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Read Ebook: Little Mittens for The Little Darlings Being the Second Book of the Series by Fanny Aunt
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Ebook has 1065 lines and 65750 words, and 22 pages
THE LITTLE KITTENS, 7
THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT, 39
LITTLE SALLIE'S LONG WORDS, 60
THE LITTLE NEW FRIEND, 108
ILKEN ANNIE, 117
THE LITTLE KITTENS.
Only to think! A letter from Aunt Fanny to the little ones, which begins in this fanny way:
"YOU DARLING KITTENS--"
So she began again:
DARLING KITTENS--
Oh! what a dreadful thing it would be, for any one to suppose that I did not love you any more. I could not bear it; so here I am beginning "right away," and the very first thing that comes into my mind is a story about kittens. What do you think of that! you lovely little red, white, and blue darlings! with your pretty red cheeks, pure white skins, and sweet blue eyes! The bright hazel, gray, and black eyes are like the stars; so no wonder we love the "star-spangled banner," when such precious little ones as you wear the very same colors as the dear old flag. Then--
"Hurrah for the children forever, And three cheers for the red, white, and blue."
And now for the kitten story.
THE LITTLE KITTENS.
Pretty soon Sarah, my daughter, came into the room. "Oh you dear, dear, little things!" she cried, "I am so glad to see you!"
"Then tell me a story," said Mary, the elder.
"Would you like to hear about the three little kittens that lost their mittens?"
"O yes, yes!" they both exclaimed.
Then Sarah took dear little Charlotte upon her lap, and Mary stood close to her knee, pressing lovingly against her; her large dark eyes were fastened on Sarah's face, for she did not mean to lose a single word of the delightful story; and Sarah began:
"Three little kittens Lost their mittens; And they began to cry: 'Oh mother dear, We very much fear, That we have lost our mittens.'"
"Oh, what bad kittens! I shame for them!" said Charlotte.
"Their mamma was 'shame' too," continued Sarah, "for she gave them a dab with her paw on their ears, and said in a severe voice:
"'Lost your mittens? Oh, you naughty kittens! Now you shan't have any pie!"
and then she gave them each such a good whipping that the tears ran down on the ground, and made it very damp.
"So you have," said Sarah, kissing her--"and they keep your hands nice and warm, don't they?"
"Did they keep the kittens' hands warm too?" asked little Mary.
"Yes, as warm as toast; and their mother was so glad they were found, that she hugged her three children to her breast, and cried:
"Then she got a large apple pie out of the closet, and cut them a tremendous slice apiece; and the little kittens were so glad that they kept saying, 'purr purr purr,' which meant, 'Thank you, ma'am! Oh, thank you, ma'am! Thank you very much.'
"But, dear me, what a pity! they forgot to take their mittens off; and such a sticky, lot, when they were done eating, you never saw! They were full of bits of apple, and sugar, and crumbs of buttery pie crust. The kittens stared with dismal faces at their mother, and it was plain to see that
"This was really dreadful! The old cat started up, her whiskers curling with rage; she very nearly danced on her hind legs, she was so angry. It wasn't right to get into such a passion; but then you know she was only an old cat, and had not read that pretty verse which begins, 'Let dogs delight to bark and bite;' so she mewed, and snarled, and made her tail up into an arch, and said very crossly:
"'You've soiled your mittens? Oh! you naughty, bad kittens!'
and she whipped them so dreadfully this time, that they cried till the tears made a little puddle on the ground."
"Oh my!" said Charlotte, and her bright black eyes looked very sorry.
"Oh my!" said Mary, exactly like her little sister.
"Oh no!" cried both the children; and then they had to get down, and run to kiss their mother; whose large dark eyes were full of love for her darlings.
"After the poor kittens had wiped their eyes, and blowed their noses, and sighed two or three times, one of them said to the others, "Don't cry any more. Let's get our little pails and fill them with water and borrow a piece of soap from the cook, and wash our mittens."
"'Oh yes! you darling sister, to think of such a nice plan!' cried the other two; and they rolled over on their backs, and flourished all their soft paws in the air together, they were so glad.
"So the three little kittens Washed their mittens, And hung them up to dry.
"The old cat, for a wonder, did not get angry; instead of that, she smiled a sweet smile, rubbed her chin with her paw, and in a musical, mewing tone of delighted surprise, exclaimed:
"'Washed your mittens! