Theresa loves her cat very much. How do I know? Theresa was hungry. She
asked for some milk. She sat down on the floor to enjoy it. Her dog sat
down beside her. Frisky, her cat, smelling the milk came and sat in
front of her. Frisky did not move her eyes away from Theresa and her
milk. She looked and purred, and purred and looked.
Theresa began to feel uncomfortable. She knew Frisky liked milk but so
did she. She felt that Frisky was asking for some as well as she knew
how. Her eyes seemed to say to Theresa, “I’m very fond of milk and I’d
like some of yours very much indeed.” When the milk passed Theresa’s
heart on its way to her stomach her heart said, “Frisky wants some too.
Poor kittie!”
Theresa put the bowl down and told Frisky to take a taste. Frisky put
her little red tongue into the bowl and began tasting the milk. She kept
on tasting the milk. She didn’t once lift up her head and offer to let
Theresa have the rest. Theresa liked her cat so much she couldn’t bear
to pull the bowl away. Frisky’s tongue went fast and so did the milk.
Frisky lapped up every drop. She was only a cat and did not know she was
selfish.
Some tears came into Theresa’s eyes when she saw that the milk was all
gone. She did not scold nor complain. Frisky purred, “Thank you.”
Theresa took her in her arms and said, “Nice Frisky!”
[Illustration]
Wasn’t this a proof that Theresa loved her cat very much?
“I CAN STIR IT!”
“Please cook, let me stir it.”
“Och, no, Miss, you couldn’t,” said cook.
Esther thought she could, but didn’t tease.
A few hours later Esther came into the kitchen again. On the table was
the same big bowl. In it was the same stuff that cook stirred. Cook was
nowhere to be seen.
In a jiffy Esther was on a chair with the spoon in her hand. “I _can_
stir it,” she said to herself in triumph. It was easy enough. She
stirred till she was tired.
She had been back in the sitting-room awhile when the cook appeared in
great distress.
“Och, Mrs. Borden, me risins all shpiled; and it wasn’t rats for there’s
a shpoon in it.” Mrs. Borden was going to say, who could it be, when she
spied Esther’s face. It was very red.
“Esther, child, did you disturb cook’s sponge for her bread?” asked Mrs.
Borden.
“Mamma, I didn’t see any sponges and bread,” answered Esther, “but I
stirred something in a big bowl. Cook said I couldn’t. I tried, and I
could stir it.”
Mrs. Borden convinced Esther that it wasn’t wise to touch anything in
the kitchen without cook’s permission.
Esther told cook she was sorry she had made her so much trouble.
[Illustration]