A CUNNING CAT

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 337, 23 May 1885, Page 4

A CUNNING CAT

Oite day tlie cook in a monastery, when he laid the dinner, found one brother's portion of meat missing. He supposed that he had miscalculated, made good the deficiency, and thought of ifc no more till the next day, when he had again too little at dinner-time by one monk's commons. He suspected knavery, and resolve d to watch for the thief. On the third he was quite sure that he had his meat cut into the right number of portions, and was about to dish up, when he was called off by a ring at the outer gate. When he came back there was again a monk's allowance gone. Next day he again paid special heed to his calculations ; and when he was on the point of dishing up, again there was a ring at the gate, to draw him from the kitchen. He went no further than the outside of the kitchen door, when he saw that the cat jumped in at the window, and went out again in an instant with a piece of meat. Another day's watching showed that it was the cat also who, by leaping up at it, set the bell ringing with her paws ; and thus having, as she supposed, pulled the cook out of the kitchen, made the coast clear for her own piratical proceedings. The monks then settled it in conclave that the cat should be left thus to earn for the remainder of her days double rations, while they spread abroad the story of her cunning. So they obtained many visitors, who paid money for good places from which to see the little comedy ; find they grew richer for the thief they had among them.