Page:Zodiac stories by Blanche Mary Channing.pdf/261

244 Bobby was disappointed to find Dilâl so uncommunicative. He went away to find Moti, whose little tongue ran as fast as his own. Moti was in the stable, petting her large family of kittens. Bobby sat down beside her and duly admired the soft, mewing, furry things.

"Why wont Dilâl talk?" he asked a length, going back to a grievance in an aggrieved voice.

"He does talk," said Moti, "he talks beautifully!"

"He wont talk to me!"

"You don't know his language," she explained. "What have you been talking about to him? The other day you were rude and asked him a lot of silly questions about why he did n't eat beef and bacon!"

"I was n't rude; I wanted to know why he did n't!"

"Why, of course he can't eat beef on account of the sacred cow; and he hates