Little Longskirt's New Friend:

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22985, 12 March 1938, Page 8 (Supplement)

Little Longskirt's New Friend:

«V\77 HATEVER shall we do?" \X/ "I'm sure I don't VV know." Fat Sparrow looked at Blue Tulip and Blue Tulip looked back at Fat Sparrow. It was all very distressing. Earlier that morning. Little Longskirt had gone to Uncle Simon's to have her new red shoos fitted. Fat Sparrow felt very miserable indeed on account of a bad cold in the head, and Bluo Tulip, having nothing else to do, simply felt unhappy also. And then they had a visitor. He came in through the window at exactly a-rjuarter to ten, looked at Fat Sparrow and Blue Tulip rather suspiciously, examined everything in the attic, and at length settled down comfortably on Littlo Longskirt's bed. He was not the ordinary type ot visitor, for if he was, Hilda, the old housekeeper, could easily entertain him. But since it was not so there was nothing left but to wait till Longskirt came home. In the meantime they studied their visitor ns closely as they could without having his suspicion aroused. And he was nothing more or less than a very lean, very long, a very hungry and rakish-looking grey and black striped tomcat who meeowed weirdly and often, and gazed in keen anticipation at Fat Sparrow. One*, Blue Tulip ventured to say: "Fine day, isn't it?" The Striped Cat stopped meeowing. "Umph, umph, all very well for you to say so," he said in a very ill-natured voire. Blue Tulip shrank hack and sighed. "Oh, Fin sorry." And Fat Sparrow's eucalyptus-scented hankie trembled visibly as ho wiped away at his tiny round beak. From then on everybody was quite silent, except that occasionally the Striped Cat would say: "Herrings, fat birds, cream, nieeow." And at those times Fat Sparrow would move a little further out on the window-sill, and Blue 'I ulip would look at him ih deep sympathy. It was not till well in the afternoon that Little Longskirt arrived. She came running up the stairs and burst into the attic. "Oh, Fat Sparrow, how is your cold? Oh, Blue Tulip, you must have wilted by this time," she cried, as she entered. She took Fat Sparrow, petted and cajoled him and whispered nice words into his ear. She walked across to Blue Tulip and stroked his long sleek stem. She took a jug of water from the table and poured it into Blue Tulip's pot; and all the while she did not notice the Striped Cat. "I am so sorry 1 could not come sooner," apologised Little Longskirt, "but you see, Fat Sparrow and Bluo Tulip, after Uncle Simon fitted my new red shoes, Aunt .Martha asked me to whip the cream, and it being a warm day. it took mo all this timo. l'leaso forgive me." Blue Tulip bowed gallantly and Fat Sparrow ruffled up his feather and said augustly: "You're forgiven." And the Striped Cat said: "I don't mind in the least, but please, may I have something to eat."

Little Longskirt glanced in amazement at her bed where the Striped Cat now stood up and looked pitifully at her. "Toll me," asked Longskirt solemnly, "who arc you and where aro you from ?" The Striped Cat looked round sadly. "From here, there and everywhere," he said, "but it's a sad tale find if you care to listen I shall do my best and tell it to you." "Oil, yes, yes!" exclaimed Longskirt, Fat Sparrow and Blue Tulip together. "But first," went 011 Little Longskirt, "I shall net you some cream from the pantry." She left the Attic and in due time returned with a howl full of nice, rich cream. The Striped Cat licked the cream up and nobody said a word, and when he finished Longskirt advised Fat

Sparrow to sit away from the draught. Then they all settled back to listen to the Striped Cat's story. The Striped Cat said he didn't know when he began to exist, but exist ho did and the first he could remember was walking up and down the by-streets into cellars and out again, and being kicked from one boot to another. He was chased by countless dogs and countless little boys had thrown stones after him. As ho continued telling those sad episodes of his life, Little Longskirt s eyes filled with tears till they overflowed. Fat Sparrow forgot his former feelings toward the stranger, and looked at the Striped Cat with tear-blurred eves, while the Blue Tulip closed his lovely petals and sighed. "1 have no home and nobody loves mo," went on the Striped Cat. "1 think ifc must be because of my ugly stripes. For you can treat a cat well till he's sleek and smooth and fat. but the stripes always remain. Just lately I've been suffering unbearably from rheumatism and this morning, though it was

By Jean Erce£ (17). —Original

fine and warm and sunny, it had becbme worse. "Walking along this morning 1 heard an officer of the S.P.C.A. say to another that a nice little girl lived here who was very kind to animals, and I decided to try my luck and personality even if I am striped. "1 went to the front door and there ] saw a fat old woman cleaning herrings, perhaps for dinner, |>erhaps for tea. Anyway. I didn't like the way she kicked the sleek, fat cat which walked about the kitchen, insisting that she have at least one herring. So I made off and climbed up on the roof, for the smell of herrings banishes rheumatism, mv dears, and I didn't feel it as I clambered up. and then in through your window." I'he Striped Cat paused and Longskirb took the opportunity of wiping

away the big tear that hung desperately to the tip of her nose. "Dear little girl," said the Striped Cat, "will you please love me and keep nie as yours With good treatment niy rheumatism wotdd leave me and 1 could and would catch all the rats in the house." "Yes," answered Kittle Longskirt, "you will bo my pussy cat; but lirst promise me that you will never, a.s long as you live, haiin Fat Sparrow and Blue Tulip." The Striped Cat promised and crossed his front paws over his heart, and Fat Sparrow sighed with great relief. Down to the kitchen went Little Longskirt and she crept up shyly to where Hilda was dressing herrings for tea. "Hilda." she said, "please cook an extra herring, lor we're having someone else besides ourselves to tea.'' And she told Hilda the story of the Striped Cat When she finished she asked, "Hilda, may I keep him for my own?'' "Of course," answered Hilda, "bless vour little heart!"