I must now tell you of another cat which was a sad thief, and showed a
considerable amount of sagacity in obtaining what she wanted. One day
she found a cream-jug on the breakfast-table, full of cream. It was
tall, and had a narrow mouth. She longed for the nice rich contents,
but could not reach the cream even with her tongue; if she upset the
jug, her theft would be discovered. At last she thought to herself, "I
may put in my paw, though I cannot get in my head, and some of that nice
stuff will stick to it."
She made the experiment, and found it answer. Licking her paw as often
as she drew it out, she soon emptied the jug, so that when the family
came down they had no cream for breakfast. A few drops on the
table-cloth, however, showed how it had been stolen--Pussy, like human
beings who commit dishonest actions, not being quite so clever as she
probably thought herself.