One morning, a few days after the discomfiture of the herring-gull, Sir
James had another adventure. He had been sitting quietly on the
window-sill enjoying his cake and nuts. All of a sudden his mood changed
and he became very restless and angrily excited. He ran backwards and
forwards at a great pace for some moments, then he gave a spring forward
and downward towards the narrow garden-path. I looked out and, to my
horror, saw no Sir James, but the terrifying sight of 'Dolly,' the
gardener's cat, galloping away at full speed. Dolly was at once pursued
and captured. We almost wept with relief when we found that our worst
fears were not realised and that the good Sir James was not in Dolly's
mouth. Indeed, we blamed the cat far too hastily, and I now think that
Sir James was possibly not the victim, but the aggressor, and that he
had merely been driving the innocent Dolly away from the vicinity of his
breakfast. All we know for certain is that he very soon ran back to this
breakfast and finished it with much enjoyment, and that his return
brought peace and comfort to our agitated and anxious minds.
Sir James was sometimes unpunctual, and on those days the birds
thoroughly enjoyed themelves. By the time the little Quiqui-man arrived,
not a crumb was to be found off which he could dine. The birds twittered
with delight.
One day I bought a little cream-can with a lid, and filled it with his
favourite dainties. I then put it out on the window-sill, fastening the
handle firmly to a nail.
'Fancy expecting a wild animal to eat out of a thing like that,' someone
remarked, scornfully; 'he will think it is a trap and never go near it.'
I waited anxiously. About twelve o'clock a startled flight of small
birds announced the arrival of Sir James. Although there were still some
crumbs lying about, he went straight to the cream-can and shook it
vigorously with eager hands and teeth. It took him nearly five minutes
to get it open, but he persevered and succeeded. I then had the
satisfaction of seeing him dive into the tin, head first, about half a
dozen times, each time reappearing with cake or a nut.
From that day the little cream-can was kept well supplied with nuts and
cake. As time passed, Sir James grew more and more particular about his
food. He soon scorned crocus bulbs and even bread-crumbs, insisting on a
diet of shortbread cake and nuts. He always selected the biggest nut or
piece of cake to carry home. It was surprising what he could do. He was
one day seen dragging off about a third of a coconut that I had hung up
for the tits, and he managed to get this heavy burden over the high
fence that bounds our garden.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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