“A newspaper of Portland, Maine,” said Mr. Graham, “published a story some years ago about a cat that used to catch fish with a hook and line.”
“Of course every one laughed at the absurdity of the idea, all except Mr. Graham, who didn't relax the muscles of his face, but declared that he believed the story to be true. “And so will you,” he continued, “when you hear the details.”
“By all means give us the details, then,” said Mr. Webb.
“Well, this is the story as I remember it. The cat belonged in a counting house or office that was on one of the piers in the harbor and had a trap-door in the floor through which dust was swept. Fishes swam under the pier and the clerks in the office used to bait a hook and lower the line through the trap-door to catch a fish for the cat's dinner. She sat and looked on at the proceeding and very soon learned that the trembling of the line was the signal that a fish had been secured on the hook.
“One day the clerk who had baited the hook and set the line was busy at his desk when the line trembled and puss knew that the time to haul in had arrived. The clerk did not come promptly enough to suit her; so she seized the line and drew it up 'hand over hand,' or rather 'paw over paw.' The clerk looked on in surprise as she hauled up the line and secured the fish, and ever after that she was allowed to do her own fishing. She never got up to the ability of baiting the hook and setting the line, but she certainly did all the rest of the work. The newspaper that I read it in said hundreds of citizens of Portland had seen that cat take her own fish, and the story is so well vouched for that I have no doubt of its truth.”
“Cats are more skillful in the use of their paws than many people believe,” said Mr. Graham. “For instance, listen to the following:
“A clergyman, the Rev. R. Lane, at Claverack, Columbia County, that was once asked at a school examination; 'How many toes has a cat?' Can you tell?”
Charley shook his head and admitted that he didn't know. George and Henry were equally unlearned on that point, and the former asked how the question was answered at the school.
“Not one of the pupils in the school could tell,” said Mr. Webb, “and then the principal was applied to for a solution. He also, with a good-natured smile, gave it up, when one of the teachers, determined not to be beaten by so simple a question, hit on the idea of sending out a delegation of boys to scour the neighborhood for a cat.