Page:Sparrow, the tramp (IA sparrowtramp00wess).pdf/166

 spring, and don't be afraid of hurting them when you knock them over. Try it again, my dear; you'll do it better next time."

The little Maltese kitten did try it again, and succeeded so well that the house-cat, although she tried not to look interested, couldn't resist a smile of pride. Then the other Maltese kitten tried it, and did it so well that the barn-cat praised her for it.

"Now, my dears," said the barn-cat, "I'm going to teach you how to catch mice."

She looked around and picked out a little green apple that would roll easily.

"Now play that was a mouse sitting still; show me how you would catch it. You begin first," she said to one of her kittens, "because you've already had a lesson in it."

So the tiger-kitten crept cautiously towards the apple, swishing her little tail the way her mother had taught her; and when