WHY CATS WALK SOFTLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 139, 13 June 1936, Page 3 (Supplement)

WHY CATS WALK SOFTLY.

Years ago, when the world was still quite young, and nobody knew much about things, the cat was a very noisy walker. He made such a lot of noise, in fact, when he walked and jumped about, that he became an awful nuisance, because he always liked going for a stroll when everyone had gone to bed.

The fairies, elves and gnomes were constantly complaining about it; the birds said they couldn't get any sleep at night at all, and the bunnies, the hedgehogs and the dormice said that something would have to be done about the matter, because, he woke up all their babies when he 'came walking in the woods over their heads. They used to go along to the Elf-Who-Sees-To-Things every day to complain about the cat, until at last things got so bad that the elf called a meeting of all the fairy folk, the birds and the little animals that lived in the wood. "Now," he said, when everybody had arrived, "something has got to be done about that cat. 1 am tired of hearing you say he keeps you awake at night." "Hear, hear!" squeaked the dormice. "Just so!" said the hedgehogs. "Time, too!" said the bunnies. "But what can be done about it?" "Well, can anybody suggest anything?" asked the elf, who really couldn't suggest anything himself. They all took their thinking caps out of their pockets, put them on, and tried to think of a good plan. "I think 'I've got it!" said the owl, when they had. been thinking for ten minutes. "Tell us!" they all cried at once. "Well, if we get some cushions for the cat's feet he could walk on those, and we shouldn't be able to hear him at all."

"That's a splendid idea!" they said. "You're a very clever bird!" "You shall be called the Wiso Old Owl in future," said tho Elf-Who-Sees-To-Things. "But where can we get cushions that will fit the cat?" said the bunnies, who were very sensible little fellows.

"I'll make some," said the tailoring elf. "It won't take me long.''

Off he went to make them, and when they were finished the Elf-Who-Sees-To-Tliings took them along to the eat. "The fairy folk send these with their compliments, and do you mind wearing them next time you go out walking at night?" he said. "Thanks awfully," said the cat. "Of course I will. I'd no idea I'd been disturbing anybody." That night lie put them on and went off to the wood as usual, but nobody heard him because of the cushions on his feet, and they all slept soundly without waking up once. Of course, they were all very pleased with the owl's idea, and ever since then the tailoring elf has made cushions for the cat's feet, and now he walks about at night as much as he likes without waking any of the fairy folk or the baby dormice.