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Literary
May 9, 1929
Pinedale Roundup
Pinedale, Sublette County, Fremont County, Wyoming
What is this article about?
A gray cat and a newly arrived black cat converse about cats' cleverness in detecting poisoned meat, the black cat's fatigue from travel, and their anticipation of neighborly friendship, including hunting mice and sunning together.
Clipping
OCR Quality
100%
Excellent
Full Text
A NEIGHBOR CAT
"I was thinking how bright we were," said the gray cat.
"A cat will smell a piece of meat before eating it, and with a piece of poisoned meat which some cruel person has left around because he hates cats and dogs, the cat will be saved, probably, from being poisoned.
"For the cat will smell the poisoned meat and will lick it a little perhaps, but not enough to get poisoned, while the dog will eat it right down and may do himself a great deal of harm.
"I have heard that a collie dog is different from other dogs in that way and will be more careful to see that each piece of meat he touches is good meat—especially meat he picks up."
"I have heard that, too," said the black cat.
"Yes. I do believe that cats deserve the famous old saying that they have nine lives, and we're very clever, very clever."
"I think," the gray cat continued, "that I have the most handsome green eyes ever seen.
"I have heard so.
"I have heard that they were so green and so bright that once I won a prize because I had the greenest eyes of any cat around."
"You have lovely eyes, lovely green ones," said the black cat, "that is, of course, if one cares for green eyes.
"I like them, though eyes don't interest me especially. I am more interested in milk and cream and bacon and other good things to eat."
"Are you hungry?" asked the gray cat.
"No," said the black cat, "but you were talking about food."
"Well, I wasn't talking about good food," said the gray cat. "I was talking about poisoned pieces of meat and feeling happy because cats had the good sense and the good luck to be pretty careful about such things."
"Well, somehow from your talk of poisoned food I began to think of good food," said the black cat. "And I was glad to think of food, for my thoughts had been rather sad before."
"Why?"
"I was tired. I have just come from a long trip, you know, and I have felt tired from so much traveling.
"But I am feeling better now."
"Well," said the gray cat, "I am so glad to hear it, and are you going to be my neighbor and live in this next house now?"
"Yes," said the black cat. "I know I will like it here, and you will make a nice neighbor."
The gray cat purred. "We must see each other often, maybe hunt mice together, and sit and sun ourselves on your porch and on my porch.
"We can go to sleep and not hurt the other's feelings. Oh yes, you will be such a nice neighbor."
And the new cat waved his tail a little and purred some more, and said:
"Thank you. I am glad indeed to be your neighbor, too."
"I was thinking how bright we were," said the gray cat.
"A cat will smell a piece of meat before eating it, and with a piece of poisoned meat which some cruel person has left around because he hates cats and dogs, the cat will be saved, probably, from being poisoned.
"For the cat will smell the poisoned meat and will lick it a little perhaps, but not enough to get poisoned, while the dog will eat it right down and may do himself a great deal of harm.
"I have heard that a collie dog is different from other dogs in that way and will be more careful to see that each piece of meat he touches is good meat—especially meat he picks up."
"I have heard that, too," said the black cat.
"Yes. I do believe that cats deserve the famous old saying that they have nine lives, and we're very clever, very clever."
"I think," the gray cat continued, "that I have the most handsome green eyes ever seen.
"I have heard so.
"I have heard that they were so green and so bright that once I won a prize because I had the greenest eyes of any cat around."
"You have lovely eyes, lovely green ones," said the black cat, "that is, of course, if one cares for green eyes.
"I like them, though eyes don't interest me especially. I am more interested in milk and cream and bacon and other good things to eat."
"Are you hungry?" asked the gray cat.
"No," said the black cat, "but you were talking about food."
"Well, I wasn't talking about good food," said the gray cat. "I was talking about poisoned pieces of meat and feeling happy because cats had the good sense and the good luck to be pretty careful about such things."
"Well, somehow from your talk of poisoned food I began to think of good food," said the black cat. "And I was glad to think of food, for my thoughts had been rather sad before."
"Why?"
"I was tired. I have just come from a long trip, you know, and I have felt tired from so much traveling.
"But I am feeling better now."
"Well," said the gray cat, "I am so glad to hear it, and are you going to be my neighbor and live in this next house now?"
"Yes," said the black cat. "I know I will like it here, and you will make a nice neighbor."
The gray cat purred. "We must see each other often, maybe hunt mice together, and sit and sun ourselves on your porch and on my porch.
"We can go to sleep and not hurt the other's feelings. Oh yes, you will be such a nice neighbor."
And the new cat waved his tail a little and purred some more, and said:
"Thank you. I am glad indeed to be your neighbor, too."
What sub-type of article is it?
Fable
Dialogue
Prose Fiction
What themes does it cover?
Friendship
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Cats
Neighborliness
Cleverness
Poisoned Meat
Friendship
Fable
Literary Details
Title
A Neighbor Cat
Key Lines
"Yes. I Do Believe That Cats Deserve The Famous Old Saying That They Have Nine Lives, And We're Very Clever, Very Clever."
"We Must See Each Other Often, Maybe Hunt Mice Together, And Sit And Sun Ourselves On Your Porch And On My Porch."
"Thank You. I Am Glad Indeed To Be Your Neighbor, Too."