36 Pussy Meow 
mestic animal. Furthermore, she said, I had been 
no trouble to her so far, and that this was not the 
first time she had had a cat for a traveling com- 
panion. 
Then the woman became more polite to me, and 
said I had a beautiful coat and a pleasing face. 
After a while a big girl came over to where I 
lay. She came so quickly it frightened me, and I 
got up and started to run from her, but she 
grabbed me by the tail and pulled me back. 
Of course, I cried out, not so much from pain, as 
because of the insolence of such treatment. 
“ What’s the matter, Tabby ? ’’ said she. 
I said “ Me-ow ” just as loud as I could. 
Mistress told her I was not used to being pulled 
around by my tail. Then the girl stroked my 
back and smoothed my fur, and I was no longer 
afraid. I think she did not mean to frighten me, 
only she didn’t know the proper way to call a cat. 
Mistress told her how I stayed at home alone 
every day when she was gone, and never ran away, 
and how I behaved so nicely on the cars. I am 
sure the girl will be a better friend to cats here- 
after. 
I had never before been in such a large crowd as 
