THE BARKING CATS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12567, 2 October 1926, Page 16

THE BARKING CATS

She stood on the rug in front of the fire, a dainty wee thing in her pink nightie. i No, she didn’t have large blue eyes and golden curls like most babies. . . . Her name was. Betty, and she had just been washed and powdered, and her little shingled head neatly brushed, and now she was ready for bed. Daddy sat on the clumpy beside her, and Mother stood on the other side holding a hot-water bag, dressed in red flannel—the hotbag, I mean, not mummy. Now this was the programme every evening, and in a second, when daddy sat on the dumpy, Betty sat on his knee, for a last love and cuddle. Then the procession would start for the bedroom, and the; little queen was kissed and tucked in. But , to-night—somehow—-things did not go quite the same. ‘Well, chick,” said Daddy, “ready?” Betty shifted a wee bit, and five little pink toes peeped below the nightie, her finger slipped between two rosy lips, and she looked into the fire. “Well, pet?” asked Mother. “We are waiting.” “Did you hear some ‘tats’ barking last night, Mumnsy—just by my window?” “Oh, cats,” said Mother; “yes I did. But cats are really nice animals, and they don’t bark—only dogs bark.” “Cats just love little girls,” said Daddy. “Well, I don’t like ‘tats’ barking under my window, anyhow. .The little voice broke, and Daddy sat her on his knee. Then Mother said, “I suppose the poor daddy and mummy cat had come to look for their baby.” “Well, I’se not their baby, anyhow, and I don’t like them barking. I’se your baby.” And Daddy kissed and cuddled her. “Oh, dear,” said Mother. “I just know what happened. Now, these pussies had a little baby, see, and the mummy said, Now, little baby, don’t yoii go away. If you«io, you will get lost. This little baby pussy was very naughty, and wouldn’t do as his mummy told him, and he did go out, and he got lost. Then the mummy and daddy had to go and look for him, and when they got to your window, they just knew a tiny girl slept in there, and they were asking you if you had seen their baby.” “They barked,” Betty broke in. "They were really saying, ‘Me-ow, me-ow,’ which really meant ‘Betty, have you seen our baby? Me-ow, me-ow!’” “Then I would say, ‘Yes, I did. You go and look in our fowlhouse.’ ” Then the procession started, and soon the tiny woman was tucked in. .. . "Good-night, good-night. . .” And Mummy tiptoed away. iiiiiimiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiimiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiimtmiiiiiimiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii