WHAT'S THE TIME, PUSSY?

Grey River Argus, 11 June 1904, Page 3 (Supplement)

WHAT'S THE TIME, PUSSY?

According to tfhe French missionary Hue, no man needs a watch or a clock if he has the right kind of a cat. In certain parts of China they can tell the exact time of day or night by looking into a cat's eyes. The ipupil of the eye, assuming that the creature in question is just what it ought to be, gradually diminishes as noon approaches, until it loses completely its oval form, and becomes a thin perpendicular line. When that line is plumb ib is 12 o'clock. Then the pupil begins to grow very gradually, and finally becomes as big and as round as a marble. Then it is midnight. With patience, practice, and good mathematical perception, the happy possessor of a time-keeping cat can tell the hour of the day and of the night, because the thin perpendicular line which the pupil of the cat's eye assumes at -noon gives him a clear starting point. The missionary discovered this valuable piece of feline peculiarity by pure accident. He noticed a 'little boy minding a calf, and asked him if he knew the time. The boy ran into the nearest hut, and came out with a big cat in his arms. , "It's just half -past eleven," he shouted. And, running up to the missionary, he -placed the cat's face under Hue's nose. Later on, <when iw got among his converts, he asked them to explain the mystery. They did so, and snowed him some living specimens of the precious timekeepers. ;

Magistrate (sternly): "Didn't I tell you the last time you were here I never wanted you to come before me again?" Prisoner : "Yes, sir ; but. I qouldn't mabe the policeman believe it."

Fred : "Frank is in* a terrible fix." Georgie : "How soY Fred "Jessie's.' father threatens to disinherit her? if she marries him., and says she will sue. him for breach -of promise if he doesn't."