Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

The London News gives this: A cat, all black, except its perfectly white tail, was presented to the town of Agnone, Italy, many years ago. They put it in the theater to clear it of rats. They soon found that the cat was fraternizing with the rodents, and had become their king, and shared its food with them. The custodian of the theater often observed the rats participating in the food of the cat, who, when they fought among themselves for some dainty morsel, restored order by a cuff of its paw. Time passed on; the cat became old and toothless, no weapons remaining to him but very long claws, which, however, were proportionately weak. Of late years the theater has been always closed, and the rats had increased enormously. Last week a revolution took place among them, and when poor Coda-bianca tried, as usual, to restore order, the rats turned upon him in a fury and bit him to death. At down the next day Coda-bianca was found dead in the middle of the stage, like some tragic hero. The youth of Agnone made a solemn funeral, carrying Coda-bianca through the streets on a bier, covered with black velvet, and leading in strings the numerous progeny of the celebrated cat, all black with white tails, like himself, and of the same gentle and intelligent disposition. Coda-bianca at the time of his death weighed ten kilogrames, and the number of his children was 100. A speech was made in the town hall of Agnone, and it was decided to take revenge on the rats by scattering poison all over the theater.