A BIRD AND CAT CATASTROPHE.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Here is the story of a eat and a bird. Two young ladies dwelt together,—one the owner of a canary, which she petted and played with ; the other was the mistress of a beautiful cat, which was nursed and patted and petted also. They were a happy and united family. The owner of the cat went abroad for a time, and pussy grew sad and melancholy, and at last became jealous of the bird, which was daily petted as usual, while she was sadly neglected. Pussy could not, and would not, stand this treatment ; her jealousy grew day by day till at last, in a fit of rage, she made a dash at the little bird and tore him limb from limb. Then seized by remorse she fled, but the owner of the bird was frantic, and she beat the cat and mourned for her bird ; and the owner of the cat when she heard of the catastrophe shed sad tears, not, indeed, because the bird was dead, but because her pussy had been beaten ; and so the peace of that happy family was destroyed for a time. Pussy, overwhelmed with remorse at the crime she had committed, was found the next day curled up and asleep in the little bird's cage. Now, the problem for psychologists required to be solved is, why did that cat go into that cage ? The only solution that suggests itself to the persons concerned is, that by going there she thought she might regain the favour of the mistress whose happiness she had so ruthlessly destroyed, by taking the place of the bird ; and so, perhaps, in due time, be changed into a little petted
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