One morning Miss Kitty Greytoes took a walk in the garden. The sun was
shining, the apple and cherry trees were in bloom, and the air was
filled with the scent of pinks and lilacs. But Miss Greytoes did not
notice these beautiful things. As she tripped along, she said to
herself, “I wonder if that cat-bird has built his nest in the same place
this spring. I dreamed about him last night, so I’ll go and see.”
Sure enough, when she came to the tree, there was the cat-bird sitting
on a bent limb. Miss Kitty smacked her lips, and was just about to
spring at him, when Whirr! whirr! sung a big beetle, and the cat-bird
flew away.
“Good morning, Miss Greytoes,” said the beetle, bowing politely.
“None the better for seeing you, Mr. Beetle,” she replied; “some folks
are forever in the way.”
“Heigho! Miss Kitty, you’re cross this morning. Didn’t your supper agree
with you? I saw you through the pantry window, last night, stealing
cream. It will do you good to fast to-day. Good-bye.” And away he flew
to tell his friend, the cat-bird, the joke.
“Meddlesome old thing!” snapped Miss Greytoes, as she trotted off with
her tail in the air.
[Illustration: THE SURPRISE.]