Chapter XV: The Noble Tom-Cat

A Fox, a cunning fellow and a jester, conversing once with a Tom-cat, made light of all the cats, so that he made him angry. "You know not, arrant Fox," said he to him, growing angry, "that I belong to the noblest tribe of beasts, for I am descended from a family of heroes without fear and reproach, who never have walked under a yoke of wain, nor plough, to gather in the hay, to till the field, to do what is not meet for a beast-hero,--nay, living aye in plenty, each his own master, by honorable robbery. In short, I am descended from the swift Tiger, who knows how to slay the kine; I am cousin to the Leopard, and even of his Majesty, the Lion, a not distant relative, although I myself, perhaps, be not a hero, nor great warrior, nor awful champion.

* * * * *

"That you are not a hero is easily discerned," our Fox retorted, "both by your weak paw, and by your looks, and by your size. Who does not know that the tail of the smallest dog--not to speak of his teeth--will chase you away like the weakest frog into some hole, agog with fear? You, my friend, are bold only with bones, in a corner of the room, making war on a quiet, hungry mouse. I know of the high deeds of

"Du bist nor, Freund, a Chwat mit Bēiner
"In Winkele, in Haus,
"Bekämpfendig a stille, hungerige Maus.
"Ich wēiss nit vun die Maissim-tōwim,
"Vun deine adelige Krōwim,
"Nor du lebst nit vun ehrenhaften Raub allēin,
"Du, Bruder, schämst sich nit zu ganwenen,
"Zu bettlen un' zu chanfenen,
"Afile naschen is' far dir nit zu gemēin."
Dās sāgendig hāt er sein āngepelzten Eck
Mit Spott a Hōb gethān un' is' aweg.

* * * * *

Die alte Welt
Is vull mit tausende asölche Kāters,
Jachsonim puste, adelige Pimpernātters,
Mit Wonzes lange, bliszendige Äugen,
Ohn' Macht, ohn' Sinn, ohn' Geld,
Nefosches, welche täugen
Zum Klettern mit Pläner in der Hōch,
Vun welche jeder endigt sich in Räuch;
Wās lecken Teller bei dem Reichen
Un' mjauken sich mit sejersgleichen
Aristokratisch fein zusammen,
Un' Alles, wās see wēissen,
Is' mehr nit, wie see hēissen,
Un' dann, vun welche Tigerkätz' see stammen.
M. WINCHEVSKY.

XVI. JONKIPER

(_Hausfreund_, Vol. II. pp. 88-91)

... Es is' wieder Jonkiper, nor dreissig Jāhr senen vun jener Zeit
arüber.

Wieder is' die Schul vull mit Tales un' Kittel eingewickelte Jüden;
der Pol is' mit Hēu ausgebett' itzt

your noble relatives,--but you do not live by honorable prey alone; you, my friend, are not ashamed to steal, to beg, and to flatter; you do not think it beneath you to nibble secretly at dainties." Saying that, he raised his furry tail in scorn and went away.

* * * * *

The Old World is full of thousands of such Tom-cats, empty-headed braggarts, noble dragons, with long mustaches and glittering eyes, without power, without sense, or money, souls that are good only to crawl on high with plans that all end in smoke; who lick the plates of the rich, and miaul together with their kind in aristocratic fashion, and all they know is only their own names, and then from what Tiger they are descended.