h some anecdotes of the sagacity shown by animals
with which you are all well acquainted--Cats and Dogs; and if you have
been accustomed to watch the proceedings of your dumb companions you
will be able to say, "Why, that is just like what Tabby once did;" or,
"Our Ponto acted nearly as cleverly as that the other day."

THE CAT AND THE KNOCKER.

When you see Pussy seated by the fireside, blinking her eyes, and
looking very wise, you may often ask, "I wonder what she can be thinking
about." Just then, probably, she is thinking about nothing at all; but
if you were to turn her out of doors into the cold, and shut the door in
her face, she would instantly begin to think, "How can I best get in
again?" And she would run round and round the house, trying to find a
door or window open by which she might re-enter it.

I once heard of a cat which exerted a considerable amount of reason
under these very circumstances. I am not quite certain of this Pussy's
name, but it may possibly have been Deborah. The house where Deborah
was born and bred is situated in the country, and there is a door with a
small porch opening on a flower-garden. Very often when this door was
shut, Deborah, or little Deb, as she may have been called, was left
outside; and on such occasions she used to mew as loudly as she could to
beg for admittance. Occasionally she was not heard; but instead of
running away, and trying to find some other home, she used--wise little
creature that she was!--patiently to ensconce herself in a corner of the
window-sill, and wait till some person came to the house, who, on
knocking at the door, found immediate attention. Many a day, no doubt,
little Deb sat there on the window-sill and watched this proceeding,
gazing at the knocker, and wondering what it had to do with getting the
door open.

A month passed away, and little Deb grew from a kitten into a full-sized
cat. Many a weary hour was passed in her corner. At length Deb arrived
at the conclusion that if she could manage to make the knocker sound a
rap-a-tap-tap on the door, the noise would summon the servant, and she
would gain admittance as well as the guests who came to the house.

One day Deb had been shut out, when Mary, the maidservant, who was
sitting industriously stitching away, heard a rap-a-tap at the front
door, announcing the arrival, as she supposed, of a visitor. Putting
down her work, she hurried to the door and lifted the latch; but no one