BOBBY'S COMPOSITION.
Reading edition
THE CAT.
The cat is a small animal with four legs and a long tail. The cat is covered with cat fur. In the night cats love to roost on the back fence. They roost lengthways of it, instead of cross ways like a bird or a hen.
When the cat wants to say anything it utters a yowl. No other animal yowls, except a baby, and its yowl is different. Mostly cats make their remarks in the night. The baby is not different from the cat in this respect.
Cats have nine lives, but after a cat has lost one of them she isn't good for much except a cat-skin. If I was a cat I wouldn't be afraid of dogs.
Cats' eyes shine in the dark. Once I was up in our garret, and saw a cat's eyes shining. I came down and went to talking to Ma about things. She said she thought I went up into the garret to stay awhile. I said, "No, I staid as long as I intended to."
The cat has an Ann Tipathy for rats. Cats eat rats. Tastes differ. The Chinese make porcelain cats with yellow glass eyes, and put a candle inside. When the rats see it they go away on the dead run. Of course there is no danger. I forget what I went up into the garret for that time.
The middle of cats' eyes gets big in the dark and small in the light. Girls like cats. A cat goes up a tree frontwards and comes down backwards. They go up because they see a dog, and come down when the dog isn't looking. The more dogs a cat sees the bigger her tail gets. The cats in the Isle of Man don't have any tails, so they are not afraid of dogs.
Once we had a cat whose eyes got so big in the dark that you'd have been afraid if you hadn't known what it was. This was the same cat I saw in the garret. But, pshaw! I knew what it was right away soon as I got down!
That's all anybody knows about cats.
THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.
Uncle Bob. "What's the matter, Tommy? What makes you look so gloomy?"
Tommy. "I don't think Santa Claus is a very sensible man. I'd think any one with as much sperience wouldn't give little boys pumps when their mammas wouldn't let 'em put any water in 'em."
THE CONCEITED COW.
A haughty cow unto a horse Remarked, "Why cannot we, And only we two, practise for A dual jubilee? My bass profound is faultless, While your tenor tremulo Is heavenly; and our duet Would please our master so." With pleading moo she urged her case, Then sadly turned away, For the horse looked up disdainfully, And only answered "Neigh!"
"Oh, mamma!" exclaimed Bobby, "I've thought of the awfulest, dreadfulest thing. Suppose our chimney should catch fire Christmas eve?"
Bobby. "Mamma, I don't want any fire in my room to-night."
Mamma. "Why, you'll freeze."
Bobby. "I don't mind being cold, but if you leave the fire burn, Santa Claus won't be able to come down the chimney."
Jack (to friend on bicycle). "What's your hurry; are you racing for a train?"
Joe. "No; I'm training for a race."
BOBBY TAKES TO JOKING.
Bobby. "I don't see why they talk about the 'Forty Thieves' in the Arabian Nights."
Mamma. "Why not?"
Bobby. "'Cos they acted like sixty."
A CHRISTMAS STOC-KING.
