Lakhasly

3.Shall I tell everyone about your little romances?" The Major looked very worried. So did most of the lady guests. What would Tobermory say next? Would you like to go and see if Cook has got your dinner ready?' suggested Lady Blemley quickly. Thank you,' said Tobermory, but it's still two hours before my dinner-time. I've just had my tea. I don't want to die of indigestion.' 'Adelaide!' said Miss Resker to Lady Blemley. Do you want that cat to go and gossip about us to the servants?"'My dear Miss Resker,' said Mr Appin patiently,

"Tobermory is a cat of extraordinary intelligence. He can

speak English perfectly.' 'Let's bring him in and see for ourselves,' suggested Lady Blemley. Sir Wilfred went to look for Tobermory. Everyone waited. A few minutes later, Sir Wilfred came back. His eyes were big with excitement. 'It's true!' he said. I found Tobermory and called out for him to come for his tea. He didn't move, so I said, "Come on, Tobermory, hurry up."The newspapers said that the Englishman must have been teasing it. His name was reported in some newspapers as Appin, and in some newspapers as Eppelin.Tobermory

by H.H. Munro (1870-1916)

Lady Adelaide Blemley and her husband, Sir Wilfred, had invited some guests to stay at their house in the country."That's not true.' 'But, Adelaide, you told me this morning,' said Mavis, 'that your car would be perfect for me.' Major Barfield, another of the guests, tried to change the conversation. 'How's your little romance with the cat up at the stables?""Tobermory may be a great pet,' said Mrs Cornett, 'but both he and the stable cat must be destroyed as soon as possible. I'm sure you'll agree, Adelaide.' You don't suppose I've enjoyed the last fifteen minutes, do you?"cried Mr Appin What about all my years of research and experimenpi

You can go and experiment on the cows at the farm, said Mrs Cornett, 'or the elephants at the zoo.One of the gardeners had just discovered it. Tobermory had bite marks on his throat and there were bits of yellow fur on his claws.Tobermory

I'm afraid I've spilt a lot of the milk, she said in an apologetic voice.An elephant in Dresden Zoo in Germany broke loose and killed an Englishman.They were staring in astonishment at a man called Mr Cornelius Appin.Lady Blemley poured out some milk into a saucer."Well, it's your carpet, not mine,' said Tobermory. The group continued to be silent. Then Miss Resker said

very slowly, as if she were speaking to a small child, Was the human language difficult to learn?"asked Mavis Pellington, a middle-aged lady, in a weak voice.I've been noticing your H. H. Manve

behaviour since you've arrived here.cried Agnes Resker in embarrassment.a fight with the Rectory cat,' said H. H. Munro

Most of the guests left by lunchtime.Tobermory had been Mr Appin's only successful pupil.'Perhaps he was trying to teach the poor elephant German grammar,' said Lady Blemley.Mr Appin sat silently, listening to the discussion going on around him.asked Agnes Resker in a dramatic voice.Tobermory replied immediately.We can put poison into his food at dinner,' said Sir Wilfred, 'and I will go and drown the stable cat myself.And they don't go creeping around our

Our Appin looked disappointed.Sir Wilfred had had a difficult time with the stable cat and the coachman.A plate of poisoned fish had been prepared in the kitchen, ready for Tobermory.The servants went to bed but the guests stayed up, waiting for Tobermory.She had even written a nasty letter to the Rectory about the loss of her beloved Tobermory.A few weeks later, an article appeared in the newspapers.But his first name was reported as Cornelius.The afternoon was cold and grey, so everybody had stayed indoors.But they weren't bored.Mr Appin was a quiet, ordinary kind of man.Nobody had really believed Mr Appin.But now everyone believed Sir Wilfred.All the guests started talking loudly.Suddenly Tobermory entered the room.He walked softly across the carpet to the tea-table.He didn't take any notice of anybody.'Will you have some milk, Tobermory?''All right,' said Tobermory.The guests shivered with excitement.But her hand was shaking so much that she spilt some of the milk onto the carpet.Tobermory looked at her for a moment and then looked

away.He stared into the distance.At once, everyone realised the Major had made a terrible mistake.'One does not discuss these matters in public,' said Tobermory in a very cold voice.Tobermory often walked on this balcony.He liked to watch the pigeons.'It's not true!'said Lady Blemley.she asked.3.

