Brothers of Pity and Other Tales of Beasts and Men

size and beauty alone. I am a cat of mind, and I mad

lso that the difficulty of coaxing them is not in direct proportion to their size-rather the reverse. Another thing that I have observe

s of my magnificent tiger skin, and then said, in p

o say. But I do not say it. It doesn't do to disturb the sel

cat knows how. Again and again did he put me down with firm, but not ungentle hands, saying-"Go down, Toots," and pick stray hairs in a fidgety manner off his dres

rm-chair by the drawing-room fire, round which the rest of

the ladies, after an ineffectual eff

said the gentleman. (I was back

said my young mistress. "I'

e's your good taste, and your gratitude? Go to your mistress, sir," and

t extraordinary,

to strangers as a ru

ubbed him the right way. A gratified blandness pervaded his countenance. He made no further attempt

long leg over the other with a convulsive abruptness very

ut it was quite impossible to take me. They couldn't bear to think of

ld take him!" s

hlessly for the

a bachelor, you know, of very tidy habits. I dislike

use, though," said my mist

Helpless and troublesome creatures have sometimes an insinuating way with them, which

have a pe

other jerk, which nearly shot m

g, that I found a mouse sitting on the fender. I could only see his back, with the tail twitching, and I noticed that a piece ha

g things myself, though I've a sort of a conscience about knowing how it's done. I don't like leaving necessary executions to servants. As to mice, you know-poisoning is out of the question, on sanitary grounds. 'Catch-'em-alive' traps are like a policeman who catches a pickpocket-all the trouble of the prosecution is to come; and as to the traps with springs and spikes-my man set one in my bedroom once, and in the middle of the night the mouse was caught. For nearly an hour I doubt if I was much

you get to ki

port-they would go twenty miles to chase a bluebottle round an attic, sooner than not hunt something. So I told him

of sugar, and watching me with such a pair of eyes! Have you ever seen a mouse's eyes close? Upon my word, they are wonderfully beautiful, and it's uncommonly difficult to hurt a creature with fine eyes. I didn't touch it, and as I was going out I looked back, and the mouse was looking after me. I was a fool for looking

mouse wa

o say it was no trouble whatever, and the letter lay on my mantel-piece till I ca

y kill t

er in saving him; and the little ra

e who had usurped the place I wished to fill, and who might be the means of my having to fall back after all on the Deserted Cats' Fund. What bungling puss

gentleman got up, s

t, or of Nipper's baulked attempt. He put up his hands and lifted me from his shoulder

r. He rubbed his cheek against mine before putting me down, and then sai

stress. "Our washerwoman wants him, and she is a most kind-heart

il of yours left at the end of a week. What cruelty to animals! Upon my word, I'd almost rather take To

against his legs. I could get no impetus for a spring, but I scrambled straight up him as one would scramble up a

short laugh, and to

hall get a hamper," cried the

e hampers. I wouldn't have another on my mind for a fortune. If Toot

nd as my young mistress covered me with farewell kisses, I felt an unquestionable pang of regret. But one has to repr

the last moment several things were thrown in after us. A parcel of books he had lent the young lady, and a pair of boots he had left behind on some former occasion. The books were very

no other attention, my master never forgot to put back a hand to help me when we moved on. Eventually we found ourselves alone in a very comfortable carriage, and I sup

uggles to find a posture that suited him, my master found one at last and fell asle