SOMETHING ABOUT TOMMY. 



09 



"Who could help likhig such a dear cat? He became such a pet 

 that we soon took him into the house altogether. He generally sits 

 all day long just in front of the fire when it is cold. lie is very 

 fond of auntie, and likes to sit in her lap and rub his head against 

 her chin, and then he sings his song, " Purr, purr." At meal-times 

 he sits close to auntie's 

 side and watches her. 

 When he thinks she has 

 been eating long enough 

 he says, "Mew," which 

 means, " I think it's my 

 turn now." He knows 

 — the sly fellow ! — that 

 he will get a bit off her 

 plate when she has done. 



Tommy keeps himself 

 very nice. He wears a 

 gray fur coat, and a gray 

 fur cap to match, with 

 clean white shirt and 

 stockings. 



But I am sorry to say 

 that he does not grow 

 better as he grows older. 



He is very fond of catching the poor little dicky birds in the 

 trees; but he never dares to touch the chickens, for he knows the 

 mother-hens would peck him. 



Lately Tommy has become a great thief. One day the cook was 

 pi'eparing some pigeons for dinner. She was called away ft )r a minute, 

 and when she came back one of the pigeons was gone. She guessed 

 who was the thief, and ran out of the kitchen just in time to see 

 Tommy jumping out of an open window, with the pigeon m his 

 mouth. 



Sometimes he fights, too. A little while ago we did not see him 

 for two or three days. One stormy morning he came crawling in, 

 wet through, with his fur coat all brushed the wrong way. Both 



