THE ADOPTED KITTEN. 



The two sturdy old Thomas cats 

 looked on in amazement when Mrs. Fos- 

 ter brought a strange little kitten into 

 the kitchen. Was not that casting a slur 

 upon the excellence of their companion- 

 ship to the lady of the house? Perhaps 

 they were in doubt, but at any rate the 

 poor tiny creature was a waif picked up 

 from the road,- and the lordly pets that 

 purred contentedly beneath the stove 

 must henceforth recognize a new com- 

 panion. 



Snuff and Old Gray were fed in sep- 

 arate dishes, and that night they were 

 pleasantly engaged at supper when who 

 should approach them for a friendly bite 

 but Snip, the dainty newcomer, wonder- 

 fully primped up after a six hours' stay 

 in a home where pets are treated and 

 loved as is their due. 



Snip seemed to have taken a fancy 

 to Old Gray, for he passed by Snuff and 

 put his bit of a nose into the former's 

 dish. Instantly the gray cat dealt the 

 presumptuous kitten a violent cuff on the 

 ear. Poor Snip! Shaking his head, he 

 crawled under the sofa and wondered if 

 he had not made a mistake. It was his 

 first experience in outer world society. 



I believe it must be said to the credit 

 of Snip that his first failure did not 

 daunt him from making further ad- 

 vances toward his older companion. The 

 next morning he again nosed, though 

 more cautiously, into Old Gray's food 

 dish. Sir Thomas must have been 

 amused despite his impatience, but a 

 second time he administered his rebuke 

 for the cunning little rascal's lack of re- 

 spect. 



However, Snip still persevered, until 

 in two or three days Old Gray not only 

 consented to the two eating together, but 

 actually seemed to enjov this sharing 

 of his meals. 



With these amicable relations thus 

 firmly established Mrs. Foster was much 

 mterested one day in seeing her gray 

 mouser come mto the kitchen with ?. 



limp little morsel in his mouth. His 

 movements were rather hesitating, as 

 though he was acting out of his natural 

 sphere; but it soon became evident that 

 as Snip had no mother, and he could 

 not be a mother to him, he would at 

 least try to act the part of an interested 

 father ; and so he was bringing the kitten 

 a mouse. 



The gray paused by the little fellow 

 and growled, doubtless inviting Snip to 

 take hold of the game he had caught for 

 him in the hay mow. With his natural 

 instincts aroused, Snip obeyed the in- 

 vitation and was soon growling in his 

 own tiny key, all of which was to the 

 evident satisfaction of Old Gray, who 

 finally gave up the mouse to his charge. 



Thus Snip was taught the simplest 

 lesson of a cat's aim in life at gaining a 

 livelihood, and with much pride in the 

 doings of her pets Mrs. Foster told me 

 of Old Gray's final lesson. 



The kitten was dozing in the sun one 

 morning, when he was awakened by the 

 growling of his adopted parent. Look- 

 ing up, he saw a live squirrel in the 

 jaws beside him. Here was lively game, 

 something he had as yet never attacked. 

 His heart leaped in anticipation. He had 

 no doubt but that the rodent was in- 

 tended for him. Now the elder cat put 

 one fore paw over Snip's neck and 

 seemed to be instructing him in the ag- 

 gressive arts. At the conclusion of the 

 lesson the sage teacher the same as 

 said to his pupil : 



"Now, Snip, this fine squirrel is for 

 you. It is your duty to conquer and 

 kill it. I shall not help you further ; 

 and hereafter you must capture your own 

 game." 



Not long afterward Mrs. Foster saw 

 the little cat follow the big one up the 

 road to a favorable position in a stone 

 wall. 



Snip was now a mighty hunter in the 

 land of squirrels. 



Willis Edwin Hurd. 



157 



