Miaow! Miaow!

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22628, 16 January 1937, Page 9 (Supplement)

Miaow! Miaow!

BY M. E. KELSEY

JT was one of those days when the sun simply poured down and the birds turned somersaults in the air out of sheer high spirits. George—a dignified-looking tomcat — was strolling round his yard with his paws in his trouser pockets, when his rather near-sighted eyes beheld what looked liko some milk in a tin. "Pah!" he exclaimed, on tasting it. It was honey, and his whiskers stuck . together in a most maddening fashion. "Copy cat!" came a derisive voice from above. The startled George raised his head and beheld a bee, who promptly pulled a face at him and repeated his remark, then, with n shrug of insuflcrablo superiority, withdrew to places unknown. George could only scowl and shake an impotent paw at him. The impudence of the fellow! "Hullo!" called a voice from behind. George looked round at a most dis-reputable-looking cat, who was grinning cheerfully at him from the top of tho fence Two front teeth were missing and his torn shirt and trousers looked as if a wash would have dono them no harm whatever. "Hullo!" returned George without enthusiasm. Horace always had some hair-brained scheme for their mutual. enjoyment, which usually ended in disaster. Tho last time it had landed them in gaol. Horace had been taking the air on the tiles of Mr. Rat's residence one evening, when he had observed the latter entering his door below with a large piece of cheese, smelling to high heaven, tucked under one paw. its irresistible appeal had lured Horace to enlist George's aid in breaking into Hatty's house, and they had been, caught, with the above dire consequences. Quito undeterred by his chilly reception, Horace scrambled down and, leaping up to George, dealt him a hearty slap on the back. George winced. "I've got a great scheme, my boy, great!" exclaimed the cheerful Horace. "Oh," said George coldly. "This is where we get one back on Mr. Know-all Ratty. He is having a party to-night, and if we can't make a mess ot the supper and upset tho party generally, I'll eat my hat." George glanced at the extremely greasy hat protruding from Horace's pocket and gave a sniff. Horace could talk a leg oil an iron pot, so lie finally got George to agree and they made their plans to get on the roof and open a skylight over Mr. Rat's supper room. #»*.««« Evening at Mr. Rat's house. The party was at supper. A small army of mice clad in frilly aprons and caps directed by a solemn-looking butler, scurried anxiously to and fro. Ratty had a nasty habit of cutting down their food rations when he was displeased with the service. The two cats up on tho roof peered down at tho scene for a moment, then Horace emptied his water pistol on Ratty's head. The latter took an involuntarily header backwards and landed in a large tureen of soup borne by the solemn-looking butler just behind him. Uproar! Ratty was hauled out, uttering frightful cries, while rivers ot soup ran all over the carpet. A large blowfly distractedly flying around with his mouth watering at the appetising scents below, grinned to himself, and seized the opportunity to nip down and partake of a picco of juicy fowl. "Who —who threw that water at me?" shrieked Ratty, beside himself with rage at such goings on. , "It must have been a ghost, sir," quavered the t'rembling butler.

"Ghost!" sneered Ratty. "I will deal with tho staff later," and excusing himself to the company, stalked from the room to don fresh lviiment. "That's got him rattled, my hoy," chuckled Horace. "He thinks the servants are playing tricks on him. Ha! ha!" "Yes,' - said George, "but just wait 'til he conies back." Presently, Ratty re-entered the room. It was most unfortunate that the butler had just drawn Ratty's chair out for him to sit down, because a small stone thrown by George caught him on tho nose at the identical moment that lie should have pushed the chair in under Ratty. It was disastrous! The butler gave a yell and recoiled sharply drawing the chair back with him. Ratty fell on the iloor with an awful thud. Murmtirings among the guests «b these unseemly

disturbances. The haughty Miss Ratte on the left of Ratty drew herself up with a most offended air. Ratty resumed his seat and gave the butler one look—but what a look!

Bang! A peanut from George's sling had strunck a pompous-looking Rat, who had been doing himself remarkably well in the way of food, right in the eye.

"Owl" ho shrieked, clapping a paw to the afflicted organ. Ratty looked very mortified. "My dear sir!" he exclaimed. "I think there must bo a slight earthquake or something that is shaking the plaster down from tho ceiling." Involuntarily the eyes of the guests travelled to the roof.

Beholding the faces of the two cats grinning maliciously down at them, the startled company with one accord dived beneath the table.

,"The police—ring for the police!" shrieked the distracted Ratty to the butler, who dashed to obey. Georgo and Horace thought it high time to fade from the scene, but in doing so, somehow George tripped and landed head-first into a cucumber frame. Crash! Basely leaving George to his fate, Horace departed for home at top speed. It was easy for the police who had dashed to tho scene on speedy motorcycles to haul out a bleeding and dazed George. Off to gaol went he and languished there for a week. ****»» The day he returned home George was sitting in his back yard moodily scratching his left ear. His feelings almost overcame him when he thought of the base desertion of Horace. "Hullo! old gaol-bird!" Horace was among those present, and actually had the nerve to slap George cheerfully 011 the back. The fermenting George arose and proceeded to give a spirited imitation of an intoxicated windmill. His paws whirled in all directions. By dodging skilfully Horace managed to evade them, but in so doing left his tail unguarded. George darted in and seized it, then swinging Horace round and round, flung him into a handy drinking trough. "0, naughty! naughty!" exclaimed a voice. The furious George wheeled sharply. Snugly ensconced on a leaf lay Miss Earwig, who had been an interested spectator of his distressing show of temper. George blushed. He had often admired Miss Earwig's graceful undulations across the fields and felt very mortified that she should see him at a disadvantage. " 'Who, who, who's your lady friend ?' " chanted a voice from the trough. The dripping Horace had emerged and now sat on the edge grinning maliciously at George. Miss Earwig simpered. "Please excuse me, Miss Earwig, while I attend to this low creature," said George with great dignity. He made a bound in the direction of Horace, but that wily creature left the scene with such speed that George was left well behind. George then returned and basked in the smiles of Miss Earwig for the- rest of the afternoon.