A Story about a Cat and a Mouse

This little duologue, by 'A. L. Little' appears in the 9th May 1913 edition of newspaper of the Women's Freedom League, the Vote. 


"Uncle McKenna" is supposed to be the the Liberal MP Reginald McKenna, who was the Home Secretary from 1911-1915. The duologue refers to the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act of 1913, a piece of hotly contested legislation popularly known as the "Cat and Mouse Act" which allowed suffragette hunger-strikers to be forcibly fed to the point of near death, then released on license to recuperate and imprisoned again to continue their sentence as soon as they were well enough... and when they were back in prison they went on hunger-strike and were forcibly fed to the point of near death at which point they were released on license to recuperate and imprisoned again to continue their sentence as soon as they were well enough... [repeat]

You can read about it online here and the debates in the House of Commons are available to read on Hansard. 


Interesting that the "cat" in this duologue is female rather than male... does that make it seem more or less cruel? 

The Story
By A.L. Little

British Infant:  Tell me a story, Uncle McKenna.


U. Mc. (sleepily):  Well, sit down and keep quiet. There was once a cat - 


British Infant:  How nice! Do go on, uncle!


U. Mc.:  And she caught a mouse - 


British Infant:  Oh!


U. Mc.:  She mauled it awhile, then let it go - 


British Infant: But why?


U. Mc.:  Oh - er - just to gain time, you know. So she caught it again - 


British Infant:  And mauled it again?


U. Mc.:  Yes. Then she let it go. So she caught it again and mauled it again. And then - 


British Infant:  But didn't it die?


U. Mc.:  Not yet. Well, she mauled it again.


British Infant: Again? Well, I don't see much fun in that.


U. Mc.:  Oh - well - it wasn't exactly fun, you see.


British Infant (hotly):  Then, what was it?


U. Mc.:  Don't interrupt. So, she let it go. Then - 


British Infant:  Then what,  uncle?


U. Mc.:  Well, then she mauled it again, you know. And after, she let it go. Then she mauled - 


British Infant (outraged):  But that's not a story. It's stupid!


U. Mc. (slowly):  That's what everyone said.