Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22
This and That
BY Charles E. TraceueH.

A leap Of feet from standing posi-
ton Is nothing at all to one Boggs, half
year-old kitten, he with the black and
white coat and the black spot on the
tip Of his nose.
Boggs takes of as easily as II he were
merely stretching out one paw, bat be-
fore spectators realize what he is up to
he has cleared the distance from the
chair by the window to the end Of the
davenport.
He Is what is slangily called q 'leap-
ing Lena" Somewhere inside him there
seems to be coiled up a great spring,
which he utilities for his big jumps.
His bounding proclivities lead him
into and onto all sorts Of places where
kittens are not ordinarily welcomed
even in households where they have the
run Of the house.
Entering at the dining room door,
another chair, swings beneath 1t like a
monkey, and bounds to the back.
His long black tail heightens his
monkeylike appearance. That tan OF
his deserves mention all by itself.
Although Boggs Is but half a year
old, and Jack Spratt Is 6 years old, the
formers tail is liz inches in length:
Is compared with lols for our old
Boees' brothers and sisters, with the
execution of Little Nipper III. have
equally long tails, sign Of alley pedl-
gree, some say; Of health and vigor,
others declare.
As soon as Boggs has mounted to the
back of the chair, he looks around wild.
" with those beady little black eyes OF
his. Almost always he decides to take
the path by the mantel. With leap
he goes behind q short row OF books,
placed between two images OF the
Egyptian cat Mish.
From past trips in these exalted re-
gions he believes that in front OF the
books lies trio Of tiny ivory images
one q cat, and the other mice. The
ivory cat is chasing one mouse; the sec
ond sits behind hooking him.
Boggs rather fancies the ivory cat,
about an inch long. which he grabs IN
his mouth. The mice are almost TOO
small to seize. The last time he caugnt
the cat he broke its tail OF, since when
the trio has been moved to safer
retreat.
The next leg Of the journey takes
Boggs behind the clock. This mecharl-
ism has long fascinated the kitten;
Whenever 1t strikes the hour, he Will
lift his ears and regard the clock at
tentively.
The other evening he was behind 1t
when it struck He did not manifest as
much surprise as we had anticipated.
Cats have q way of disappointing their
human friends, almost as II they refused
to be put on parade.
Rounding the other end Of the man
tel, from behind a vase, Boggs sprang
into the air, and came down on the
back Of the davenport, where he pro.
ceeded to whet his claws with great
satisfaction.
His claws are so sharp that It be-
comes necessary to break up these
sharpening orgies. This does not worry
BoggS in the least, however.
With q bound he reaches the top OF
the radio, and from there he goes In
neat curve to the top of another book
case, upon which he stands on his hind
legs in vain attempt to creep behind
. o picture Of Napoleon hanging on the
wall.
At the word Of admonition which this
feat brings forth, Boggs regards the
world with an impudent expression,
after. which he jumps from the top Of
the bookcase to the Coxwel chair by
the window.
BY this time he has gone three
fourths Of the way around the room
without once touching the floor. We
are thinking Of bringing another chair
into line. 50 that from it he might
spring to the Gov. Winthrop desk.
thence to the top Of the largest and
highest bookcase, and down to the floor
by the way Of the monograph. Maybe
we will leave things as they are, how
ever, for Boggs' aerial expeditions are
rather trying on every ones nerves ex-
cept his own. .-.