Caught a Cat by the Tail

An extremely amiable cat frequented Clara Grace’s yard during her second summer. After a few meetings, the little girl developed enough courage to chase down the friendly animal and pet it’s soft back. The short-lived friendship ended abruptly however when Clara Grace decided to invite the cat into her house. Not knowing the words for a formal welcome, she decided the best plan was to take hold of the cat’s orange tail and pull in the direction of the front door. Needless to say, it was several months before Clara Grace ever could get close enough to the cat to attempt to reestablish their relationship. Her mommy took this time to give a few lessons on feline etiquette. After this instruction, Clara Grace never failed to treat the posterior of a cat’s body with proper respect. Whenever she viewed her estranged friend at a distance across the street, she would call ruefully as he scampered out of sight, “Bye bye cat, bye bye tail!”