Mouser Cat's Story Part 5

"But what about painting a canary?" your Aunt Amy asked. "You spoke of such a thing a moment ago."

"Yes, and it is what I am telling you about. Mr. Crow wrote the poetry which tells the story, and you shall hear it."

Then Mrs. Mouser Cat repeated the following:

For he was such a knowing puss-- Oh yes, he was!

A really clever, sharp young puss-- Oh yes, he was!

He wouldn't do as others do, He said, "I know a thing or two, _I_ do!

"To-morrow is the great bird show-- I think it is; The far-renowned canary show-- Of course it is.

Some yellow ochre, so I've heard, Will wondrously improve a bird, I've heard

[Ill.u.s.tration: Thomas Cat Paints the Canary]

"I think I'll enter at that show-- I think I will, Just make one entry for that show-- By Jove, I will.

And if my bird don't get the prize, Why it will be, as I surmise, A surprise!"

The show was held--a great success-- Of course it was!

By all 'twas called a huge success-- Indeed it was!

The judges were experienced cats; They wore tail-coats, and large top-hats-- _Such_ hats!

Young Tom was there--he'd brought his bird-- Just think! he had!

He'd really dared to bring that bird-- Oh yes, he had!

He said, "No one will ever know That my canary's all no go, Oh no!"

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Spry Old Judge]

But one old judge was rather spry-- Oh yes, he was!

You'd not have thought him half so spry, But oh, he was!

He said, "Why really, on my word!

Disqualify that shocking bird!-- Absurd!"

So Tom's bird was disqualified-- Of course it was!

Disgracefully disqualified, Ah yes, it was!

And Tom, although he thought he knew A thing or two, found others too Who knew.

"Mr. Thomas must have believed that honesty was the best policy, before he got through with the bird show," your Aunt Amy suggested, and Mrs.

Mouser Cat laughed as she replied:

"It would have shamed almost any cat; but it didn't seem to make a bit of difference with young Thomas. He was just as pert as ever the next day, and went around telling about the prize he would have taken if the judge hadn't discovered the fraud. It would have served him right if he had been punished as was Mr. Fox."

WHEN MR. FOX WAS TOO CUNNING.

"Is that another story?" your Aunt Amy asked.

"Yes, it is," Mrs. Mouser said reflectively, "and it shows that there are times when even a fox can be too cunning. One day while Mr. Fox, who used to live down in the swamp, was sneaking around behind the barn on this farm, he saw a bag hanging on the limb of a tree just over the water barrel.

"'Now I wonder what that is?' he said to himself, as he stopped and looked first at the bag and then at the barrel. 'It smells good, and I believe there's meat somewhere around here.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: Mr. Fox Hits Upon a Plan.]

"Then he climbed upon the barrel, and saw that it was half full of water, so he began to wonder what the meaning of it was.

"'It must be a trap Mr. Man has set for me,' he said rubbing his ear as if he thought himself very wise. 'He thinks I'll jump up for the bag, and fall into the water. Now he's got to find a younger fox than I am, if he wants to make that plan work, for I'm going to know what's hanging up there, and I won't take any chances of getting drowned, either, because I'll drink all the water first. Then that will settle it.'

"Well, he began to drink, and drink, and drink, until he swelled up amazingly; but there was plenty of water still left in the barrel. Then he drank some more; ran around a few moments, came back and drank again, until he was all swelled out, and couldn't swallow another drop; but the barrel appeared to be as full as when he commenced.

"By this time it wasn't possible for him to run the least little bit, and he was feeling a good deal as his father did after he had found the crab, when along came Mr. Man, who said:

"'h.e.l.lo! here's a nice fat fox! I guess I'll take his skin,' and the next day, lo and behold, there was Mr. Fox's hide nailed up on the barn, showing that sometimes it is dangerous to be too cunning."

WHEN SONNY BUNNY RABBIT WAS RASH.

"I never saw an animal who didn't get into trouble when he thought he knew everything," Mrs. Mouser went on thoughtfully, giving no heed to the fact that your Aunt Amy was on the point of interrupting her. "Now there is Sonny Bunny Rabbit, he got it into his head that he was the greatest ever lived; that he could do just as he wanted to around this neighborhood, because he led Mr. Fox into a trap one day.

"Why, that foolish little rabbit used to sit out in the field at night, and tell me, who am old enough to be his grandmother at the very least, that he could do anything he pleased; that there was no animal around here who could get the best of him.

"Well, Sonny Bunny kept that idea in his mind, and one day Mr. Hawk came sailing along just when Sonny Bunny was talking with Redder Squirrel, and Redder he screamed:

"'Run, Sonny Bunny! Run for your life!'

"'You don't catch me running away from any old hawk,' Sonny Bunny said, as bold as a lion. 'I'm going to stay right here, and kick dirt in his face if he comes where I am.'

"'Run, Sonny Bunny, run!' Redder Squirrel cried, and for once he showed more sense than usual.

"But Sonny Bunny was so puffed up with what he thought he could do, that he stood still, and got ready to kick dirt, while old Mr. Hawk came sailing round, and round, and round, making ready to light on him. If you'll believe it, that foolish rabbit stayed right there until down came Mr. Hawk, and then, oh me, oh my, how Sonny did kick dirt!

[Ill.u.s.tration: When Sonny Bunny was an Invalid.]

"I'm willing to admit that part of his plan was all right. He blinded Mr. Hawk, but at the same time didn't save all of his own skin, for the old fellow's claws went into Sonny Bunny's back so far, as his mother told me, that you could almost see the bones, and the foolish rabbit laid in bed three or four weeks before he was fit to go out of doors again."

"It seems to me as if I had heard something like that before," your Aunt Amy said, and Mrs. Mouser replied:

"Very likely you've heard the same story, for all the animals around here know about it."

"But what was it you said about Mr. Fox's father meeting a crab?" your Aunt Amy asked.