MARY FRANCES WARNS THE KITCHEN FOLKS
TO the kitchen door she ran, and was about to rush out, when she thought
she heard voices--thin, little voices they were--so she peeped out, for
the door was ajar,--and this is what she saw:
Toaster Man, all tired out, was leaning back in a chair, snoring softly;
but all the other Kitchen People were wide awake. It was Tea Kettle that
was speaking:
"So, he put the eight feathers in a pan, and cooked them----"
"Who did?" asked Sauce Pan.
"The Jack Rabbit--and then he ate their fringe all off, and gave the
bones to the cat. Then he bragged--he bragged that he'd eaten eight
whole chickens at once."
"Is that all?" asked Sauce Pan.
"Yes," said Tea Kettle.
"Humph!" said Sauce Pan. "Was that his recipe for Fried Chicken?"
[Illustration: Then he bragged]
[Illustration: Toaster Man all tired out.]
[Illustration: "A Little Cap and Apron!" cried Mary Frances.]
"My, I'd love to hear more about the Jack Rabbit," thought Mary
Frances, "but I must warn them about Aunt Maria"; and she hurried out
into the kitchen.
[Illustration]
"Listen!" she whispered, with upraised finger. "Listen!--Mother is going
away, and Aunt Maria's coming over to keep house. Don't ever say a
word--she'll never understand you, and she'll scrub and scour you till
you ache, poor things!--she'll do that anyway, but don't talk before
her. I hurried down to warn you--I was so afraid you might."
"Never fear," spoke up Tea Kettle; "we never, never talk before
'grown-ups'--we can't help them. I forgot to tell you--if you speak
about us to anyone, we can never, never speak again."
"Oh," said Mary Frances, "it's a secret! I'm so glad you told me--I came
so near telling Mother about Toaster Man--I might have, only----"
Then the door-bell rang.
[Illustration: "She'll scrub and scour you till you ache, poor
things!"]