A BUSY DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 292, 9 December 1936, Page 22

A BUSY DAY.

"You know," said Miriam Mouse the other day, 'I think it's about time that you two "children learned to make yourselves more useful in the house." Ermyntrude and Amy, who were busy having an argument over who should have the last, sweet which was left in the bag, didn't look very pleased when they heard Miriam saying that. "I think we're Very useful as we are," answered Amy. "We'rfe always trying to think of things we ea.ll do to help. Xow, if you'd only let us slide up and down the passages more often you wouldn't have to do any polishing." "Don't be so silly," said Miriam, in an annoyed voice; "that sort of thing doesn't help me at all." "Then I know what we can do," suggested Ermyntrude. "we'll do all the cooking for you. We'll start right away with making some nice cheese cakes." Miriam sniffed. "You'll do 110 such thing. Why, you can't even cook a potato without burning the saucepan. Xo! You shall help me with the washing to-morrow." "The washing!" cried Ermyntrudeand Amy together. "Oh, dear!" "First of all," she ordered, "you must help me fill the big bath tub with water." So they filled the tub and Ermyntrude fetched the clothes from upstairs, and Amy poured some soap-llakes into the tub. "That's right, Amy," said Miriam, when she saw what she was doing. "Xow, how much have you put in there?" "Three full," Amy answered, and looked ever so surprised when Miriam gave a shriek! "Why! Whatever next! You silly girl, you should only put in a few spoonfuls!" At last Miriam got started on the real washing. She rolled up her sleeves and plunged lier hands into the soap-suds and started to scrub away at the clothes. Suddenly Erinyutnide cried "Ha! ha! ha!" and when Miriam asked her what was the matter she laughed still more. Then she said, "Oh, you do look so funny, Miriam! You should just see yourself. You've forgotten to take off your spectacles!" Of course Miriam remembered then, so she sharply told Ermyntrude not to be so rude, and she tried to take them off. But her hands were so slippery that she dropped them into the bath tub, and I'm sorry to say that the two young mice laughed more loudly than ever. But they soon stopped laughing when Miriam made Ermyntrude wring out the clothes, and told Amy to fetch more water. Ermyntrude sighed and grunted as she squeezed the water from the clothes—she found it quite hard work. Then she put them all into the clothes basket and began to carry tliem away. "What are you doing?" called Miriam. "Why, I'm taking tliein in," said Ermyntrrnlei in surprise. "You stupid girl. You've got to hang them out first," Miriam told her. "Xow, I give them to Amy. She's got more sense, perhaps!"