JACKIE AND CRICKET.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17786, 10 August 1929, Page 16 (Supplement)

JACKIE AND CRICKET.

A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED. One beautiful, bright, sunny morning Cricket, came rushing into the house as fast as she could run. “Jackie Jinks, come and sec what I have found!” she cried excitedly. "What have you found?" asked Jackie eagerly. “I will not tell you. You must come and see for yourself,” said Cricket. "But where is what you have found? Please tell me that much,” begged Jackie.

"It is down at the big horse barn,” replied Cricket. "I guess that it is a horseshoe nail then," ventured Jackie. "No, no!” laughed Cricket. “It is something alive. You will be very much surprised.” "I guess that It is a new horse!" said Jackie.

“No, you are wrong again, and you must not guess any more. Just run as fast as even you can,” demanded Cricket.

When they reached the big barn Cricket put both her hands over Jackie’s eyes and pushed him over towards a nice, dark, quiet corner.

"There t now, open your eyes and tell me what you see," laughed Cricket.

“Oh, ohl" cried Jackie, rubbing his eyes to make sure that he was really seeing right. “I see Paws and three little kittens.”

Sure enough there lay Paws in a nice nest made in the clean straw, and ouddled against her were three pretty baby kittens. When Paws heard her little master’s voice she half raised up and gave a soft, loving cry of weloome. “Aren’t the kittens darlings?” exclaimed Cricket.

“Yes, but they are asleep. I wish they \Vould wake up, so that we might play with" them,” said Jackie. “They are not asleep. Don’t you see their feet and tails moving? They are awake, but they can’t see us. Teir eyes are not open yet, and will not be until they are older,” explained Cricket.

Very, very carefully Cricket and Jackie took the baby kittens in their arms. All the while Paws purred happily, for she loved Cricket and Jackie so much and was very proud to show them her babies. “I wish they could all sleep in the nursery,” said Jackie as he carefully put the baby kitten back beside its mother.

Paws heard the word nursery, and it brought back memories of happy, lazy hours spent there on the soft rug in the sunshine. She gave a happy “m-e-o-w, m-e-o-w,” picked up a baby kitten in her mouth, and, holding him dangling by the back of his neck, started on a run with him for the nursery. “Oh, is Paws biting the baby kittens?” cried Jackie in alarm. “Mercy, no! That is the way mother cats always carry their kittens,” explained Cricket. But alas for Paws! Cook saw her coming, and realised what she intended to do, so she met Paws at the door, picked her up, kitten and all, and said—- “ There now, Paws. I will take you right back to the barn where you belong, and you must never bring your babies into the house again. Do you hear me?”

Again Paws said, “M-e-o-w, m-e-o-w 1” which meant, “I suppose that I must promise not to, but I am sorry that I met you, for the nursery would be a lovely place for my babies, and I intended to make three trips and put them there. I can only carry one kitten at a time, you know.” “Oh, Cook, please let Paws bring her kittens into the nursery,” begged Jackie. “No, indeed, Jackie, the barn is the best place for them all,” replied Cook. “See, Paws is going back with her baby all by herself,” laughed Cricket. “Did you know that the grapes are ripe down on the south grape arbour?” inquired Cook. “No I” replied Jackie. “Let us go down and get some, Cricket.” “That would be nice,” said Cook. “I would like you to take along a bowl an'd pick some grapes for the fruit basket.”

Just then Tags came bounding over the lawn, and when she saw Paws carrying her kitten she ran to her and began to bark playfully, “Bow-wow I Bow-wow-wow I” which meant—- “ That is a very pretty baby. Put him down, for I would like to play with him.”

“M-e-o-w, m-c-o-w!” cried Paws, which meant — “No, Tags. I would not put him down. He is too little to play with, but if you will follow roe I will show you my other two babies.” “Here, Tags! Here, Tags!” cried Jackie. "Bow-wow, bow-wow!” barked Tags, which meant — “Please excuse me, Paws. I ywuld

-just love to see your babies, but I must go now and come to visit you another time. Jackie is calling me.” “Yo-hoo! Yo-hoo! Come on over, Glen Allyn; we are going to pick grapes!” called Cricket. At the magic word grapes Glen Allyn came flying over as if on wings, for he liked grapes very much. “Here is the bowl, Cricket, and please be very careful of it, as it is my best bowl,” said Cook. “All right, we wiil be careful of it," promised Cricket. Dowm to the south grape arbour they ran, and there they found beautiful purple bunches of the delicious ripe grapes.

They picked every bunch which hung down low and ate and ate all they wished. “Now. we must fill the bowl for Cook,” declared Cricket. "But we can’t reach any more. We have picked every bunch near the ground,” said Glen Allyn. “I will bring the gardener's wheelbarrow, and we can stand up on that,” said Jackie.

“Glen Allyn, you hold the bowl while Jackie and I pick the grapes,” suggested Cricket. Very soon the bowl was half full of the grapes, then all of a sudden a dreadful thing happened. A busy honey bee came hurrying along on her way home, and she stopped right beside Glen Allyn to sip some honey from a sweet clover. Now Glen Allyn did not see or hear her, and unfortunately he stepped back and struck her a heavy blow with his foot.

The bee was so startled, and her first thought was to protect herself. She did not know that Glen Allyn was a dear, harmless little boy and never meant to hurt her, so she flew right on to his bare leg and stung him. Poor little Glen Allyn was so upset at the sudden, sharp sting that he dropped the grapes and the pretty bowl went smash 1 “Oh, oh, whatever is the matter?" asked Cricket as Glen Allyn began to cry.

“Never mind,” soothed Cricket, as she put her arms about him and led him to the wheelbarrow. “Don’t you care, Glen Allyn!” comforted Jackie. “The sting won’t last long, and Cook will not mind that you broke the bowl. You could not help it! you were so surprised. Here, eat this nice stick of candy and forget all about it."

Tags looked at the broken bowl and the spilled grapes; then she looked at poor Glen Allyn and at Jackie, who was trying to feed his little friend the candy, and she thought to herself—