2l6 The Book of Cats. 



choose another ;' so I put my hand into the basket, 

 and drew forth this tabby. The tabby has stuck 

 by me ever since. When she came to have a 

 family, she disappeared, but the rain did not, for it 

 came pouring down through the ceihng, and it was 

 discovered that Dame Tabby had made a lying-in 

 hospital for herself in the thatched roof of our 

 house. The damage she did cost us several pounds ; 

 so we asked a bachelor friend, who had a good 

 cook, fond of Cats, to take care of tabby the next 

 time she gave signs of having a family, as we 

 knew that she would be well fed. We sent her in 

 a basket, well covered up, and she was carefully 

 shut into a room, where she soon was able to ex- 

 hibit a progeny of young mewlings. More than 

 the usual number were allowed to survive ; and it 

 was thought that she would remain quietly where 

 she was ; but, at the first opportunity, she made her 

 escape, and down she came all the length of the 

 village ; and I heard her mewing at my bed-room 

 door, early in the morning, to be let in. When I 

 had stroked her back, and spoken kindly to her, off 

 she went to look after her nurselings. From that 

 day, every morning down she came regularly to 

 see me, and would not go away till she had been 

 spoken to and caressed. Having satisfied herself 



