390 NATURAL HISTORY READER. 



vided with a comfortable home in the stall of a stable, 

 where lie could ascend through an aperture to the hay-loft. 

 While sitting in the manger, he had one amusement, and 

 that was catching mice. These unsuspecting little animals 

 would come out to pick up the corn left by the horses in 

 the next stall. To get at their feeding-ground they had 

 to run the gantlet of Jacko's premises. He was up to 

 this, and would pretend to be asleep, keeping, however, 

 one eye half open. The trick answered ; the mouse made a 

 rush, in vain ; Jacko, as quick as lightning, had his paw 

 upon him, and with a tight squeeze crippled the poor 

 brute. He would then play with him for some minutes, 

 every now and then giving him a pat to make him go 

 faster. When the poor victim thought he had got away, 

 Jacko caught him again, and then — carnivorous repre- 

 sentative of the class Quadrumana ! — ate him up like a 

 sugar- plum. 



11. The servants, having observed Jacko's talent in this 

 line, bethought themselves that they could turn it to 

 some good account ; and, as the cat of the house was ill, 

 and not having undergone a severe training in the logical 

 school of Aristotle, they reasoned to themselves as follows : 

 "Cats catch mice in the dark ; monkeys catch mice .in the 

 dark ; therefore monkeys are cats." Acting upon this 

 misleading syllogism, they one evening took Jacko out of 

 his comfortable bed of hay in the loft and chained him 

 up in the larder, having previously removed every eatable 

 or drinkable thing, except some jam-pots, which were put 

 seemingly out of reach, and, moreover, were well secured 

 with bladder stretched over their tops. 



13. The night passed long and miserably to poor Jacko, 

 who was evidently much astonished at this unwonted treat- 

 ment. All night long the mice scampered about the place, 

 regardless of their enemy, while he, most uncatlike, was 

 coiled up in a soup-tureen, fast asleep. The morning 



