Old Possums Book of Practical Cats.docx
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Old Possums Book of Practical Cats.docx
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OldPossumsBookofPracticalCats
OldPossum'sBookofPracticalCats
ByThomasStearnsEliot(1886-1965)
NobelPrizeWinnerforLiterature-1948
TheNamingofCats
TheNamingofCatsisadifficultmatter,
Itisn'tjustoneofyourholidaygames;
YoumaythinkatfirstI'masmadasahatter
WhenItellyou,acatmusthaveTHREEDIFFERENTNAMES.
Firstofall,there'sthenamethatthefamilyusedaily,
SuchasPeter,Augustus,AlonzoorJames,
SuchasVictororJonathan,GeorgeorBillBailey--
Allofthemsensibleeverydaynames.
Therearefanciernamesifyouthinktheysoundsweeter,
Someforthegentlemen,someforthedames:
SuchasPlato,Admetus,Electra,Demeter--
Butallofthemsensibleeverydaynames.
ButItellyou,acatneedsanamethat'sparticular,
Anamethat'speculiar,andmoredignified,
Elsehowcanhekeepuphistailperpendicular,
Orspreadouthiswhiskers,orcherishhispride?
Ofnamesofthiskind,Icangiveyouaquorum,
SuchasMunkustrap,Quaxo,orCoricopat,
SuchasBombalurina,orelseJellylorum-
Namesthatneverbelongtomorethanonecat.
Butaboveandbeyondthere'sstillonenameleftover,
Andthatisthenamethatyouneverwillguess;
Thenamethatnohumanresearchcandiscover--
ButTHECATHIMSELFKNOWS,andwillneverconfess.
Whenyounoticeacatinprofoundmeditation,
Thereason,Itellyou,isalwaysthesame:
Hismindisengagedinaraptcontemplation
Ofthethought,ofthethought,ofthethoughtofhisname:
Hisineffableeffable
Effanineffable
DeepandinscrutablesingularName.
TheOldGumbieCat
IhaveaGumbieCatinmind,hernameisJennyanydots;
Hercoatisofthetabbykind,withtigerstripesandleopardspots.
Alldayshesitsuponthestairoronthestepsoronthemat;
Shesitsandsitsandsitsandsits--andthat'swhatmakesaGumbieCat!
Butwhentheday'shustleandbustleisdone,
ThentheGumbieCat'sworkisbuthardlybegun.
Andwhenallthefamily'sinbedandasleep,
Shetucksupherskirtstothebasementtocreep.
Sheisdeeplyconcernedwiththewaysofthemice--
Theirbehaviour'snotgoodandtheirmannersnotnice;
Sowhenshehasgotthemlineduponthematting,
Sheteachsthemmusic,crochetingandtatting.
IhaveaGumbieCatinmind,hernameisJennyanydots;
Herequalwouldbehardtofind,shelikesthewarmandsunnyspots.
Alldayshesitsbesidethehearthoronthebedoronmyhat:
Shesitsandsitsandsitsandsits--andthat'swhatmakesaGumbieCat!
Butwhentheday'shustleandbustleisdone,
ThentheGumbieCat'sworkisbuthardlybegun.
Asshefindsthatthemicewillnoteverkeepquiet,
Sheissureitisduetoirregulardiet;
Andbelievingthatnothingisdonewithouttrying,
Shesetsrighttoworkwithherbakingandfrying.
Shemakesthemamouse--cakeofbreadanddriedpeas,
Andabeautifulfryofleanbaconandcheese.
IhaveaGumbieCatinmind,hernameisJennyanydots;
Thecurtain-cordshelikestowind,andtieitintosailor-knots.
Shesitsuponthewindow-sill,oranythingthat'ssmoothandflat:
Shesitsandsitsandsitsandsits--andthat'swhatmakesaGumbieCat!
Butwhentheday'shustleandbustleisdone,
ThentheGumbieCat'sworkisbuthardlybegun.
Shethinksthatthecockroachesjustneedemployment
Topreventthemfromidleandwantondestroyment.
Soshe'sformed,fromthatlotofdisorderlylouts,
Atroopofwell-disciplinedhelpfulboy-scouts,
Withapurposeinlifeandagooddeedtodo--
Andshe'sevencreatedaBeetles'Tattoo.
SoforOldGumbieCatsletusnowgivethreecheers--
Onwhomwell-orderedhouseholdsdepend,itappears.
Growltiger'sLastStand
GROWLTIGERwasaBravoCat,wholiveduponabarge;
Infacthewastheroughestcatthateverroamedatlarge.
FromGravesenduptoOxfordhepursuedhisevilaims,
Rejoicinginhistitleof"TheTerroroftheThames."
Hismannersandappearancedidnotcalculatetoplease;
Hiscoatwastornandseedy,hewasbaggyattheknees;
Oneearwassomewhatmissing,noneedtotellyouwhy,
Andhescowleduponahostileworldfromoneforbiddingeye.
ThecottagersofRotherhitheknewsomethingofhisfame,
AtHammersmithandPutneypeopleshudderedathisname.
Theywouldfortifythehen-house,lockupthesillygoose,
Whentherumourranalongtheshore:
GROWLTIGER'SONTHELOOSE!
Woetotheweakcanary,thatflutteredfromitscage;
WoetothepamperedPekinese,thatfacedGrowltiger'srage.
WoetothebristlyBandicoot,thatlurksonforeignships,
AndwoetoanyCatwithwhomGrowltigercametogrips!
ButmosttoCatsofforeignracehishatredhadbeenvowed;
ToCatsofforeignnameandracenoquarterwasallowed.
ThePersianandtheSiameseregardedhimwithfear--
BecauseitwasaSiamesehadmauledhismissingear.
