Dame Dingle's Series
The Cats' Party
MRS. GRIMALKIN WRITES HER
CARDS
Meek Mistress Grimalkin, so
fat and so hearty,
Once gave to her kittens a
nice little party;
She sent out her cards, with
gilt edges bound,
For the Tortoiseshells,
Tabbies, and Blacks to come round.
There was uncle and aunt,
and some cats of first water —
Of course not forgetting her
last married daughter;
There was mother and sister,
besides her first cousin:
Counting heads, as they sat,
they made up a dozen.
MRS. G.
DETERMINES TO BORROW
HER MISTRESS' DISHES.
The next thing to be dose,
woo to make preparation —
So the kittens were called
to hold consultation.
Quoth Mrs., G., I've
determined from Mistress to borrow,
All the dishes we need, and
return them to-morrow.
" We'll have crumpets
and muffins, and nice butter'd toast,
Shrimps and fried fish, and
some meat, which we'll roast;
There's nothing like fish,
though we've plenty beside;
Could eat a large plate-ful — especially
fried."
THE TABLE GROANS, AND TOM
RUNS AWAY.
The day was quite fine,
the
weather propitious,
So they spread out the
things which appeared so delicious;
They had so much en the
table, that a Tom Cat declared,
It certainly groaned, and he
ran away scared.
The guests now arriving,
they each took a seat,
Some suspiciously eyeing the
fish and the meat;
It having been hinted 'twas
not all quite fresh,
They each began thinking
they were caught in a mesh.
THEY ARE DESIRED TO MAKE
THEMSELVES AT HOME.
Mrs. Evans was dressed in
her best bib and tucker —
This quarrelsome cat often
got in a pucker
And though Tom was handsome
he'd much cause to wail,
Being hurt by the door
banging to, on his tail.
But all went on smoothly,
for each did their best,
To do all they could to
please all the rest;
And they made themselves
happy; as good kittens ought,
Though of all the nice
things, not one had been bought.
MRS. G.'s MARKED POLITENESS
TO HER OLD FRIEND, THOMAS.
Then madam Grimalkin, the
oft she did roam,
Said, "I hope you will
all make yourselves quite at home,
As mistress don't look very
close to her store,
There is plenty of
everything — Tom, take some more."
"Yes, dear Mrs.
Grimalkin. Now look at this dish,
And permit me to send you a
piece of fried fish."
"I thank you, dear Tom.
If your appetite's keen,
Here's a cup of the very
best milk e'er seen."
BILLY AND THE BELLOWS.
Such politeness from old and
young feline shoots
Has seldom been seen since
the famed Puss in Boots;
But Billy, who wore a great,
brown, shining coat,
Got a dreadful large
herring-bone stuck in his throat.
Then he kicked and "meowed"
with all force he was able,
And finally turn'd upside
down the great table;
When his friend, Mrs. Evans,
of him being jealous,
Coolly thrust down his
throat the nose of the bellows.
THE DANCE.
Such roughness — such
kindness — at length moved the tone,
And poor Billy recovered
himself very soon;
When a lady-like cat, who
had visited France.
After supper proposed they
should all have a dance.
Tom and her Lady-ship
now
opened the ball,
And merrily danced to the
delight of them all;
The others soon followed,
'till all in the room
Were dancing away, as though
quite at home.
SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF
"MISSUS."
In the midst of the dancing
the Mistress came in
Completely astonished to
hear such a din;
She struck the ringleader,
which so frightened the rest,
That to get out of sight
they each did their best.
MORAL.
A saying there is — perhaps
not known to all —
And to it the attention of
every good cat I call ;
It's something about
"taking what isn't his'n,"
And the saying winds up with
"he shall go to prison."
So all eats and kittens from
us take advice,
And never steal viands,
though ever so nice.
Lest your feelings be hurt
by this candid allusion,
And, like Tom and the rest
of them, put to confusion.
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