to be thoroughly understood; at least, _I_ think so; and, as
I wish _my_ story to be clear and intelligible, in order that it may
furnish a hint or a warning to others, I shall at least act up to my
opinion, and begin at the beginning,--I may say, at the very tip of my
tale.

Being now a Cat of some years' standing (I do not much like remembering
how many), I was of course a Kitten on making my entry into life,--my
first appearance being in company with a brother and three sisters.

We were all declared to be "the prettiest little darlings that ever
were seen;" but as the old Puss who made the remark had said precisely
the same thing at sight of every fresh Kitten she beheld, and she was
accustomed to see ten or twelve new ones every week, the observation is
no proof of our being very charming or very beautiful.

I cannot remember what passed during the first few days of my existence,
for my eyes were close-shut till the ninth morning. I have an indistinct
recollection however of overhearing a few words which passed between my
mother and a friend of the family who had dropped in for a little chat,
on the evening of the eighth day.

The latter had been remarking on my efforts to unclose my lids, to
obtain a little peep at what was going on, when my good parent
exclaimed,

"Ah! yes, she tries hard enough to stare at life now, because she knows
nothing of it; but when she is as old as you or I, neighbour, she will
wish more than once that she had always kept her eyes closed, or she
is no true Cat."

I could not of course, at the time, have any notion what my mother
meant, but I think, indeed I am _sure_, that I have discovered her
meaning long ago; and all those who have lived to have sorrow,--and
who has not?--will understand it too.

I had found my tongue and my legs, and so had my brother and sisters,
before we got the use of our eyes. With the first we kept up a perfect
concert of sounds; the legs we employed in dragging our bodies about our
capacious cradle, crawling over each other, and getting in everybody's
way, for we somehow managed, in the dark as we were, to climb to the
edge of our bed and roll quickly over it, much to our astonishment and
the amusement or annoyance of the family, just as they happened to be
in the humour.

Our sight was at last granted us. On that eventful morning our mother
stepped gently into our bed, which she had left an hour before; and,
taking us one by one in her maternal em