In the same barn dwelt two cats. One night they found the door of the
neighboring pantry open and both walked in. They feasted on roast
chicken and cream, but were not satisfied, and so they agreed to carry
away a large piece of cheese. Their plan was executed, and they dragged
the cheese to the barn. Next morning a dispute arose between them
concerning the dividing of it. Each claimed it, and their voices awoke
the cook, who, to her horror, found that she had been robbed during the
night, and she declared that she would kill every cat in the
neighborhood. Thus the innocent are often condemned because, in name or
employment, they are associated with the bad. One is known by the
company he keeps; hence, the society of the bad should be shunned.
The cats' quarrel in the barn was long and loud. Each one tried to argue
his case in his own interest, and they thus drawled out their arguments.
"Know you the law?" said one, with a prolonged and emphatic howl at the
word "law."
"I know the law!" howled the other, and then cried, "Neow, give me
mine."
"'Tis mine!" howled the first.
"You lie!" drawled the other, and then asked in the same tone loud and
emphatic:--
"Who made the law?" and the first replied in a prolonged undertone.
"Who broke the law?" he then asked, to which they both sharply replied,
and clinched in a rough fight, screaming, "You an' I, you an' I! Spit!
spit! Meow! meow!" and there was a roll and tumble, and scratch, and a
howl, and the air was filled with dust and flying fur.
When their fight was over both were scratched and bruised and sore, and
blood oozed from their wounded ears. Each felt ashamed of himself, and
stole away and hid in the hay-mow, and spent the forenoon smoothing out
his ruffled fur and dressing his aching wounds.
The next day they met again and decided to leave their case to Judge
Jacko, a venerable monkey, who lived in the adjoining shed. Judge Jacko
was an African by birth, but in early life he was stolen by a wicked
sailor from the land of palms and cocoanuts and sold into slavery to a
travelling showman, with whom he wandered over many countries and
learned the manners and customs of the people. He was a careful observer
of all he saw done, and hence he acquired a great amount of information.
Those who would learn rapidly should be careful observers of all that
goes on around them; knowledge obtained by observation is generally of
more value than that obtained from books.
When Jacko had become advanced in years he was fortunate enough to have
a permanent home with his master, who had also retired from the
travelling show business. In his quiet home he had a chance to meditate
on what he had learned, and he became so wise that everybody called him
Judge Jacko.
When the cats presented their case, he put on his wig and spectacles as
emblems of his judgeship, and procured the pantry scales in which to
weigh the cheese. They sat quietly down before him and anxiously awaited
his decision.
He broke the cheese in two parts and placed a lump in each end of the
scale.
"This lump outweighs the other," said he, "justice must be done. I will
bite off enough to make them equal," and so he took the lump out and
nibbled at it a long time, and when he put it in the scale the opposite
end was the heavier; and he took out that lump and bit off a large piece
to make it equal to the other. Thus he continued to eat, first one and
then the other, till the cats saw but little would be left for them, and
they cried: "Hold, hold! Give us our shares and we will be satisfied."
"If you are satisfied, justice is not," replied Judge Jacko. "I must
make this division equal," and he kept on nibbling at the cheese.
"Give us what is left!" cried one of the cats, jumping up quickly, and
earnestly looking the judge in the face.
"What is left belongs to me," replied the judge. "I must be paid for my
services in this difficult case."