A SURPRISING CONVERSATION
“Who’s your mother?” Pet asked Tompkins.
“She is Salome, a beautiful gray Persian,” and as Tompkins answered he
noticed the three kittens looked rather merry.
“Do you mean that stuck-up silly old fluff-pot?” said Ugly. “We often
watch her stalking about the garden, giving herself airs.”
“And looking just as if she wore petticoats,” Pussy joined in.
“What a dull mother to have!” remarked Pet. “Not much fun to be got out
of her, I should think.”
Tompkins was thunderstruck. He had never been used to hearing his
dignified mother spoken of like this, and thought the kittens were
very rude. “My mother is very beautiful and very valuable,” he said
indignantly; “besides, she is a nice warm fluffy mother to go to sleep
with.”
“Maybe,” said Ugly, “but we shouldn’t care to change with you. Our mother
Tibby is the right sort. She never forgets us and isn’t above stealing a
little now and then, and if it’s too big for her she lets us help eat it.”
“And look what a sportsman she is!” said Pussy. “You should see her after
a mouse. And once, she told us she almost caught a rat.”
“I should like to see your old fluff-pot of a mother running after a
mouse,” laughed Ugly. “I am sure she would be much too ladylike to catch
it.”
“Why, she would have to pick up her petticoats,” said Pet, and then they
all three roared with laughter.
What bad manners they had, thought Tompkins and he felt furious with
them. He wouldn’t play with them any more, and with his head up and his
tail fluffed out he walked away, looking very like his mother when she
was offended.
But Pussy, who was a kind hearted kitten and didn’t like to see him hurt,
ran after him and said, “Please, don’t go, we were only in fun. Come back
and tell us more about your mother, I’m sure she has her points, and
anyhow I don’t expect she boxes your ears like Jane does ours.”
Tompkins was surprised. “Does she really?” he asked, for he had never
heard of such a thing.
“Indeed, she does, with her claws out, too, sometimes,” said Pet.
“Yes, she nearly spoilt my beauty,” said Ugly with a grin; “she gave me a
horrid scratch over the eye.”
As the kittens had given up teasing and seemed rather nice again,
Tompkins settled down and told them how nice and sweet-tempered his
mother was and that she was so admired that people always wanted to
photograph her. “In fact,” he said, being just a little inclined to
show off, “she got so used to the camera that she once tried to take a
photograph herself and got my sister Minette to sit for her.”
“Whatever is a camera?” the kittens asked astounded.
“I am afraid I can’t very well explain just now,” replied Tompkins who
didn’t know himself, “as it’s time I said ‘Good-by,’” and he trotted off
home.
[Illustration: Tried to take a photograph.]
[Illustration: A perfect bunch of bad temper.]