Oliver Herford: Naturalist and Cat Lover

December 2, 1860  
Today is the birthday of the English-American writer, artist, and illustrator, Oliver Herford.
Oliver’s wit was sharp and came through in his writing.
He wrote:
A woman's mind is cleaner than a man's: She changes it more often.
— Oliver Herford, English-American writer, artist, and illustrator

And he also wrote,
A rolling stone gathers no moss, but it gains a certain polish.
— Oliver Herford, English-American writer, artist, and illustrator

A cat lover, Oliver wrote a few charming books about cats and kittens. Here’s a little cat-inspired verse Oliver wrote about pussy willows and bulrush:
I sometimes think the Pussy-Willows grey
Are Angel Kittens who have lost their way,
And every Bulrush on the riverbank
A Cat-Tail from some lovely Cat astray.”
— Oliver Herford, English-American writer, artist, and illustrator, The Rubáiyát of a Persian Kitten

And finally, here’s a charming verse from Oliver about the dark month of December...
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.
We are nearer to Spring
Then we were in September,
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
— Oliver Herford, English-American writer, artist, and illustrator