Evening star., 1948-03-04
This and That
Bu Charles E. Trdce1Dell
ARLINGTON Va.

'ARLlNG1ON, va.
Dear Sir:
80 your reader, F. D. NJ, would like a cat
story?
well, I have one live in an apartment
where no pets are allowed, but feed the birds
and this one cat daily.
THE cat never bothers the BIRDS and they
don't seem to worry about him being around.
Yours truly, j. F."
We are-t taking the liberty of turning this
story from verse into prose, as follows:
Thanks for My Daily Bread.
"SeVen years ago there came to our house
lanky kitten I saw him sneaking about Tor
food. He had little white mittens, also white
vest, and though he washed himself, he never
looked very WELL His coat was black, and he
wore a mask as If he were going to ball.
"He used to hide behind a bush, afraid OF
being seen. I knew it would do no good to
rush his confidence in me, so when I threw
crumbs to the birds. mixed in bits OF meat,
and then I'd hide, content to watch him eat.
"One night I set trap for him-I placed
large bowl of milk on the window sill; the next
morning when I looked out, I saw my little
victim tapping milk quite greediy; and
before he jumped and fed, he hesitated just
a little, and I felt he said, Thanks for my
daily bread
DAYS came and went and he remained; his
fur grew long and thick, and he soon lost his
fear and ceased expecting to be kicked. Then
came Cne GlIne lie dQOpteQ us Wlcu Iic was
hungry hurt or Ill, and he moved his home
right to our kitchen window sill.
*+
"He quickly learned that survival meant a
fight; as other cats came around, he fought
them back.
st thought he ought to have name, but
what it should be puzzled me at first. until at
last his spirit and courage decided me to call
him Spunky.
etx o,,I
while on my sill he sat; his emerald eyes grew
soft and calm He was beautiful cat
But when I looked at his battle scars,
feared he would not live long. Two tusks were
broken, there were inches in his ears; his eyes
were scratched and one filled with tears. His
toenails were broken, his joints swollen.
II took him to the cat doctor, who helped
him great deal, and so there he sat on my
window SILL in rain, sleet and snow. Why
should he care If he got cold-I paid his
doctor bill!
Last New Year he was missing, but dldn I
fret; he's often gone accounting, and returned
the same old pet. But when days passed, l
began to look for him.
II called and looked and worried ana hopes
were growing dim when I heard faint cry
as If coming from the ground, so I looked
down
And there was spunky, too i'll to make much
of sound
st brought him in, and saw at once that he
was badly hurt. His spine was injured, ana
he was matted with blood and dirt.
This time he didn't know me- for ne was
wild with pain, so I realized I must take him
to the doctor again.
THE catman said that nerve was COM
pletely severed from the spine to the tail;
then I felt that my champ OF many battles
was about to fail.
"The doctor kept him for many days; ne
fixed TOOTH and other injuries, and boooed
his tail like freak.
We'll, today he is we'll again, perched once
more on my kitchen window sill as If he'd
never been i'll.
Fat and happy, spunky looks the world in
the eye.
This ends my little story, not exciting
| perhaps except to me-and Spunky-but the
moral is, If you ever find Spunky, won't you
treat him kindly, too?'
The cats of the world have many such good
friends.
If this were not so, there would be no cats
But around the world people love them, ad-
| nire them, watch their grace, grow interested
| in their individualites.
Since ancient times, the cat has been the
| symbol of liberty and freedom and so painted
on coats-of arms, because 1t will not consent TX
| be shut up, but uses every device to attain 1T
freedom.