A True Story.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2000, 2 May 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

A True Story.

VVi: often read startling stories of the sagacity of cats and dogs, but usually they are not well authenticated, and we cannot help but doubt some of them. It is, therefore, quite refreshing to find an anecdote with certificates of its truthfulness offered to the qpder. The following was told the writer of this by a beautiful and accomplished lady now visiting in Cincinnati — a lady who would scorn to exaggerate even about so slight a matter as the trotting capabilities of her pet horse. She had it from the lips of the daughter of a gentleman in that city, who had a fine cat, which was five years old. The cat, though carefully fed and tended, had never caught a mouse or rat in its life, and, consequently, those vermin overran the place. One morning, as the gentleman was patting the cat, he said to it : " I have kept you five years in idleness, and if you don't kill some of the rats I'll kill you. The next morning, sm he opened a side door, something fell in onto the floor ; it was an enormous dead rat that bad been placed in a leaning posture against the door. In passing the cellar door he found five other dead rats placed in a circle with noses touching (touching sight) and tails out. On each window-sill in the house to which the cat could gain access lay a dead rat with his tail hanging down. At the front door was a mother rat and three baby rats, all cold and stiff in death. To all of these except the first one did the cat lead Mr. Chapman — for such was his name — purring and exhibiting all the while signs of the liveliest satisfaction and pleasure. The cat was petted and praised to it's heart's content. But now comes the strangest part of the story. The cat had never caught a rat or mouse since. It is supposed that the creature wished simply to demonstrate to its master that it was capable of performing what he wished, only it had no love for the business. Eighteen rats did that cat slaughter on that eventful night. And as the fair lady, with increasing earnestness, narrated to us how many were found at this door and how many at that, we listened with bated breath for fear the rats might give out bafors she reaohed the climax. — Hatchet.