TABBIE DECEIVED BY A CATBIRD. 



Sometimes a cat gets credit for more 

 wisdom than it really deserves. I 

 vividly recall an instance where a cat- 

 bird grossly deceived a Tabbie, and 

 caused her much unavailing grief. 



Tabbie was owned by. a farmer, and, 

 in course of time became the devoted 

 mother of a large and interesting family. 

 It just so happened that Mrs. Farmer 

 had no use for Tabbie's numerous prog- 

 eny. So, between drowning and giving 

 the kittens away, one bright morning 

 in June Tabbie discovered that she was 

 alone. 



Her bereavement was truly pathetic 

 and even touched the heart of the farm- 

 er's wife. Tabbie was simply incon- 

 solable in her grief. She wandered to 

 and fro mourning and mewing in a 

 piteous manner. That the poor cat did 

 not don crape, was no fault of hers. 

 Tabbie refused to eat, and forthwith 

 betook herself to the woods and orchard 

 bewailing the loss of offspring. 



A short distance from the barn was a 

 spring, all around which the willows 

 grew thickly and rankly. It was a 

 favorite resort for birds. They bathed 

 about the spring, disported in the waters, 

 and sank sweetly amidst the dense 

 clump of green oziers. Every day a 

 great flock of different kinds of song- 

 sters collected in that cool, shady covert. 

 It was mating and nesting season, and 

 much love-making prevailed. 



Soon, this bird colony was joined by 

 two cheerful little catbirds. They were 

 domestically inclined, and began at once 

 to build their home. A pretty, delicate 

 nest was presently constructed; several 

 eggs magically appeared, and then Mrs. 

 Catbird began the sitting. Her lover- 

 husband was tender and devoted, bring- 

 ing dainty morsels to the bride-wife, 

 and merrily singing in his peculiar feline 

 way, all the long, beautiful June days. 

 So passed as a dream the dainty honey- 

 moon. 



About the time the callow brood 

 appeared, Tabbie met with her sore 

 bereavement. One day she wandered 

 disconsolately down to the spring and, 

 for the first time heard the catbird's 

 call. She thought it was one of her lost 

 kittens, for she gave voice to repeated 

 and dolorous cries that fairly startled 

 and alarmed the bird colony. 



The^ catbird kept up his cheery note, 

 and Tabbie continued her heart rend- 

 ing wails. She wandered through the 

 willow thicket calling, and vainly seek- 

 ing for the lost kittens. Not finding 

 them, she at length gave up the search; 

 but, the following day Tabbie was again 

 at the spring mewing piteously and 

 searching the ozier covert. This scene 

 was repeated for many days. The cat- 

 bird seemed after while to comprehend 

 the situation, though his little heart was 

 untouched by poor Tabbie's great sor- 

 row. For hours he would repeat his 

 sharp mocking call as if to tantalize 

 Tabbie in her grief. 



The latter at length ceased her sor- 

 rowful cries, though she still visited the 

 spring. Either Tabbie forgot her sharp 

 loss, or else discovered that the catbird 

 was playing a practical joke. Evidently 

 for a long time she thought the bird's 

 call came from a kitten. Her actions 

 showed that she mistook the catbird's 

 note for one of her offspring. Finally, 

 Tabbie seemed to entirely forget her 

 sorrow, her spirits rose and she became 

 merry hearted again. 



But retribution at length overtook 

 the catbird. One day he boldly ven- 

 tured to the spring to bathe, not notic- 

 ing the treacherous, crouching Tabbie.. 

 In an instant she had the hapless little 

 chap in her cruel claws, and immediately 

 devoured him. So our true story ends 

 with a bird tragedy and sorrow in the 

 catbird's household. 



J. Mayne Baltimore. 



