The disappointment of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

I've been planning to give a copy of T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats to my BF's daughter, Sophie, who is about to turn 17. She likes quirky, spooky, whimsical things, so I thought the combination of Edward Gorey's illustrations with the charming poems about cats would be appealing. Also, I thought the small size of the book was appropriate for our fledgling relationship. Not too big, not flashy, but a little something that she might enjoy. 

Last night I opened up the little book and read it through. It's a 10-15 minute read. I had no memory of the racial slur in "(Of) The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles," but when I saw it I realized that I couldn't give the book to Sophie as something that I treasured and thought she would enjoy too.

I'm not naive. I know those callous, dismissive attitudes about people were everywhere in those days. When I question myself about why I'm so shocked to find a racial slur in a book of whimsical verse about cats, I have to admit that part of my shock is that I never noticed it before. Somehow it was so inconsequential to me the many other times I've read this little book, that it didn't catch my attention. I have to sit with that.

Now that I've seen it, though, I can't unsee it, and I can't give this book as a gift. Now to find a replacement gift.