TWO THIEVES
I am afraid Tompkins was rather inclined to be greedy. He used to watch
his mother Salome having her afternoon saucer of milk and he just longed
to have some too. It looked so nice and creamy and he was so tired of his
own food. He used to watch her lapping it and wish somehow he could get
it instead.
[Illustration: Two little heads very busy with the saucer.]
One day the milk was put down as usual, but Salome didn’t hurry to go to
it. The fact was she had come in from the garden, and as she sat on the
window-seat, she discovered her paws were rather damp and dirty. She was
a fussy and particular cat who thought a great deal of appearance, and
she was very busy licking her paws soft and velvety again before having
her tea. Now was Tompkins’ chance. He watched his mother very carefully
and then stole quietly up to the saucer. But Minette had seen him and she
didn’t mean to be left behind, so soon there were two little heads very
busy with the saucer. They lapped so quietly that no one noticed them,
and it was not till their mother had finished her wash and jumped down to
have her milk that she saw what had happened. And by then the milk was
nearly all gone.
What did their mother do?
I know what she ought to have done. Scolded them well and given them a
little scratch, but cats are very funny and not a bit like people or
dogs. Salome just pretended she didn’t care a bit. She made out she
wasn’t thirsty and never mewed for any more milk. She jumped on to the
window seat again and stared out of the window, and the naughty little
kittens thought themselves very clever indeed.