Daisy: the autobiography of a catSwan, Miranda Eliot
General
Daisy: the autobiography of a cat
Swan, Miranda Eliot
Cats -- Fiction
Watch was very humble, and believed in "woman's rights" evidently, for
he never offered any resistance when Chloe saw fit to use him for an
easy-chair. He would crouch down on his short legs, and solace himself
with a good sleep--that was his panacea for every ill. But he never
allowed his master, whom he worshipped, to take one step without rising
and standing in respectful silence or following him at a distance. This
was very exasperating to Chloe, for he would shake her off with scant
ceremony to do honor to his master.
But Chloe had no reverence or respect for anything but a good dinner.
Many were the cuffs she gave poor Watch, which he bore meekly, because
he would rise when his master appeared and disturb her sleep.
He was really a refrigerator color. His fur was short and stiff, his
ears were large and prominent, drooping, unless something unusual
aroused him. Then his interest only lasted for a moment. He would
relapse into the stolid, silent dog they all believed him to be. He
identified himself with the family, though he did not join in their
sports; but he always knew just what was going on, and would follow them
at a distance wherever they would go.
His master was his idol. He seemed to live for him alone. His bright,
beadlike black eyes were always fixed on his master's face, and he knew
every change of expression. His master would say, "Watch is the only one
of my children with black eyes; he takes after me." Years after Watch
died there were two little black-eyed girls born, but Watch could not
enjoy the sight of them.
Chloe was a calico cat, yellow, with patches of dark and white spots.
She was not much prettier than Watch, but the children thought her
beautiful and loved her dearly.
Their father had made them a wooden doll, and they were as pleased with
it as children of to-day are with the elegant creatures who can open and
shut their eyes and squeak out "mamma" and "papa." The children had been
brought up to enjoy and believe Bible stories, and they thought the
highest honor they could give that doll was to call it by a Bible name.
So, after a discussion, they named it Amminadab, for the very reason
that it was very hard to pronounce and impossible to understand.
Chloe and Watch were very good friends. To be sure, Watch never dared
say his soul was his own in Chloe's presence. Possibly that was the
reason they had peace.
Chloe had a very roving disposition. Day after day she would go off into
the woods near by, and then Watch would suffer great anxiety. He would
go out into the road, and look up and down, and then indulge in a mild
bark. He never would go to sleep till she returned, and would meet her
with the greatest satisfaction, wagging his short tail and walking
around her as if to say, "You _have_ come back, haven't you?" He
delighted to see her run up trees, and would look up at her, and bark
with pride, never at all jealous of her superiority.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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