SILVER EARS' ADVENTURE
It was a rainy day. Big drops splashed against the window-panes and
drummed upon the attic roof.
Silver Ears was restless. She had helped Mammy sweep the floor, had
wiped the dishes, and rocked Baby Squealer to sleep. She did not wish
to sew any more patchwork squares.
She could hear Ruth Giant laughing softly in the play-room.
"I'd like to be Ruth Giant's pet," she thought wistfully. "That
strawberry jam cake was lovely and so were the chocolates and
pop-corn. I mean to visit her again. I know Ruth Giant is not an
enemy. Mammy need not fear."
She tied her pink ribbon bow under her chin, and without a word to
anyone, slipped through a hole into the play-room.
But oh dear me! Ruth Giant had company. A little girl with brown
curls and great brown eyes was sitting in Ruth Giant's rocking-chair.
Silver Ears hid behind the doll's dresser which stood near the
biggest hole. Perhaps Ruth would not want her for a pet to-day. Maybe
the other girl would be afraid of a mouse. Some girls were silly just
like that. So Silver Ears waited and listened.
"Let's play dinner-party, Dorothy," Ruth was saying. "I like to play
dinner-party on rainy days. It is ever so cosy. We must dress the
dolls in their prettiest gowns."
The two girls worked busily away putting dainty white dresses upon
their flaxen-haired dolls. Silver Ears listened with great interest.
She learned that the dark-eyed doll with the red sash was Pansy;
Daisy wore a blue ribbon to match her eyes; while the one who was
dressed in yellow silk was named Rose.
They were very stylish dolls and wore lace collars, pretty hair
ribbons and strings of beads. It took quite a while to get them ready
for the party.
"Now if you will spread this napkin on the table, Dorothy, I will go
down and coax Norah for some nice things to eat," planned Ruth.
Dorothy set the tiny table with a cunning tea-set of white and gold.
Then she placed Daisy, Pansy and Rose around the table.
"Oh, isn't it lovely!" cried Ruth. "Just see all the nice things that
dear old Norah fixed for us."
She put a plate of cold chicken, some bread and butter sandwiches, a
glass of raspberry jam and four frosted cup cakes upon the table.
"How nice!" exclaimed Dorothy. "Oh, I just love dinner parties!"
"So do I," thought Silver Ears. "I wish they would invite me to
dinner."
"Dinner is served," announced Ruth, sweetly. "Oh, my! I never thought
about something to drink until I saw the empty cups. I must ask Norah
to make us some cocoa."
"I'll go down with you," said Dorothy.
"Oh, joy!" Silver Ears almost clapped her excited little paws.
Chicken, jam, frosted cake! The minute the play-room door was closed,
she invited herself to dinner. Daisy, Pansy and Rose looked smilingly
on and said never a word while she nibbled some cake and dipped her
paw daintily into the jam. Then she tried the chicken. It was the
most delicious chicken she had ever tasted.
"I hope it will take that Norah Maid a long time to make the cocoa,"
she thought, and her sharp teeth nibbled the chicken as fast as ever
they could.
By-and-by, Silver Ears heard footsteps. Seizing a slice of chicken,
she whisked softly into the doll's bed and, safely hidden under the
blankets, kept on with her feast.
"Now we are all ready at last," laughed Ruth. "I think I must make
Tommy sit beside me. He does not behave real good at dinner-parties.
I cannot teach him not to put his paws on the table."
Silver Ears began to tremble. So that cross old Tom Cat was a guest
at the dinner-party! That cruel, black Tom with the brass eyes and
sharp claws. Suppose--just suppose!
"Why, Ruth!" exclaimed Dorothy, "one of the dolls has been eating
cake."
"And where in the world is all that chicken?" wondered Ruth. "It is
over half gone. Tommy wasn't here or I'd think he was the thief. Who
do you suppose could have---"
Ruth paused suddenly to watch Tommy. He was acting strangely. He
sniffed at the table, hopped down and ran straight to the doll's bed,
like the keen-nosed detective that he was.
Out popped Silver Ears. She darted across the room and squeezed
through the tiniest hole just as Tom's sharp claws reached out to
grab her. She slipped safely through to the other side and Tom went
angrily back to the empty bed, switching his long tail. He had to be
content with a piece of cold chicken for his dinner that day.
Silver Ears ran sobbing to Mammy.
"My dear child," said Mother Graymouse, "you are all of a quiver. And
your poor little back is bleeding!"
She hurried to find some lint and cobwebs in the dark, unswept
corners of the attic.
"Do not be frightened, Silvy. Mammy will fix you up as good as new.
Run down to Grand-daddy, Limpy-toes, and fetch a pinch of cure-all
salve. By to-morrow, your scratch will be all well, Silvy dear."
"Oh, such a fright!" gasped Silver Ears. "I don't wish to be Ruth
Giant's pet any more. She can have her dear Tommy if she wants him."
"Did you get anything good to eat?" asked Buster.
"Oh, yes. Come over here, twinnies, and I will tell you all about it.
I wish I'd had time to stuff some of that chicken and frosted cake
into my pocket for you all. It was a splendid dinner party, if that
old Tom hadn't been invited."
"Chicken, raspberry jam and frosted cake," repeated Buster in his
slow, drawling voice. "Say, Silvy, don't you mind that scratch. I'd
risk it for such a good feast. Do you suppose there's any left?"
"I forbid you all to enter that play-room again without asking my
permission," commanded Mother Graymouse.
"Don't risk it, Buster," laughed Silver Ears. "Why, you never would
have reached that hole. You are too fat to run fast. I nearly missed
it. And anyway, you would have stuck in the middle of that teentiest
hole and old Tom would have chewed your tail right off."
"True, quite true," echoed Mother Graymouse, wagging her head
solemnly.