Evening star., 1947-06-11
This and That
By Charles z. TrdceaUeH.

To fall out of second-Story window Is not
ordinarily conducive to giving one feeling of
elation, but then one may not happen to be
a cat.
Cats are noted for their ability to take such
dives without harm. 1t is even reported that
big black cat fell or was thrown out of the
Washington Monument in the course Of con-
Struction and survived.
Young cat Gray, age l, slid down the side of
his home the other afternoon in bright sunlight
amid yells from his friends.
The only one not excited was Gray
He lit in some rhododendrons which broke
his fall.
The thunk he. made on landing, however,
spelled disaster to listeners-but not to the cat
He was upright when picked up, and has
remained in the best of spirits ever since. in
fact even has more pep than before.
The odd fact is that he is much more ad-
venturesome than in the past
In human being his change in spirit would
be from sedate to "cocky."
He was very mild; now he is inclined to be
on the lookout for something to do.
The fall was caused by a screen over the
entire window giving away at the bottom.
This was due to the cats climbing up by
hooking his claws in the meshes.
This is not recommended, but members Of
his tribe like to do it. The difhculty comes in
unlocking the claws.
When Gray, who weighs 10 pounds, felt the
screen going outward with him, he evidently
turned to get back into the window.
AS he seized the SILL the large screen came
back on him, and pushed him down.
He swung by his claws from the SILL and
meowed for help.
The question was, how to help him. No doubt
a hero would have done exactly the right thing
at the right moment Men of action always
do-except when they don't. Thinkers are in
clined to pause for consideration and that Is
where sometimes they fail to be heroes
The question was, whether it were best to
dash over and try to catch him as he fell. or
run upstairs and attempt to drag him in from
the sill.
4
In the second this consideration took, Gray
gave final despairing meow, and let go.
Down he came.
Stiff rhododendron bushes acted as springs
to break his fall, but they also impeded the
progress of the rescue party.
BY the time aid was forthcoming the cat
had landed, completely, and successfully.
He looked around in astonshment as If
wondering what the excitement was all about.
Did he land on his feet as cats are supposed
to do?
Well, nobody knew! That is always the way
with witnesses. Mostly they are so excited that
they take in the action, but do not see how
it happened
all, do not often fall from windows Here was
an exceptional chance to determine the matter
on personal basis, and yet the watchers knew
no more afterward than they did before.
The chance of lifetime missed and yet
it could not be helped Chances are often
missed.
- The sound made by the cat when he struck
did not support the foot-landing theory. Our
guess is that he landed on his side, but may
have struck the rhody branches on his hind
feet. The more feet a cat lands on, OF course,
the less the strain on any one.
The cat Gray has shown much improved
morale from his slide for life. with no bad
results at all; he plainly thinks rather well
of himself and is slightly superior in his atti-
tude toward his brother Blackie, whose short
life has had no equal adventure
After all. few living creatures fall such dis
tance on hard ground without showing signs Of
It, The cat or human Is fortunate after such
slide, II he merely feels set up" about It.