The Book, Cat, & Cat Book Lovers Almanac

of historical trivia regarding books, cats, and other animals. Actually this blog has evolved so that it is described better as a blog about cats in history and culture. And we take as a theme the advice of Aldous Huxley: If you want to be a writer, get some cats. Don't forget to see the archived articles linked at the bottom of the page.

August 31, 2009

Aug. 31 1688

Children in the 17th century played different games than we do now. They played tipcat, for instance, which is not at all related to cowtipping. Nor did it involve cats--a game of tipcat involved placing a six inch wooden oval on the ground and then hitting it with a bat--done right the wood piece bounced up, and the child hit the wooden piece with a bat, called by them, a cat. This game, played on a Sunday in 1644, made the young John Bunyan feel guilty, since game playing was prohbited by the Puritans, on Sundays. Bunyan, author of spiritual classics, died on August 31, 1688. His books reveal his view that a game of cat was the beginning of his spiritual growth.

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