BABYLANDTHE KIND LITTLE CAT.
Miss Howells has told the story of Posy Pinkham’s cat that dreamed. This is a story of two other cats Posy had.
The cats were sisters. Their names were Fluff and White-face. Fluff was a gentle milk cat. White-face was a fierce mouser. White-face would often bite and claw her sister, but Fluff never bit and clawed back.
Once, however, Fluff bit and clawed first, and there was a fight, and Fluff—but that’s the story.
Papa Pinkham had caught a gray mouse in the wire cage-trap. It was so cunning Posy begged to keep it, and Papa Pinkham left it in the cage-trap and went off to business. Posy fed the mouse with five kernels of corn, and then went to dress her doll Lilybell for breakfast.
FLUFF ALSO ADMIRES THE MOUSE.
FLUFF ALSO ADMIRES THE MOUSE.
FLUFF ALSO ADMIRES THE MOUSE.
Fluff had been looking on. Now she went close up to the cage and sat down.
Just then White-face came creeping, creeping up, in the way of mouse-hunting cats.
“Hush,” she whispered to Floss; “there’s a mouse; see me catch it!”
THE FIGHT.
THE FIGHT.
THE FIGHT.
“No,” whispered Floss, “it’s such a cunning mouse, so soft and smooth, such bright little eyes, such a long slim tail—no, don’t.”
“I shall, I say!”
“No, you mustn’t—besides, it is Posy’s mouse.”
“I don’t care, I want it!”
UP THE TREE.
UP THE TREE.
UP THE TREE.
Just then the mouse moved so its tail came through the wires. White-face sprang, but Floss sprang quicker, not at the tail, but at her fierce sister.
White-face was very angry; she bit and clawed terribly; she scratched Floss across the face—but Floss fought on.
At last White-face got away, and ran out the door and up a tree. Floss chased her and nipped the tip of her tail as she climbed. Then she ran back to the house, and told Posy all about it.
WEARING THE RIBBON.
WEARING THE RIBBON.
WEARING THE RIBBON.
Posy hugged the kind little cat, and tied a beautiful ribbon about her neck, and told her she was brave as a lion, and kind as—as—a little girl!
But White-face got no ribbon, and no praise—and she was so scared she staid up in the tree all day.
C. P. Stuart.