Pussy-Cat Town

by Marion Ames Taggart

“Please pinch me, Rob—not too hard,” whispered Lois, leaning over to hold out her little pink palm to Rob, as she realized that this was a cats’ City Hall, that this was a meeting held by cats to honour them, and that she was seated on the platform beside the cats’ cow, with her own Kiku-san, as well as Ban-Ban, Tommy Traddles, Wutz-Butz, ’Clipsy, and two other cats whose names she did not know on the platform with her as a committee.

“You pinch back,” whispered Rob, obediently giving Lois a little nip and then holding out to her his own square, brown hand.

It would be impossible to give the speeches made on this occasion. Doctor Traddles surpassed all his previous flights of scholarship in a review of the ancient custom of bestowing the freedom of a city upon those whom that city wished to honour. Rob and Lois found themselves bowing deeply to the assembled Purrers, and Rob made a speech of thanks, not nearly as long and clever as Tommy Traddles, but which was received with the kindest attention and applause by the Purrers.

Then Rob and Lois gave their solemn promise always to stand by Purrington, to visit it often, and in every way to give it the best of their advice and help, which would be more valuable every year as they grew from little children into big boy and girl, and then into manhood and woman-hood.

With this pledge, which the Purrers hailed with a perfect storm of shouts and applause, the ceremonies ended, and pure fun was the order of the day.

Rob and Lois went through all the streets, saw Tommy Traddles’s school,—through its windows, of course,—S. Katz’s shop, with its fresh food temptingly displayed for sale; the other shops, and all the houses, for not a Purrer of Purrington was there who would not have felt slighted if Rob and Lois had not visited his home.

The children rested in the park, which was right in the middle of the city, that afternoon, and Lois had never had such a beautiful, kitteny time in all her life. Every kitten in Purrington came out and got up into her lap, and over her shoulders, and sat on her back, their downy fur brushing her cheeks and hands and arms until Lois felt that she could hardly bear the delight of it, and Kiku-san did not half like it, for he always was a bit inclined to jealousy.

That evening there was a ball given in the hall, to which everybody went, even the smallest kitten, for this was a great day in the annals of Purrington!

First the kittens danced their funny, pretty cotillion figure which they had given at Bidelia’s tea, and Rob and Lois went nearly out of their minds with delight over it. Then all the cats came out on the floor to dance, and the children discovered that they should have to dance with each cat, Rob with the ladies, and Lois with the gentlemen, or else offend some one mortally. It was not clear to them at first how they should manage it, because there really was a great difference—more than three feet—between their height and their partners’! But when they discovered that they were expected to whirl about with their partners in their arms, it became very simple, though not any less queer to be waltzing one’s very best with a cat talking pleasantly in one’s arms;—light, society conversation, suited to one’s partner at a ball,—while a black cat played the violin for the dancing in a manner that would have made a cigar-store Indian “tread the mazy.”