Nowonapeacefulsummernight,allnatureseemedatplay,
Thetendermoonwasshiningbright,thebargeatMoleseylay.
Allinthebalmymoonlightitlayrockingonthetide--
AndGrowltigerwasdisposedtoshowhissentimentalside.
Hisbuckomate,GRUMBUSKIN,longsincehaddisappeared,
FortotheBellatHamptonhehadgonetowethisbeard;
Andhisbosun,TUMBLEBRUTUS,hetoohadstol'naway-
IntheyardbehindtheLionhewasprowlingforhisprey.
IntheforepeakofthevesselGrowltigersatealone,
ConcentratinghisattentionontheLadyGRIDDLEBONE.
Andhisraffishcrewweresleepingintheirbarrelsandtheirbunks--
AstheSiamesecamecreepingintheirsampansandtheirjunks.
GrowltigerhadnoeyeorearforaughtbutGriddlebone,
AndtheLadyseemedenrapturedbyhismanlybaritone,
Disposedtorelaxation,andawaitingnosurprise--
Butthemoonlightshonereflectedfromathousandbrightblueeyes.
Andcloserstillandcloserthesampanscircledround,
Andyetfromalltheenemytherewasnotheardasound.
Theloverssangtheirlastduet,indangeroftheirlives--
Forthefoewasarmedwithtoastingforksandcruelcarvingknives.
ThenGILBERTgavethesignaltohisfierceMongolianhorde;
WithafrightfulburstoffireworkstheChinkstheyswarmedaboard.
Abandoningtheirsampans,andtheirpullawaysandjunks,
Theybatteneddownthehatchesonthecrewwithintheirbunks.
ThenGriddleboneshegaveascreech,forshewasbadlyskeered;
Iamsorrytoadmitit,butshequicklydisappeared.
Sheprobablyescapedwithease,I'msureshewasnotdrowned--
ButaserriedringofflashingsteelGrowltigerdidsurround.
Theruthlessfoepressedforward,instubbornrankonrank;
Growltigertohisvastsurprisewasforcedtowalktheplank.
Hewhoahundredvictimshaddriventothatdrop,
Attheendofallhiscrimeswasforcedtogoker-flip,ker-flop.
OhtherewasjoyinWappingwhenthenewsflewthroughtheland;
AtMaidenheadandHenleytherewasdancingonthestrand.
RatswereroastedwholeatBrentford,andatVictoriaDock,
AndadayofcelebrationwascommandedinBangkok.
TheRumTumTugger
TheRumTumTuggerisaCuriousCat:
Ifyouofferhimpheasanthewouldratherhavegrouse.
Ifyouputhiminahousehewouldmuchpreferaflat,
Ifyouputhiminaflatthenhe'dratherhaveahouse.
Ifyousethimonamousethenheonlywantsarat,
Ifyousethimonaratthenhe'dratherchaseamouse.
YestheRumTumTuggerisaCuriousCat--
Andthereisn'tanycallformetoshoutit:
Forhewilldo
Ashedodo
Andthere'snodoinganythingaboutit!
TheRumTumTuggerisaterriblebore:
Whenyoulethimin,thenhewantstobeout;
He'salwaysonthewrongsideofeverydoor,
Andassoonashe'sathome,thenhe'dliketogetabout.
Helikestolieinthebureaudrawer,
Buthemakessuchafussifhecan'tgetout.
YestheRumTumTuggerisaCuriousCat--
Andthereisn'tanyuseforyoutodoubtit:
Forhewilldo
Ashedodo
Andthere'snodoinganythingaboutit!
TheRumTumTuggerisacuriousbeast:
Hisdisobligingwaysareamatterofhabit.
Ifyouofferhimfishthenhealwayswantsafeast;
Whenthereisn'tanyfishthenhewon'teatrabbit.
Ifyouofferhimcreamthenhesniffsandsneers,
Forheonlylikeswhathefindsforhimself;
Soyou'llcatchhiminitrightuptotheears,
Ifyouputitawayonthelardershelf.
TheRumTumTuggerisartfulandknowing,
TheRumTumTuggerdoesn'tcareforacuddle;
Buthe'llleaponyourlapinthemiddleofyoursewing,
Forthere'snothingheenjoyslikeahorriblemuddle.
YestheRumTumTuggerisaCuriousCat--
Andthereisn'tanyneedformetospoutit:
Forhewilldo
Ashedodo
Andtheresnodoinganythingaboutit!
TheSongoftheJellicles
JellicleCatscomeouttonight,
JellicleCatscomeonecomeall:
TheJellicleMoonisshiningbright--
JelliclescometotheJellicleBall.
JellicleCatsareblackandwhite,
JellicleCatsarerathersmall;
JellicleCatsaremerryandbright,
Andpleasanttohearwhentheycaterwaul.
JellicleCatshavecheerfulfaces,
JellicleCatshavebrightblackeyes;
Theyliketopractisetheirairsandgraces
AndwaitfortheJellicleMoontorise.
JellicleCatsdevelopslowly,
JellicleCatsarenottoobig;
JellicleCatsareroly-poly,
Theyknowhowtodanceagavotteandajig.
UntiltheJellicleMoonappears
Theymaketheirtoiletteandtaketheirrepose:
Jellicleswashbehindtheirears,
Jelliclesdrybetweentheirtoes.
JellicleCatsarewhiteandblack,
JellicleCatsareofmoderatesize;
Jelliclesjumplikeajumping-jack,
JellicleCatshavemoonliteyes.
They'requietenoughinthemorninghours,
They'requietenoughintheafternoon,
Reservingtheirterpsichoreanpowers
TodancebythelightoftheJellicleMoon.
JellicleCatsareblackandwhite,
JellicleCats(asIsaid)aresmall;
Ifithappenstobeastormynight
Theywillpractise
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