The true philosopher and other cat tales . ctor who was an old friend of theKings went away sadly. He returned, however, the following day with asmile tangled somewhere in his long beard. He foundthe King sitting mournfully by the Queens bed-side. Would your majesty, began the doctor, turning tothe Queen, object to a cat that did not look like acat? Oh, no, cried she, earnestly, just so its a cat! Would your majesty, said the doctor again, turn-ing to the king, object to a cat that did not look like acat? Oh, no, cried he, just so it doesnt look like acat! Well, said the doctor beaming, I have
The true philosopher and other cat tales . ctor who was an old friend of theKings went away sadly. He returned, however, the following day with asmile tangled somewhere in his long beard. He foundthe King sitting mournfully by the Queens bed-side. Would your majesty, began the doctor, turning tothe Queen, object to a cat that did not look like acat? Oh, no, cried she, earnestly, just so its a cat! Would your majesty, said the doctor again, turn-ing to the king, object to a cat that did not look like acat? Oh, no, cried he, just so it doesnt look like acat! Well, said the doctor beaming, I have a cat thatis a cat and that doesnt look any more like a cat thana skillet, and I should be only too honored to presentit to the Queen if she would be so gracious as to ac-cept it. Both the King and the Queen were overjoyed andthanked the doctor with tears in their eyes. So thecat—for it was a cat though you never would haveknown it—arrived and was duly presented to theQueen who welcomed it with open arms and felt bet-ter A SMILE TANGLED SOMEWHERE IX HIS LONG BEARD AND OTHER CAT TALES 27 It was a thin, wiry, long-legged creature, with notail at all, and large ears like sails, a face like a leanisosceles triangle with the nose as a very sharp apex,eyes small and yellow like flat bone buttons, brownfur short and coarse, and large floppy feet. It had avoice like a steam siren and its name was Rosamund. The King and Queen were both devoted to it; shebecause it was a cat, he because it seemed anythingbut a cat. No one indeed could convince the King thatit was not a beautiful animal, and he had made for it ahandsome collar of gold and amber—To match, hesaid, sentimentally, its lovely eyes. In sooth sougly a beast never had such a pampered and luxuriousexistence, certainly never so royal a one. Appreciat-ing its wonderful good fortune, it never showed anyinclination to depart; and the King, the Queen, andRosamund lived happily ever after. CATNIP AND CATNAP Once the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherbosto, bookyear1919