3. Tobermory

by H.H. Munro (1870-1916)

Lady Adelaide Blemley and her husband, Sir Wilfred, had invited some guests to stay at their house in the country. The afternoon was cold and grey, so everybody had stayed indoors. They were sitting round the tea-table in the living-room. But they weren't bored. They were staring in astonishment at a man called Mr Cornelius Appin.

Mr Appin was a quiet, ordinary kind of man. Nobody knew what his job was. Lady Blemley had invited him because someone had said Mr Appin was "clever." But she hadn't known why he was clever. He wasn't a famous sportsman or actor. He certainly wasn't handsome. But he had just told the guests about an experiment he had done. It was so astonishing that nobody could believe it. They stared at him with their mouths open.

'Are you saying,' said Sir Wilfred, 'that you can teach animals to talk? And that our cat, Tobermory, is your first successful pupil?'

'I've been working on this problem for seventeen years,' said Mr Appin. I've done experiments on thousands of animals, but I haven't been successful. However, I've just started working with cats. Cats are amazing creatures. Sometimes, as with humans, you meet one which is especially clever. When I met Tobermory a week ago, I saw immediately.
3. Tobermory

that he is very intelligent. With Tobermory, I have reached my goal.'

Everybody was silent, thinking about what Mr Appin had said.

'Do you mean,' asked a young lady, Miss Resker, 'that you

have taught Tobermory to say and understand easy sentences?' 'My dear Miss Resker,' said Mr Appin patiently,

"Tobermory is a cat of extraordinary intelligence. He can

speak English perfectly.'

'Let's bring him in and see for ourselves,' suggested Lady Blemley.

Sir Wilfred went to look for Tobermory. Everyone waited. A few minutes later, Sir Wilfred came back. His eyes were big with excitement.

'It's true!' he said. I found Tobermory and called out for him to come for his tea. He didn't move, so I said, "Come on, Tobermory, hurry up." Then he said that he would come when he was ready! I almost jumped out of my skin!'

Nobody had really believed Mr Appin. But now everyone believed Sir Wilfred. All the guests started talking loudly. Mr Appin sat silently, listening to the discussion going on around him.

Suddenly Tobermory entered the room. He walked softly across the carpet to the tea-table. He didn't take any notice of anybody. There was a silence. Nobody knew what to say.

Lady Blemley poured out some milk into a saucer.

'Will you have some milk, Tobermory?' she asked. 'All right,' said Tobermory. The guests shivered with excitement.

But her hand was shaking so much that she spilt some of the milk onto the carpet. 3. Tobermory

I'm afraid I've spilt a lot of the milk, she said in an apologetic voice.

"Well, it's your carpet, not mine,' said Tobermory. The group continued to be silent. Then Miss Resker said

very slowly, as if she were speaking to a small child, Was the human language difficult to learn?"

Tobermory looked at her for a moment and then looked

away. He stared into the distance. It was obvious that he

thought her question was too boring to answer. What do you think of human intelligence?' asked Mavis Pellington, a middle-aged lady, in a weak voice.

'Whose intelligence?" asked Tobermory coldly.

'Oh, well, mine, for example,' laughed Mavis.

You are embarrassing me,' said Tobermory. But he did not look embarrassed. 'When Sir Wilfred and Lady Blemley were talking about inviting you here, Sir Wilfred said you had no brains at all.

Lady Blemley said that was exactly why she was inviting you. She said you were the only person who might be stupid enough to buy their old car.'

Mavis Pellington gasped in shock. So did Lady Blemley.

'Oh no,' she said. "That's not true.'

'But, Adelaide, you told me this morning,' said Mavis, 'that your car would be perfect for me.'

Major Barfield, another of the guests, tried to change the conversation.

'How's your little romance with the cat up at the stables?" he asked.

At once, everyone realised the Major had made a terrible mistake.

'One does not discuss these matters in public,' said Tobermory in a very cold voice. I've been noticing your H. H. Manve

behaviour since you've arrived here. Shall I tell everyone about your little romances?"

The Major looked very worried. So did most of the lady guests. What would Tobermory say next?

Would you like to go and see if Cook has got your dinner ready?' suggested Lady Blemley quickly.

