THE HOME PUSSIES 



259 



coated with a silver-blue polish. But his greatest 

 merit is his charming disposition ; kind and gentle 

 and affectionate. He has the prettiest way of chir- 

 ruping a welcome. If I pass him without notice 

 he softly says, " Courooroo," which means, " Here I 

 am ; don't forget your pussy." If he wishes to leave 

 the room he goes to the door and says, " Croo-ee " 

 (please let me out). English is a noble language, 

 but certainly the pussy tongue is more concise ! 



He likes nothing better than to have the charge 

 of young kittens. When there is a little family 

 he takes upon himself the functions and responsi- 

 bilities of head nurse, grooming the kittens and 

 taking care of them when the mother leaves the 

 nest for food or exercise, and as they grow older 

 playing with them so gently that they are not 

 aware of his greater strength and weight. 



When I am busy in the workshop he likes to 

 be given my garden jacket to lie on, and wherever 

 I put it there he remains ; or if I am at my 

 writing-table he likes to have a chair next to 

 mine, so as to be within easy stroking reach ; and 

 whenever I put down a hand I am sure of a kindly 

 rub of his silky head, beginning with a touch of a 

 cool wet nose. 



There is a certain age at which a kitten makes 

 sudden rushes across a room in a perfectly straight 

 line, reminding one of the way small fishes dart 

 across a stream. In this dear pussy's case this 



