The Wasp — 1880 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

**The Two Cartoons:** The top illustrations show two scenes labeled "PUSSY! PUSSY! COME, PUSSY!" (left) and "WHY PUSSY DIDN'T COME" (right). A child calls for a cat near a fence, but the cat is distracted—climbing on what appears to be a demon or creature figure perched over a barrel on the right side. **The Satire:** This appears to be a morality tale using the cat as metaphor. The "demon" or mischievous figure represents vice or danger that lures the innocent away from safety and obedience. The joke suggests children (symbolized by pussy) are tempted by worldly dangers instead of heeding parental calls. **The Text:** Below begins "The Book of the Children of Samuel," Chapter II, a fictional religious narrative about choosing leaders and dismissing corruption—likely satirizing contemporary political disputes through biblical allegory.