THE KILKENNY CATS-
Everybody has heard of the famous cats of Kilkenny : — Ench cat thought there was one cat too many ; So they quarrelled and fit, They scratched and they bit, Till, oxcepting their tails And some scraps of their nails, Instead of two cats, there wasn't any. Not everybody knows, however, the true story of the cats. In 1798 or 1803 — historians differ about even co important dates as this — Kilkenny was garrisoned by Hessian soldiers during a rebellion in Ireland. One night some of the soldiers amused themselves by cruelly tying the tails of cats together, and throwing the animals across a clothes-line to fight An officer entered the room to stop this inhuman sport. ; but a soldier who saw him coming gave a great slash with a sword, and cut off the tails of both cats. The cats escaped out of the window, but the bloody tails had to be accounted for. Xhe quickwitted soldier who had cut the feline knot coolly replied to the officer's question that the cats had devoured each other with the exception of their tails ; and the story was thought to be so good that it was perpetuated in verse. At least that is the story told in explanation of the well-known rhyme.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP18930722.2.68
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 19, 22 July 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)
Word Count
211THE KILKENNY CATS Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 19, 22 July 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)
Using This Item
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in