Thank you,' said Tobermory, but it's still two hours before my dinner-time. I've just had my tea. I don't want to die of indigestion.'

'Adelaide!' said Miss Resker to Lady Blemley. Do you want that cat to go and gossip about us to the servants?"

There was a general feeling of panic. Everyone was remembering that there was a narrow balcony running outside their bedroom windows.

Tobermory often walked on this balcony. He liked to watch the pigeons. But he could see other things too. He could see into the guests' rooms and watch everything going on there. He knew everyone's secrets.

'Why did I come here?' asked Agnes Resker in a dramatic voice.

Tobermory replied immediately.

'When you were talking to Mrs Cornett in the garden yesterday, you said you had come for the food. You said the Blemleys were very boring, but they had an excellent cook.

Otherwise, you said, nobody would want to visit them.' 'It's not true!' cried Agnes Resker in embarrassment.

'Mrs Cornett repeated your words to Mavis Pellington,' continued Tobermory, 'and said, "That woman would go anywhere for food." And Mavis Pellington said Suddenly, Tobermory stopped. He had just seen a big 3. Tobermory

yellow Tom cat' outside. The Tom cat belonged to the Rectory. It was walking past the French window of the living-room. The French window was a little open. Tobermory disappeared through it and went after the

Tom cat. It was going in the direction of the stables. At once everybody turned to Cornelius Appin and started

blaming him. "This is all your fault, they said angrily. You have to stop things from getting worse.'

'Can Tobermory teach other cats how to talk?' asked one of the guests nervously.

'Perhaps he's taught his girlfriend, the stable cat,' replied Mr Appin. 'But he probably hasn't had the chance to teach other cats yet.'

"Tobermory may be a great pet,' said Mrs Cornett, 'but both he and the stable cat must be destroyed as soon as possible. I'm sure you'll agree, Adelaide.'

You don't suppose I've enjoyed the last fifteen minutes, do you?” said Lady Blemley. ‘My husband and I are very fond of Tobermory - I mean, we were fond of him before he started talking - but yes, he must be destroyed.'

We can put poison into his food at dinner,' said Sir Wilfred, 'and I will go and drown the stable cat myself. The coachman will be very unhappy at losing his pet. But I'll say that both cats have caught a terrible disease. I'll say we don't want it to spread.'3. Tobermory

"But what about my great discovery?" cried Mr Appin What about all my years of research and experimenpi

You can go and experiment on the cows at the farm, said Mrs Cornett, 'or the elephants at the zoo. Elephants are said to be very intelligent. And they don't go creeping around our

Our Appin looked disappointed. But there was nothing he rooms.' could do. Everybody was against him. In fact, some of the guests wanted to poison him too.

Dinner that evening was not a success. Sir Wilfred had had a difficult time with the stable cat and the coachman. Lady Blemley tried to keep the conversation going, but she kept looking at the door. A plate of poisoned fish had been prepared in the kitchen, ready for Tobermory. But Tobermory did not appear.

After dinner the guests went to the living-room. They tried to listen to music or read magazines, but nobody could concentrate. The servants went to bed but the guests stayed up, waiting for Tobermory. But he did not come back.

'He won't come back tonight,' said the Major. 'He's probably in the local newspaper office, telling the editor all about us. Soon everyone in Britain will be reading about our secrets.'

By next morning, Tobermory had still not returned. Breakfast was worse than dinner the night before. Everyone was even more nervous.

Towards the end of breakfast, Tobermory's dead body was brought in from the garden. One of the gardeners had just discovered it. Tobermory had bite marks on his throat and there were bits of yellow fur on his claws.

'He must have got into Sir Wilfred. a fight with the Rectory cat,' said H. H. Munro

Most of the guests left by lunchtime. Lady Blemley was beginning to feel much better. She had even written a nasty letter to the Rectory about the loss of her beloved Tobermory.

Tobermory had been Mr Appin's only successful pupil. A few weeks later, an article appeared in the newspapers. An elephant in Dresden Zoo in Germany broke loose and killed an Englishman. The newspapers said that the Englishman must have been teasing it. His name was reported in some newspapers as Appin, and in some newspapers as Eppelin. But his first name was reported as Cornelius.

'Perhaps he was trying to teach the poor elephant German grammar,' said Lady Blemley.