[Illustration: 0143]
|Ellie, Will, and Baby have a kitten, it is their very own, they say.
All day long they play with their kitten in all sorts of ways.
Sometimes Will has her for a circus cat; then kitty must jump over a
stick, chase a toy mouse, and show off all her tricks. Next, Ellie will
take her turn, and rig kitty out in her doll's clothes, and put her to
sleep in the doll's bed.
Before poor kit has had her nap out, likely as not Baby will seize her
to have a ride in his cart.
Then away she goes, down the walk, bump, bump! Baby's cart has no
springs, you must know.
The folks in the house say, "O, that poor kitten! What a life it does
lead!"
But kit does not seem to mind their play; she likes the children. If
they are gone out of sight for a time she runs about the house to find
them.
Kitty has to stay in the woodshed at night; she does not like this, but
mamma says she must not stay in the house.
One night kitty found out where the children slept. It was a warm night,
and the window was open. Kitty ran up a cherry-tree and out on a bough,
from which she could jump into the room. She sprang up on Ellie's cot
and lay close beside her, and how she did purr! Mamma had to laugh when
she found her. But she said, "No, no, little kit; you must not sleep
with my babies!"
[Illustration: 0144]
The next night the window was left open at the top. Kitty could not jump
so high as that; so what do you think she did? She got on the ledge,
outside the window, to be as near her little friends as she could.
When Ellie waked in the morning there was the little kit looking in at
her. Ellie thought she said, "Mew, mew! Do let me come to you!" And
she made haste to let her in, you may be sure!
--MRS. D. P. SANFORD.
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