
way. For the remainder of the night
he alternated between the kitchen and
upstairs. running up and down the
steps. rolling UP rugs In mad dashes,
playing with an old spool, and upSetting
things in general.
Frequent indignant meows informed
the world that he wanted his dinner;
but when dawn came, and breakfast
was about ready. Jack Spratt curled
I'm in his chair again and went back
to sleep. which was just like q cat.