The Cat and the Jewelry Strore

 By Bruce Shawkey

Found this fun little article in a 1958 issue of Europa Star magazine. Reminiscent of Aesop's Fables:

When the jeweller saw the cat walk into his shop he did not at first pay any particular attention. But when the animal leaped on to the counter and looked around threateningly making angry noises, he looked up from his work. 

"Get down, you." 

The cat knocked down a stand holding plastic necklaces and then proceeded to tear up some painted tin brooches. 

"Hey," said the shop owner, "what do you think you're doing?" 

"I'm helping you," said the cat. "Too much trash in this place. You're a jeweler, not a ten-cent store." He knocked down a cheap china mug.

"You mind your own business," yelled the watchmaker, "I know what my customers want." 

The cat now tore down some fixtures displaying painted metal rings in gaudy colors. 

"If people see this sort of thing, they'll go elsewhere when it comes lo buying fine jewelry."

The shop owner scratched his head. 

—All this is very well, but you're only a cat. You cannot understand the problems of a dealer. 

The cat looked up: 

"There you are wrong. I know what women like. I also know that the stuff you sell here spoils their taste. The time was when no woman would be seen wearing jewelry that was not made of genuine material or at least very good imitation. Now you see smartly dressed girls ruin a dress by the adjunction of this sort of thing." He jumped down on the jewelry that was piling up on the floor and started scratching at chipped beads and flimsy metal chains. This done, he licked his paws and looked around while the shopkeeper went off to get a stick. 

While the man was away the cat managed to slip into a showcase where he pulled out all he saw, tore the watches out of their cases and made a lot of dust. He then streaked out of the open door just before the watchmaker returned. 

"Dratted animal," cursed the man as he stumbled against the pile of broken up jewelry on the floor. "Just the day I'm expecting important customers. My goodness, they will be coming in half an hour."

At that moment, the assistant came in and surveyed the damage. There was a slight twinkle in his eye as he went off to get a broom and cleared up the mess on the floor. 

"Oh, what shall I do?" moaned the distraught jeweler, "That wretched cat has ruined me. "

The assistant put the broom away and started rearranging the showcase. He removed the broken cases, arranged the watches attractively in groups on a piece of velvet. He looked back at his work. 

"Might as well make a good job of it ... I rather like cats," he added enigmatically. "By the way, what about those boxes of jewelry you received the other day and did not know where to put?" 

The watchmaker stopped moaning. The two men found the boxes and drew out gold necklaces and pendants which theput into the jewelry case.