For the Children.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2116, 15 February 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

For the Children.

MOTHER STORIES. THE NEW LEAF. “Wihy are von crying. Little Gat?” asked Little Dog. “Because niv paws are .«« cold!’’ said Little Cat. “I 'have been digging it; 'tlio snow and 1 cannot find one.” “Otto iwihat?” asked .Little Dog. “One .new leaf.” “What do you want of a new leaf?” “I want to turn, it over, but there just aren’t any to turn.” “Of course, there aren’t!” said Little Dog. “It is winter. “But Little Girl is uoing to ibid one,” said- Little Cat. “J heard her mother say to her, ‘You really must turn over a new leaf!’ and site sail. H truthfully will; Alamuia !’ and when Little Girl says she truthfully will .she afwluys does. Then .heir notlier kissed her, and said everybody had to turn over new leaves now, and she had some of her own to turn, so she knew just how it was. ’1 lie door shut then —on the tii> of my tail, 100 —and I heard no more; but wflnc do you suppose it means?” Little Dog shook his head. “\Ye must ask somebody,” lie said. “Let me see. Great Old Dog is “ut I'or a walk, and Orosspatch Parrot bit me the last time I asked her a quest I ',i jn.'' "I know,” said Little Cat. “AVe will ask Old Cat in it'he Dim. She knows a good many things, ami if she flisn’t c-ataking rats—but she generally is—she will tell us.”

They found Old Cat .n Ho Barn sitting on- a truss of fay. washing herself. She listened to L.tfie Cat’.* story, and her.green eyes '.vi-iklol. tf So you have been looking for new leaves under the snow!” she said. “Yes,” said Little Cat. ‘ First 1 looked on the trees, and there weren’t; any there; so I thought it must le leaves or plants and things, so I scratched and dug till my poor paws were almost quite frozen, but not cue single scrap of a loaf could I fin u ”

“Ffff'f!” said Old Cat in Hie Born. “This torn is full of ’em.” “Full of leaves!” cried Little Cat and Little Dog together. “Wlmt can you mean, Old Cat? Wo don't cell ilia.v leaves 1”

“Haw many rats have \ou aught this week?” asked Old Cat, iinimg to Little Dog. “None!” -said Little Deg. 'Thelast .rat I caught blit me horridly;, besides, they are odious, vulgar beasts, and I don’t care to have anything to ido with them.” “Fifififf!” said Old Cat. “Little Oat, how many .mice have you caught in the kitchen this week?” Little Oat lining her head. “I haven’t on light .any,” she said. “I don’t care for unice, the flavor is too strong I like cream ,better.” “Ffllf 1 grrr-yow!” said Old Cat; her green eyes shot out sparks, and her fur began to stand inn “Now, von two, listen to me! Why do von think thejli'g People keep you ? Because you'd re soft and pretty and foolish"? Not at all I They keep you because you are supposed to be •useful. Your mother, Little Cat, was a fiord-working, self-respecting mouser, who (I wight her daily mouse as regularly as she 'ate her daily bread and milk. Your father. Little Dog, hunted rats with me in this barn as long as he had legs to stand unon, and between lfs we kept the place- in tolerable order. Great Old Dog cannot be expected -to hunt -at his age, and, besides, he is too big; one might as well hunt with an ox. But since your parents died you two .lazy .children have done next to nothing, and what is. the consequence? I am worked to skin and bone, and the mice are all over the house ; 1 heard Cook say so. AJiml what 1 say; no creature, with four legs or two, is worth his salt unless lie turns i.t, in one way or another. have you to say .for yourselves?” “AHnouw !” said Little Cat. "1 iun very sorry, Old Cat.” “Yap! Yap!” said Little Dog. “I lam.sorrv. too. Old Cat.” “Verv well!” said Old Cat in the Barn. "“Then turn over a new leaf.” “Miao-uw!” “Yap!” “1 hut is just what we want to do! said Little Cat and Little Do<' together; “blit we can't find any.’ “The fact is,” said Old Cat in the Barn, “it is one of the foolish ways of speaking that the Big People have. It just means, stop being had and hewn to be good. Now do you see, “Prrr!” said Little Cat ; now I see. .1 will go .and catch a mouse this minute, Old Cat.”. ~T “AVuff!” said Little Dog; "I see, too, and I will come and hunt- rats with vou, Old Cat. ’ - “Pn-rrrrr!” and Old Cat in the Barn. “That is right! Go. to work, like good children, and as I may have been rather short wnth you lately I will turn over a new leal, too, and ask von both to supper me in inv hav na.rlor. Cook gave me the hones of the Christmas goose, and we will have a great fcar.t.