The Compassionate Physician

  A KIND-HEARTED Physician sitting at the bedside of a patient
afflicted¹ with an incurable² and painful disease, heard a noise
behind him, and turning saw a cat laughing at the feeble efforts of
a wounded mouse to drag itself out of the room.

  "You cruel beast!" cried he.  "Why don't you kill it at once, like
a lady?"

  Rising, he kicked the cat out of the door, and picking up the mouse
compassionately³ put it out of its misery⁴ by pulling off its head. 
Recalled to the bedside by the moans of his patient, the Kind-
hearted Physician administered a stimulant⁵, a tonic⁶, and a
nutrient⁷, and went away.