Schongut Emanuel - Tobermory
Illustration for the new Saki, published in The Literary Cat , ed. JC Suares and Seymour Chwast, Push Pin Press, 1977. © Emanuel Schongut (Via real funny lady )
" ... Tobermory Entered The Room and made history Way with velvet tread and studied unconcern across-the group seated round the tea-table.
A sudden hush
of awkwardness and constraint fell on the company. Somehow there seemed an element of embarrassment in addressing on equal terms a domestic cat of acknowledged dental ability.
"Will you have some milk, Tobermory?" asked Lady Blemley in a rather strained voice.
"I don't mind if I do," was the response, couched in a tone of even indifference. A shiver of suppressed excitement went through the listeners, and Lady Blemley might be excused for pouring out the saucerful of milk rather unsteadily.
"I'm afraid I've spilt a good deal of it," she said apologetically.
"After all, it's not my Axminster," was Tobermory's rejoinder.
Another silence fell on the group, and then Miss Resker, in her best district-visitor manner, asked if the human language had been difficult to learn. Tobermory looked squarely at her for a moment and then fixed his gaze serenely on the middle distance. It was obvious that boring questions lay outside his scheme of life.
"What do you think of human intelligence?" asked Mavis Pellington lamely.
"Of whose intelligence in particular?" asked Tobermory coldly.
"Oh, well, mine for instance," said Mavis with a feeble laugh. »
A sudden hush
of awkwardness and constraint fell on the company. Somehow there seemed an element of embarrassment in addressing on equal terms a domestic cat of acknowledged dental ability.
"Will you have some milk, Tobermory?" asked Lady Blemley in a rather strained voice.
"I don't mind if I do," was the response, couched in a tone of even indifference. A shiver of suppressed excitement went through the listeners, and Lady Blemley might be excused for pouring out the saucerful of milk rather unsteadily.
"I'm afraid I've spilt a good deal of it," she said apologetically.
"After all, it's not my Axminster," was Tobermory's rejoinder.
Another silence fell on the group, and then Miss Resker, in her best district-visitor manner, asked if the human language had been difficult to learn. Tobermory looked squarely at her for a moment and then fixed his gaze serenely on the middle distance. It was obvious that boring questions lay outside his scheme of life.
"What do you think of human intelligence?" asked Mavis Pellington lamely.
"Of whose intelligence in particular?" asked Tobermory coldly.
"Oh, well, mine for instance," said Mavis with a feeble laugh. »
Saki (H. H. Munro) - Tobermory
(The Chronicles of Clovis , 1911)
Tobermory recounts the short life of superchat who had learned to speak but not to be silent, and it One of the stories of the funniest cat I know. Those who want to know what the cat thinks the intelligence of Mavis Pellington can read the news in its entirety here but VO
" It's not my Axminster " translates to " this is not my carpet . The town of Axminster (Devon, 5626 souls) was and is still famous for its manufacture of quality industrial carpet , which it gave its name.
HH Munro (1870-1916) is the man who wrote Sredni Vashtar and awards issued as definitive as " oysters are more beautiful than any religion .. . Once they arrive at the dinner table, they are obviously ready to get to the bottom of things. Whether it be Christianity or Buddhism, none of this can really rise to the selfless giving of oneself to an oyster. "
Saki loses much in translation - the post of tomorrow will also be dedicated to those who, like cats, need to brush up their English, from time to time.
And the site is Emanuel Schongut here.
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