LX
THE DINNER BELL
It is customary in large boarding-houses to announce the dinner-hour by sounding a bell. A cat belonging to one of these houses always hastened to the hall on hearing the bell, to get its usual meal; but it happened one day that she was shut up at dinner time in a chamber, and it was in vain for her that the bell had rung. Some hours afterward, having been released from her confinement, she hastened to the hall, but found nothing left for her. The clever cat then went to the bell, and ringing it, tried to call the family to a second dinner, in which she hoped to get her usual share.
LXI
FORAGING
A constable once made a complaint before a bench of London magistrates against a horse for stealing hay. The complainant stated that the horse came regularly every night of its own accord, and without any attendant, to the coach stands in St. George's, ate all he wanted, and then galloped away. He defied the whole of the parish officers to catch him; for if they tried to go near him while he was eating, he would throw up his heels and kick at them, or run at them, and if they did not get out of the way, he would bite them. The constable, therefore, thought it best to bring the case to the attention of the magistrates.
“Well, Mr. Constable,” said one of the magistrates, “if you should be annoyed again by this animal in the execution of your duty, you may arrest him if you can, and bring him before us to answer your complaints.”