Page:Sparrow, the tramp (IA sparrowtramp00wess).pdf/49

 *a bad boy; my mother said all boys were bad—"

"Not all boys," said the barn-cat. "Tom isn't a bad boy; he wouldn't hurt a kitten for the world. I'd trust him anywhere with my kittens."

"He isn't so mischievous as Posy is," said the house-cat.

"Posy isn't mischievous," said the barn-cat warmly; "she doesn't mean to do mischief. You can't call it mischief when she thinks she's doing something to help you all the time."

"Please don't interrupt so often," said the canary; "you said, little kitten, that a big dog and a boy came up."

"Yes," continued the little gray kitten; "and as soon as the boy saw us he said, 'Hie, Rover, seize 'em, sir!' and the big dog, looking, oh, so fierce and angry, rushed at us with his mouth wide open, and making that dreadful noise. There was