English
"Motherdear,”saidalittlemouseoneday,“Ithinkthepeopleinourhousemustbeverykind;don'tyou?Theyleavesuchnicethingsforusinthelarder.”
Therewasatwinkleinthemother'seyeasshereplied,—
“Well,mychild,nodoubttheyareverywellintheirway,butIdon'tthinktheyarequiteasfondofusasyouseemtothink.Nowremember,Greywhiskers,IhaveabsolutelyforbiddenyoutoputyournoseabovethegroundunlessIamwithyou,forkindasthepeopleare,Ishouldn'tbeatallsurprisediftheytriedtocatchyou.”
Greywhiskerstwitchedhistailwithscorn;hewasquitesureheknewhowtotakecareofhimself,andhedidn'tmeantotrotmeeklyafterhismother'stailallhislife.Soassoonasshehadcurledherselfupforanafternoonnaphestoleaway,andscamperedacrossthepantryshelves.
Ah!herewassomethingparticularlygoodto-day.Alargeicedcakestoodfarbackupontheshelf,andGreywhiskerslickedhislipsashesniffedit.
Acrossthetopofthecaketherewerewordswritteninpinksugar;butasGreywhiskerscouldnotread,hedidnotknowthathewasnibblingatlittleMissEthel'sbirthdaycake.Buthedidfeelalittleguiltywhenheheardhismothercalling.Offheran,andwasbackinthenestagainbythetimehismotherhadfinishedrubbinghereyesafterhernap.
ShetookGreywhiskersuptothepantrythen,andwhenshesawtheholeinthecakesheseemedalittleannoyed.
“Somemousehasevidentlybeenherebeforeus,”shesaid,butofcoursesheneverguessedthatitwasherownlittleson.
Thenextdaythenaughtylittlemouseagainpoppeduptothepantrywhenhismotherwasasleep;butatfirsthecouldfindnothingatalltoeat,thoughtherewasamostdelicioussmelloftoastedcheese.
Presentlyhefoundadearlittlewoodenhouse,andtherehungthecheese,justinsideit.
InranGreywhiskers,but,oh!“click”wentthelittlewoodenhouse,andmousiewascaughtfastinatrap.
Whenthemorningcame,thecook,whohadsetthetrap,lifteditfromtheshelf,andthencalledaprettylittlegirltocomeandseethethiefwhohadeatenhercake.
“Whatareyougoingtodowithhim?”askedEthel.
“Why,drownhim,mydear,tobesure.”
Thetearscameintothelittlegirl'sprettyblueeyes.
“Youdidn'tknowitwasstealing,didyou,mousiedear?”shesaid.
“No,”squeakedGreywhiskerssadly;“indeedIdidn't.”
Cook'sbackwasturnedforamoment,andinthatmomenttender-heartedlittleEthelliftedthelidofthetrap,andoutpoppedmousie.
Oh!howquicklyheranhometohismother,andhowshecomfortedandpettedhimuntilhebegantoforgethisfright;andthenshemadehimpromisenevertodisobeyheragain,andyoumaybesureheneverdid.
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