HOW THE CAT WAS CREATED.
[To THE EDITOR OF TFIE "SPECTATOR.") SIR,—I send you a translation I have made of an Italian legend of how the cat was created, written by Antonio De Nino. Many are the proverbs about cats in the Abru.zzi; a collection of them will soon be published in Signor A. Be Nino's seventh volume of " Uei et Costumi Abruzzesi."—
"St. Francis de Paula performed so many miracles that the
devil was made ill with envy. Once he entered the cell of St. Francis in the shape of a grand nobleman with a box full of heavy gold pieces :—` Here, Francis,' said he, 'take these, don't remain in this miserable hovel, enjoy life ; it is strewn with roses, why do you collect all the thorns?' St. Francis, without more ado, raised his hand and made the sign of the cross, where- upon the fine gentleman disappeared amid clouds of sulphur smoke. Another time the devil led lovely damsels, barefooted and lightly clothed, into the cell of the saint, and then Queens and Empresses of glorious beauty covered with jewels and wrapped in mantles of gold tissue. But St. Francis stood there like a log of wood, and at last made the sign of the cross, when everything disappeared. The devil was furious. I must find some way to make this stolid fellow lose patience.' After much thought he rubbed his hands with delight. He created mice, and they multiplied by thousands in the wink of an eye. The cell of St. Francis was filled by them, and he tried in vain to drive them out with his hands and feet. But as he drove them out of the door they swarmed in at the window, and when he closed both door and window they crept up through holes in the brick floor or dropt down through cracks in the ceiling. Then they clambered up the saint's tunic, made beds in his straw mattress, played pranks in his provision basket, and were generally offensive. At last St. Francis, after reciting a fervent prayer, burst out laughing. The mice were beginning to attack him in thousands, when a beautiful little cat was created in the sleeve of his tunic. So he cried to the mice : I implore you to stop and go your ways or you will repent it.' The mice answered by pushing their noses against the bare skin of the saint, as though they wanted to pierce through him, so he drew the beautiful little cat out of his sleeve, and it sprang at the mice blessed with such a mira- culous hunger that it swallowed two at a time of the big ones, and three or four of the little ones. St. Francis hoped they would have been exterminated, and rushed to stop up a hole in the ceiling (he had already shut the door and toe window), but he was not quick enough. A pair of mice managed to escape, and thus we have those tiresome mice all over the world. St. Francis then uttered another prayer, and his beautiful little cat was granted a companion. They multiplied exceedingly, and have always been favourites with devout old ladies because they are a creation of St. Francis. Yet sometimes they are maltreated and defamed. Their mistress does not feed them, and they help themselves,—then they are abused as thieves. Or she pulls their whiskers or their tails, or rubs them up the wrong way, and they scratch,—then she says they are of the family of the tigers. Some people want to get rid of their cat and lack the courage to kill it. So they put it into the turnstile of a. convent, turn the wheel and run away. Pussy springs out on the other side and wanders up and down the long, cold corridors mewing pitifully. The nuns adopt poor Puss, for if they do not know that she is a creature of St. Francis de Paula, they know she is a crea.
tun) of God. The only thing the nuns will not permit is that a cat should litter' in the convent. The scandal is too great, and Mrs. Pussy is abandoned to her fate. If she can steal, well and good, if not she illustrates the commentators of Dante who explain Poscia pia che'l dolor pote II digiuno ' in so disgusting a way."
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