Little Hal Keys was pretty sure to throw a stone at every pussy cat he
saw, and so all the cats around used to have a great deal to say about
him as they sat together on the back fences, or when they had a party
in the big barn. At last the cats determined to do something about it,
and so they said: "We will have him up for trial before Judge Thomas
White." He was the wisest and oldest of all the cats in town, and wore
spectacles that made him look even wiser than he was. Eleven of the
most learned cats said they would be lawyers, and get other cats to be
witnesses, to tell what Hal had done, and try to get him punished. One
of the eleven said: "For the sake of Hal's mother, who has always been
kind to me from the time I was a little kitten, I will be his lawyer,
and try to get his punishment made as light as I can."
[Illustration: DOLLY VARDEN ACCUSING JACK WITH CRUELTY.]
Twelve cats had to be found who could say that they were not quite
sure that Hal was such a bad boy as he seemed to be. They were
stay-at-home cats, who did not know what was going on outside of the
comfortable houses where they lived. These twelve cats were to be the
jury, and it was their duty to hear all that the lawyers and the
witnesses had to say about Hal's doings, and then to tell whether or
not they thought he ought to be punished.
At last the day of the trial came; Judge Thomas White sat down in his
big chair and took his pen; the lawyers took their places; the twelve
jury cats were brought in, and put in a high box, so they could not
jump out and run away. Hal was brought in and put in the prisoner's
box, as they call it; and Christopher Gray, his mother's old cat, took
his place beside Hal. Three cats, called "reporters," came in with
pockets full of paper and pencils, to write down all that is said; to
print in the newspapers, for all cats in the world to read.
The first witness to tell all the bad she knew about Hal was his
sister Alice's little Dolly Varden. How saucy she looked, with the
blue ribbon tied around her neck, as she sat on the witness stand
telling how Hal chased her from cellar to garret; and stepped on her
tail; and gave her saucer of milk to the dog Jack whenever he got a
chance. "Cruel, cruel boy," said Dolly Varden, "he teases his sister
almost as much as he teases me."
Hal trembled from head to foot when he heard what Dolly Varden said,
for he knew it all was true, and he was much afraid that a very hard
punishment would be given to him. Then the old black cat, on whom Hal
had thrown a dipper of hot water, was called to the witness stand.
Poor old thing! the hot water had taken the fur off his back. Then
came another cat, limping up to the witness stand, whose leg had been
broken by a stone which Hal had thrown. There were so many witnesses
that it would make my story too long to tell about them all. All that
Christopher Gray could say in Hal's favor was: "He has a good mother."
"The more shame for him," said one of the lawyers.
When the jury had heard all that was to be said, they went out of the
room together; in five minutes they came back; all agreed that Hal
should be punished. Then Judge Thomas White, in his most solemn tone,
said: "Albert Keys, you are found guilty of great cruelty to good cats
everywhere. I must, therefore, pronounce sentence upon you. You must
go with us to Cat town for two days and one night."
There were tears in Hal's eyes, but the Judge had no pity on him, and
he called in some of the strongest cats to take him. Oh! what a long,
hard way it was; over fences, under houses, and through the barns. It
was hard work for Hal to keep up with them, but they made him. What a
time he had after he got to Cat town. All of the cats gathered around
him, and howled at him, and scratched his face and hands, and made him
wish he was any place but there. At last when he was set free, he
never could have found his way home, if pretty little Dolly Varden had
not forgiven him, and shown him the way back.
Hal was never known after that to throw a stone at a cat, or to treat
one badly in any way.