THE GREEDY KITTEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2130, 20 December 1894, Page 7

THE GREEDY KITTEN.

FOX THE TBEY LITTLE ONES.

(Specially tvrittenfor the Witness Christmas Number of 1894-)

NOB upon a time there was a fanny little fafc kitten CBlled Smut. He was all over as black as a coal, that is why they called him Smnt. I don't care vei-y much for cats, do you? For one thing, I think they are all born thieves. And then again, if you were to give them their dinner in a dißh aa big an a milk pan, they would still pull the bones over the edge on to your clean floor. Weil, it's the way they are made, I suppose. They are only cats, and don't know any better. Now there was Topay— sbe was Smut's mother, you know, and black like Smut, only she had white paws and a white tip taHier tail. Topsy was the largest and sleekest cat you ever saw, and she would purr and blink her eyes at you with such an innocent expression, as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Humph I Her mistress never would believe that Topsy could steal. Ob, dear, no Meat and fish would disappear feometimer* but nobedy ever saw Topey take them, so all the blame was laid on Smut. And I must say he deserved It. There was no doubt about 7rim— none whatever. JTo would steal ju»t as often as he got the chance. I U3ed to believe that kitten would better enjoy a bare bone if he had stolen it than the nicest dinner I could give him. You can believe he was always getting into trouble. One day he jumped up on the tea table and poked his head into the milk jug. Then I suppose he wished he hadn't, and tried to draw it out ; but it is a great deal , easier to do wroug than to undo it. Smut's head was fast in the jug. You never saw such a frightened kitten. He lamped right off the table. The jug Bmashed of course, and all the milk was spilled, and ther* was Bmut racing round the room like mad, with a necklace of broken jngl I don't wor>der you laugh. We all laughed except Smut 1 And such a work as it was to c»tch him and get the broken jug off 1 Now, wouldn't you think that would have been a lesson to him 1 But Smut was like some boys and girls— that kind of lesson never eeomed to do Mm any good. One day about a week afUr that the mistress said, " Did you hear the mice last night? I think I will leave Sapper for them." So Bhe got oat the box of posion, and made up some little sandwiches. I saw Smnt looking on with greedy eyes. "No, indeed, Smut, 1 ' said his mistress, "this isn't for you; so don't think it." But Smut said to himself, " I will have a taste 1 I'm i sure it is something good. There 1 She has j gone and put it on the very top shelf . They j always try to keep the nice things out of my reach ; but I will get at that, ccc if I don't." Well, next morning one of those pieces of bread was gone, and Smut was as sick as any kitten need wish to be. Indeed, if be had not had a good mistress to dose him and care for him, I expect this would have been the end of my story. For about a we«k he could not eat a bit, nor drink anything but water. We pat a saucer of water in a corner for biro, bat do yoa suppose he would have it ? Not he 1 He used to get on the table, weak as he was, peke bis nose into the flower vase, and steal a drink. Did you ever know such a kitten 1 But we forgave him that time, because he was so ill. Well, he got belter at last, and for two whole days he was aa good as could be. Having been nearly poisoned seemed to have reformed him ; but dear me, it didn't last! Now there was one place which neither Smut nor Topsy were ever allowed to enter, and that was the dairy. Topsy made believe not to care. " There is nothing there but milk and butter," she used to say, " and we can get that at any time." Then she gave a sidelong look at the tea table. I know quite well she would have been up there that minute if I hadn't been in the room. Smut was always grumbliDg at not being allowed to go in, and the more we tried to keep him out the more determined he was to g«t in. Well, one evening the mistress went to the dairy, and Smut trotted after her. Of course his soft little paws made no noise, and because he was as black as the night the mistress never saw him. So he slipped in, and hid himself till she was gone. Then he came out, arching his back and purring with delight. All alone by himself in the dairy I It was fine! To be sure it was pitch dark, but Smut didn't care a bit for that ; he could ccc quite well. So he jumped on the shelf. Six big dishes of milk 1 Ob, jolly 1 He would taste them every one to make sure wbich was the nicest. The first one was skimmed. " Who wants skimmed milk," said Smut. " I can get that every day." The next dish was very good, but still Smut thought the next again might be better; and so it was. Rich warm milk, and the pan nearly full. Delicious I Now, how it came to paes I don't quite know, but tbe next minute Smut overbalanced himself and fell plump into the dish I Oh lah 1 ugh I how nasty it was. The milk got into his mouth and eyes, choking and blinding him. For one dreadful minute Smut felt as if it was all over with him ; but at last he found hie feet, and got his head above the milk. But he could not climb out. There he stood, shivering with fright and cold, up to his neck in milk 1 " Oh," he said to himself, " I wish I had never come into this old dairy ; I wish I had done as mother told me. Me-ew, me-ew! Mother, mother, come and lake me out of the milk 1 " *?ow I must tell you that down in a nice warm house under tbo dairy floor there lived a family of mice— Mother Mouse and a'ix little fat mousies— and that very night they were going to have a party in the dairy. What would they play at 1 Well, races for one thing; racing up and down the dairy floor like mad. Thee, of csurse. there was

always supper— milk and cream. Once they bad half a candle ; tbat was good, but tonight there was to be something still better.

