Chapter I: Front Matter

SALLY IN HER FUR COAT

SALLY IN HER
FUR COAT

By
ELIZA ORNE WHITE
AUTHOR OF ‘BROTHERS IN FUR,’ ETC.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM SCISSOR-CUTS BY
LISL HUMMEL

BOSTON AND NEW YORK
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
The Riverside Press Cambridge
1929

COPYRIGHT, 1929, BY ELIZA ORNE WHITE

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO REPRODUCE
THIS BOOK OR PARTS THEREOF IN ANY FORM

The Riverside Press
CAMBRIDGE · MASSACHUSETTS
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

TO
ELIZABETH F. DUNDASS
AND
MARGARET COLTER

True friends of all in coats of fur,
Beloved by every cat and kitten,
Welcomed with many a heart-felt purr,
Here, gratefully your names are written.

The world is wide and full of wondrous things
For all God’s creatures, whether great or small,
For those who soar aloft on spreading wings,
Or those who, earth-bound, never fear a fall.
But surely kittens have a joyous time,
With ears attuned to every tiny sound,
And with the power the loftiest tree to climb,
And eyes that see all creatures on the ground.
The patter of the rain upon the leaves,
The ants that swiftly build their tiny house,
The wind that’s but a gentle summer breeze,
The stealthy tread of an alluring mouse--
All this is joy; how could one wish to be
A man or woman with closed ears and eyes
To all the treasures of the land and sea,
And to the glory of the earth and skies?
And even a child, though nearer to the ground,
Is often heedless of this wondrous earth,
Where such enthralling histories are found.
Who would not be a kitten full of mirth?

CONTENTS

I. THE ORPHANS 1

Two orphan kittens without their mother,
In piteous plight were they,
A furry sister and her brother
In coats of tiger gray.

II. THE COLD NIGHT 10

If in May the nights are cold,
When Nature should be thriving,
Young kittens but a few weeks old
Think winter is arriving.

III. THE CAPTURE 19

Is it best to be captured, or still to be free?
To have food and a fire, or one’s liberty?
To be free has its charms, but when hungry and cold,
To be captured is not at all bad, we are told.

IV. THE KITTENS AND MISS WINIFRED 27

Politeness is a pleasant trait.
If we are rude to kittens small,
We lose their love and win their hate,
Their friendship is not ours at all.

V. THE FRIENDLY HOUSE 33

A house is such a pleasant place
When friends are kind
And understand our furry race,
Our heart and mind.

VI. SALLY AND THE CLOCK 41

All mantelpieces should be wide
So cats can walk there side by side.
There should be trees in every room
For exercise in storm and gloom.

VII. THE CATNIP MOUSE 46

If I were asked what I would like
To beautify my house,
I’d say without a moment’s thought,
Give me a catnip mouse.

VIII. THE FIRST SNOWSTORM 52

I love the frostwork on the panes,
The snowfall on the trees.
I like the time when winter reigns,
And lakes and rivers freeze.

IX. BUSY SALLY 61

Long naps by day, I like that best,
When the great sun is hot and bright.
That seems the time to take a rest,
After a long and strenuous night.

X. MOODS 69

Perhaps the lady in her silk,
And coat of costly fur,
Would sometimes like my bowl of milk,
If she could have my purr.

XI. PETER 78

Old Peter I have put to flight
On more than one occasion.
He says for country he will fight,
I call it an invasion.

XII. SALLY AND THE LOUD SPEAKER 87

Speak gently, it is better far;
Soft answers are the best,
And low replies. Loud speakers are
A nuisance to the rest.

XIII. SALLY BRACES UP 95

The New Year is a glorious date
For resolutions splendid,
And dreams of valor far more great
Than in the year that’s ended.

XIV. SALLY AND SPOT 102

A tree is such a pleasant place
I’ll stay here through the night
If Spot continues at its base.
That villain I won’t fight.

XV. THE FAMILY TREE 112

I long to have a family tree
And show to all my true descent.
But Oxford says a family tree
Is not a tree for kittens meant.
To know his father is enough
For he was made of valiant stuff.

XVI. THE TRAVELING CAT 120

A traveler comes who’s seen the world,
The harbor and the sea.
He’s seen the spreading sails unfurled,
And all life’s mystery.

XVII. OXFORD GOES ON A JOURNEY 127

Proud scion of a noble race am I;
The blood of hunters courses through my veins.
Variety I crave before I die;
I fear not furious gales, nor autumn rains.

XVIII. SALLY HAS HER WISH 139

If I cannot have a mother, a mother I will be
With some darling, furry children of my own.
The furriest, purriest kittens, the most harum-scarum kittens,
The liveliest, gayest kittens ever known.

XIX. SALLY IS YOUNG WITH HER CHILDREN 147

We love to run, we love to climb,
In fact we have a royal time.
Kings cannot quite so happy be,
For kings, we hear, are not so free.

SALLY IN HER FUR COAT

∵