112 The Book of Cats. 



refused to exhibit before a visitor, invited specially 

 to witness the little comedy. Many Cats, without 

 teaching, learn droll tricks. 



Doctor Smellie tells of a Cat that had learned 

 to lift the latch of a door ; and other tales have 

 been related of Cats that have been taught to ring 

 a bell by hanging to the bell rope ; and this anec- 

 dote is related by the illustrious Sam Slick, of Slick- 

 ville. It occurred, several times, that his servant 

 entered the library without having been summoned 

 by his master, and in all cases the domestic was 

 quite sure he had heard the bell. Great wonder- 

 ment was caused by this, and the servant began to 

 suspect that the house was haunted. It was, at 

 length, noticed that on all these mysterious occasions 

 the Cat entered with the servant. She was, there- 

 fore, watched, and it was soon perceived that 

 whenever she found the library door closed against 

 her, she jumped on to the window-sill, and thence 

 sprang at the bell. This feat was exhibited to 

 several of the clockmaker's friends, for the Cat 

 when shut out of the room, would at once resort to 

 this mode of obtaining admission. 



My third story is a time-honoured one that 

 almost every person who has written about Cats 

 has related. There was once upon a time, a 



