Iron County Register

A Learned Cat and a Wise Hen.

Mrs. Augustus W. Brooks, of East Eliot, Me., has (or did have, about a year ago) a cat 13 years old, which she brought from Boston and for which she has been vainly offered $50. This learned pussy will stand up at the word of command, bow slowly or quickly as directed, walk around the room on her hind legs only, dance, turn somersaults, go through the motions of holding a jewsharp to her mouth with one paw and playing on it with the other, mew when ordered to speak, kiss her paw to visitors, hold a saucer of milk on her fore legs and lap the milk, and stand on her hind feet and with her fore paws catch bits of bread or meat thrown to her, like a base-ball player. Her kitten, a year old, will turn somersaults. The same lady has a hen which always wipes her feet on the mat on entering the house—and if asked "How do you get your living, biddy?" will scratch on the floor, look to see if she has scratched out anything, and then look at the questioner to see if the answer is correct; this hen despises the wooden, chalk, and porcelain cheats, which some people palm off on hens for nest-eggs, tumbling them out of her nest as often as they are put in. A rooster will also scratch the floor when asked how he gets his living, but can not be made to wipe his feet. Portsmouth (N. H.) Chronicle.