Copy Book Archive

Heads I Win, Tails You Lose! (That’s cat-tails, obviously.) And who ever said cats were unpredictable?
before 1806
King George III 1760-1820
Music: Anthony Collins

© Dwight Sipler, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0. Source

About this picture …

The photographer’s cat, Gillie, enjoying some sunny weather.

Heads I Win, Tails You Lose!
Charles Fox was a Whig politician who served briefly as Foreign Secretary. A staunch opponent of King George III, he once dressed himself in the colours of the American revolutionary army. But he was also friends with Prince George, the King’s son.

ONE broiling hot summer’s day Charles James Fox and the Prince of Wales were lounging up St. James’s street, and Fox laid the Prince a wager that he would see more Cats than his Royal Highness would during their promenade, although the Prince might choose which side of the street he thought fit.

On reaching Piccadilly, it turned out that Fox had seen thirteen Cats and the Prince none. The Prince asked for an explanation of this apparent miracle.

“Your Royal Highness,” said Fox, “chose, of course, the shady side of the way as most agreeable. I knew that the sunny side would be left for me, and that Cats prefer the sunshine.”

Précis

One sunny day, Regency politician Charles Fox bet the Prince of Wales that there would be more cats on his side of the street than on the Prince’s. As Fox guessed he would, the Prince walked down the shady side, and since cats like the sunshine, Fox won his wager. (50 / 60 words)

Source

From ‘The Book of Cats’ (1868) by cartoonist Charles H. Ross. Slightly emended.

Suggested Music

Vanity Fair

Anthony Collins (1893-1963)

Performed by the Pro Arte Orchestra, conducted by George Weldon.

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How To Use This Passage

You can use this passage to help improve your command of English.

IRead it aloud, twice or more. IISummarise it in one sentence of up to 30 words. IIISummarise it in one paragraph of 40-80 words. IVMake notes on the passage, and reconstruct the original from them later on. VJot down any unfamiliar words, and make your own sentences with them later. VIMake a note of any words that surprise or impress you, and ask yourself what meaning they add to the words you would have expected to see. VIITurn any old-fashioned English into modern English. VIIITurn prose into verse, and verse into prose. IXAsk yourself what the author is trying to get you to feel or think. XHow would an artist or a photographer capture the scene? XIHow would a movie director shoot it, or a composer write incidental music for it?

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