"Cheese," said Whickers, smacking his lips. " The most delicious bit of cheaso you ever saw. We mill have a feast !

Now, all the little mice were getting ready for the party, but they all stopped to smaok their lips ; if there was one thing they loved it was cheese t " Bat where is it 7 " asked mother mouse. " There was none there last nigbt." Whiskers nodded his head wisely. " It is up on the top shelf, in such a funny little house. We might play havtog a party in it." " A house 1 " Mother mouue turned quite pale. " Ob, my dear children, you must not go near that it is no bouse, but a dreadful trap." Thsn all the little mice looked so disappointed, you can't think; and Whiskers was just going to say, " I don't believe it is a trap," when—" Me-ew ! " Whatever was that ? A cat ? A cat in tbe dairy 7 All the mica looked at each other in dismay. Mother mouße was tbe first to recover herself. "It isn't the cat," she said. "Tbe cat would know enough to be quiet. It's that stupid little kitten that baa got locked in." "Oh ! " Baid Whiskers, " who's afraid of the kitten ; he can't catcb us. I'm going to seel"

Then all the little mice looked at each other, and nodded their heads, as much as to say, "Did you ever see such a brave fellow? Isn't he eplendid ?" Whiskers half wished be hadn't offered to go, but of course be couldn't draw back now. All the mice went with him as far as the little hole in the dairy floor, but none of them seemed to care to go any further. They waited for Whiskers, and pretty soon he darted back to them. But he wasn't f lightened ; he was laughing so that he could hardly stand. "Such f un 1" he squeaked. " Oh, such fun ! What do you think 1 The kitten is in the milk ! " Then all the little mice squealed for joy. " Let's go and look at him," they said. "Perhaps it's a trick," said Mother Mouse, " and we shall all be caught." "No, it isn't," said Whiskers; "it is quite safe; he is in the milk, and he can't get out." So all the seven mice went to look at him. At first they kept a good way off, but soon they grew bolder, and came right up to the edge of the dish. " Me-ew 1 " said Smut piteonsly. " Please, dear, good mice, do help m 8 out 1 " "I daresay," said Whiskers. " Very likely, indeed," said Mother Mouse. "Will you come out now or stay till we help you 1 " Poor Smut 1 Really, I begin to feel sorry for him. Don'fc you? And yet it was quite his own fault.

Now all this time Topsy was fast asleep by the kitchen fire, for it was a very cold night. All at once she awoke, and took it iuto her head to wonder where Smut was. So she went prowling about, and just as she passed the dairy door she heard a faint me-ew 1

"Ma-ow," said Topsy at once. "la that you, Smut ? Where are you ? " Oh, if you could have seen those mice jump ! They just flew to their hole. " Me-ew 1 " sobbed poor Smut. " I'm here, mother— l'm in the milk, and the mice are all laughing at me." "M^-ow 1 " said Topsy, as much as to say, "I'il come back in a minute." Then she went to the kif.chen, where the mistress was getting supper ready, and took hold of her apron in her mouth. " No, no, Topsy," said ths mistress, " I'm busy now ; I can't stop to play." But of course Topsy wasn't playing. She pulled and pulled. " Dear me," said the mistress, " what a very remarkable cat I Let us see what she wants."

So we took a light and followed her to the dairy door, and then we heard : " Me-ew I me-ew ! " "Ob," said the mistress, "if that kitten isn't in mischief again ! " So we opened the door and called : " Puss, puss I " " Why, wherever can he be 1 " said the mistress.

But we soon spied him; and though we were vexed enough to think of all that nice milk spoiled, we could not help laughing ; he looked so funny with his little black head sticking up out of the milk. We fished bim out and wiped some of the milk off ; then Topsy carried bim in to the fire, for he couldn't walk, he was so exhausted.

Well, that is the end of Smut, for the mistress said she wasn't as strong as she looked, and she couldn't stand that kitten another minute. So he was sent away, and I never beard any mora about him.

And did the mice have their party after all? Indeed they did, and fine fuu they must have had, to jadge by the noise. But it ended rather badly for Whiskers. He wouldn't believe what bis mother said about that trep ; he would go in to taste the cheese. Poor fellow ! he never came out.