TWO SAUCERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 50, 21 May 1927, Page 25 (Supplement)

TWO SAUCERS

The black kitten was a little older than the white kitten, so he gave himself great airs about it. and wanted to be leader in everything. Sometimes his desire for leadership got him into trouble. It was Blaekie. for instance, who first suggested that one of the little yellow chicks that ran about on the meadows would make a nice breakfast. Sparrows and robins and chaffinches, he pointed out to Whitey. were too to catch , but the chicks couldn’t fly. It would be quite easy to catch one. Whitey wasn't at all sure about it. but she followed obediently when Blaekie led the way into the meadow. The chicks were all running about the grass. Close beside them was a little wooden box with bars on one side. As Blaekie crept round a gooseberry bush and came into view, there was a loud clucking from the box, and all the chicks dashed toward it. Blaekie dashed after them. He was close up to the bars before he noticed that there was a big mother inside. Her feathers were all fluffed out. and before Blaekie could turn round and flee she had peeked him twice on the nose. It wasn't a bit nice, and he turned and rushed blindly away, wishing he had left the chick alone. You would think now that it would have taught him a lesson. But before long he was as naughty as ever. It was onlv two days later that he stole into the pantry and got his head stuck in the rnilk jug. And when Elsie, their mistress. released and scolded him. he wasn’t a bit sorry. livery morning, before the rest of the family were awake, even before Mary the housemaid and Eliza the cook were up, Elsie ran downstairs and opened the back door, and set two big saucers of milk in the kitchen for them. Blackie’s saucer was always put under the table, and Whitey*s under a chair. Blaekie always drank his first, and then came to watch Whitey drink. There is no doubt that he thought there was more milk in Whitey’s salicer on the morning I am going to tell you about, but in any case what he did was very wrong. It was a beautiful sunshiny morning, and when Elsie poured the milk out and ran upstairs again to dress. Whitey, who was enjoying the warmth of the morning, did not come in when she was called. Blaekie went in at once—not because he was more obedient, but because he was very hungry. As he passed Whitey’s saucer he noticed that it seemed to have more milk in it than usual. “She’s got more than I have,” he thought. “It’s not fair. Elsie must have made a mistake. I’m older than Whitey, and so of course I ought to have more milk than she has. Perhaps—perhaps if I were to drink a little of Whitey’s milk it would make it more fair.” He looked round. Whitey was nowhere in sight. He walked quietly over to the saucer. One lick! Two! How nice it was! Yes, he was sure Whitey had got more than he had. He would lick down to where the thin gold line ran round the saucer, and then he would go to his own. Whitey would never know. Elsie had mixed the saucers. She had meant this one for him. Lick! Lick! Lick!! He had reached the little gold line now, but his eyes were half closed with content, so perhaps that was the reason lie took no notice. Lick! Lick! Lick! He opened his eyes as his tongue touched the bottom of the saucer. It was all gone! He began to feeP a little sorry now when he thought that poor Whitey was likely to have no breakfast at all. Then he decided he would be generous and let Y'hitcy have half of his. He turned to walk over to his own saucer, and he could hardly believe his eyes! He saw Whitey just finishing the last drop of his milk! She had come in quietJy, and, seeing Blaekie having his had thought his saucer was for her. “Well, I never!” thought Biacki^.