A kitten is the most irresistible comedian in the world. Its wide-open eyes gleam with wonder and mirth. It darts madly at nothing at all, and then, as though suddenly checked in the pursuit, prances sideways on its hind legs with ridiculous agility and zeal.

Repplier treats the kitten not as a pet but as a natural performer: its comedy is “irresistible” precisely because it is unselfconscious. The description lingers on the mismatch between the kitten’s intense seriousness—eyes “wide-open” with “wonder and mirth”—and the triviality of its target (“nothing at all”). That gap produces humor: the animal’s exuberant energy, sudden stops, and sideways prancing mimic the timing and physicality of stage farce. The passage also suggests a gentle philosophy of delight in small, ordinary spectacles, where play becomes a kind of spontaneous art and a reminder that joy can be purposeless yet profoundly engaging.