THE TIGER'S COUSIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 138, 13 June 1934, Page 18

THE TIGER'S COUSIN.

"Marmaduke," barked Fussy, the fox terrier pup, "aren't you coming to play?" Marmaduke, the kitten, blinked his great yellow eyes, stretching a tabby paw, and answered, "I've given up playing." "Oh, why?" cried Fussy. Ho and Marmaduke had come to Rest Harrow Farm on the very same day, and had been playmates ever since. "Because," replied Marmaduke, "because I've made a most important discovery." "Ooo! Do tell me," barked Fussy, springing up on the window-sill beside him. "I've found out," began Marmaduke, importantly, "that I am the tiger's cousin." "Whose cousin?" "The tiger's! Someone left the Animal Book open in the nursery this morning, and I have been looking at it. Jt says there that eats and tigers all belong to the same family. They are —kind of relations; so that I am the tiger's cousin, which is awfully grand and import." "Is it?" said Fussy. "Why?" "Of course it is. The tiger is one of the- greatest and strongest beasts in the world. He is the King of the Jungle— the Animal Book says so. So that means that I aiii of royal blood. It's almost like being a cat prince." • "Well, .said Fussy, slowly, "if it comes to that, dogs are wolves' cousins." "Wolves!" scoffed Marmaduke. "What are wolves?" "Why—they're a kind of—" "I don't mean 'What are wolves'— liko that. I mean 'What are wolves?'" Fussy was silent. At last he said, "All the same, I don't see why a tiger is grander than a wolf." "Oli, well," said Marmaduke, "if you don't see, it's no use explaining. But you can't expect a tiger's cousin to go playing with a common, ordinary puppy dog." "Why, you're only a kitten yourself!" "Fussy," said Marmaduke impressively, "I'm a tiger's cousin." "Oh, all right!" replied Fussy, jumping off the window sill. "I'm going into the woods where there .are wild beasts, like tigers," called Marmaduke. "You'd better be careful," warned Fussy. "You are not very big, you know." "Fussy, I'm a tiger's " "Oh, bother tigers—and —cousins—" snapped Fussy. "I'm going to play by myself." That night Marmaduke slipped out of the pantry window and ran off to the woods. It felt rather strange. Of course he did not mind the dark, but there were a lot of unexpected noises about. "I hope those wild beasts won't start pouncing or anything before I'm ready," he said. "I hope they—ow!" Marmaduke stood still, his fur on end. There- was a wild beast already. He could see it—or at least, he couldn't see it exactly, but he could see its eyes, two eyes, bright goldcn-grccn, low down in the grass. With a wild "Miaou," Marmaduke shot out of the wood to the road. "Hullo," said someone, "what's up with you ?" It was Fussy. "Fussy," gasped Marmaduke. "Oh, F-fussy—there's a w-wild b-beast in the woods. It nearly p-p-pounced!" "Where ? Where ?" demanded Fussy, running in among the trees. "There —100k —low down. You can see its eyes." "Those?" chuckled Fussy. "Oh, Marmaduke, you goose, those are glowworms!" Marmaduke, very distant relation of tigers, slunk humbly home. Next morning, Fussy and Marmaduke met in the farmyard. "Fussy," began Marmaduke shyly, may I play with you?" "Of course," answered Fussy. "Aren'i you going to hunt for wild beasts, then ?" "No," said Marmaduke. "I'm not going to bother any more about tigers and all that. That was just silly." "Well, I must say," agreed Fussy, as they ran off to play, "I must say that I can't see that it matters whose cousins we are, so'long as we're truly and properly us.'"