Woodside | Page 8

as the young
birds were able to get out of the nest, the young cat at my cottage close
by walked into this garden, where, of course, she'd no business; but
there she was in that gravel path, and she saw one of the birds and

caught it. I saw her with it. The thrushes scolded her, flew at her with a
sharp, angry cry, and puss was soon off the premises. The next day, Mr.
Smut was walking along this gravel path, enjoying the sunshine in a
quiet way, never thinking of birds, for he's a deal too lazy to put
himself out of the way to catch anything. I've tried him with a mouse,
but he never put out a paw to touch it. He blinked at it in the most
unconcerned way, and didn't show the least bit of interest in it. Well, as
I said, Smut was walking along, when out flew the thrushes from the
hedge, swooped down upon him, pounced on his back, pecked his head,
and screeched at him, till poor Smut was quite dazed. They fairly
chased him out of that part of the garden. You would have laughed to
have seen sober old Smut take to his legs as fast as he could run. The
robins, too, soon afterwards began the same game, and would stand and
scold within two or three yards of the cat, if he was asleep in the garden.
I have often seen them sit just over him, and scold him till he woke up
and came indoors. As to the gravel path by the thrushes' nest, Smut
never came into that path again all the summer through. Smut's a deal
too particular," added the gardener; "but I have heard of another cat that
was almost as bad. The house-maid told me that in one of her places
there was a fine tabby cat, or rather a good-sized kitten, which would
never eat anything in the kitchen, and was so particular in his ways that
he was called 'Sir Thomas.' At dinner time he had a trick of jumping up
as quick as lightning just when any one was going to put his food into
his mouth with his fork. He would give the fork a knock with his paw,
so that the meat tumbled off; which he ate before one could see what
had happened! Such behaviour was not to be borne; so Sir Thomas was
always turned out of the room at dinner time. He was a good mouser,
and foraged well for himself out of doors. One day he ate some
poisoned meat, at least it was supposed he did so. He became so thin,
and his fur came off; so he had to be killed, and that was the end of Sir
Thomas."
"I hope poor Smut won't come to any harm," said Jack. "I should have
liked to see the birds chasing him, though. I wonder the thrush wasn't
afraid of getting on to a cat's back."
"Why, the bird was safe enough; Smut couldn't reach it, and he was

almost frightened out of his senses. You know animals, when they have
their young to take care of or their lives to defend, can do things which
seem contrary to their nature. Birds don't make their perches on cats'
backs, except for very good reasons.
"I heard of a dreadful thing that happened once," said the gardener,
lowering his tone. "There was a cat--it was a half-wild one--and some
boys had a dog that was very fond of worrying cats. They set this dog
on to the poor cat, expecting to see a fight. But puss made a clean jump
on to the dog's back, and fixed herself there. Lifting up first one front
paw, then the other, she beat and scratched the dog's head terribly. The
boys then wanted to get the dog away, but they durst not touch either of
them--the cat would have flown at them; besides, they were cowards, as
cruel people always are. Then a gentleman came up, and he got a
pitchfork, and secured the poor beasts, and they were both killed. At
least the dog was, for certain. Now that's a fact," said the gardener.
[Illustration: REYNARD HARD PUSHED. Page 45.]
"I can tell you another curious thing," added he; "it's about a fox this
time. It didn't happen anywhere about here, but in a part of the country
where there's a deal of hunting going on. This poor fox was being
hunted, and away he went through woods, over ploughed land and
meadows, the pack of hounds and the huntsmen in full cry after him,
when they came to a small village. Up the street ran the fox, the dogs at
his heels, when he saw