Musmys

"The Story of a Cat" (1906) av Émile Gigault de La Bédollière med silhuetter av L. Hopkins är som hörs av titeln en berättelse om en katt. En rätt lång och spännande saga där mössen bara är bifigurer.
Det handlar om den ädla Madame de la Grenouillère, hennes goda jungfru Mother Michel och den bovaktige betjänten M. Lustucru och hittekatten Moumouth.

_ _ _ Moumouth was born of poor parents who had abandoned him in his earliest infancy; he had been brought up in the streets, obliged to procure his own living, and trained in the school of adversity. Thus he was very skillful in the art of catching rats and mice,—a useful art, too often neglected by cats belonging to the first families._ _ _

_ _ _ He placed himself on the watch, and surprised a mouse that had stolen out of its hole to eat some flour. He dropped upon the imprudent mouse, in describing what is called in geometry a parabola, and seized it by the nose, to prevent it from crying out. This feat, although performed with address and in silence, attracted the attention of the baker’s boy. "Hi! a cat!" cried the apprentice, arming himself with a scoop.
"Don’t hurt him; he is doing us a service."
"But where did he come from?"
"What does that matter, provided he is useful here?" answered the baker, who was a man of intelligence. "Eat, eat, my friend," he continued, stooping down to gently caress Moumouth; "eat as many mice as possible, there will always be enough left."_ _ _

_ _ _ And Mother Michel ventured into the gloomy vaults of the cellar, where she encountered nothing but rats.