"Respected Jury and dearly beloved Ozma, I pray you not to judge this
feline prisoner unfeelingly. I do not think the innocent kitten can
be guilty, and surely it is unkind to accuse a luncheon of being a
murder. Eureka is the sweet pet of a lovely little girl whom we all
admire, and gentleness and innocence are her chief virtues. Look at
the kitten's intelligent eyes;" (here Eureka closed her eyes sleepily)
"gaze at her smiling countenance!" (here Eureka snarled and showed her
teeth) "mark the tender pose of her soft, padded little hands!" (Here
Eureka bared her sharp claws and scratched at the bars of the cage.)
"Would such a gentle animal be guilty of eating a fellow creature?
No; a thousand times, no!"
"Oh, cut it short," said Eureka; "you've talked long enough."
"I'm trying to defend you," remonstrated the Tin Woodman.
"Then say something sensible," retorted the kitten. "Tell them it
would be foolish for me to eat the piglet, because I had sense enough
to know it would raise a row if I did. But don't try to make out I'm
too innocent to eat a fat piglet if I could do it and not be found
out. I imagine it would taste mighty good."
"Perhaps it would, to those who eat," remarked the Tin Woodman. "I
myself, not being built to eat, have no personal experience in such
matters. But I remember that our great poet once said:
"'To eat is sweet
When hunger's seat
Demands a treat
Of savory meat.'
"Take this into consideration, friends of the Jury, and you will
readily decide that the kitten is wrongfully accused and should be set
at liberty."
When the Tin Woodman sat down no one applauded him, for his arguments
had not been very convincing and few believed that he had proved
Eureka's innocence. As for the Jury, the members whispered to each
other for a few minutes and then they appointed the Hungry Tiger their
spokesman. The huge beast slowly arose and said:
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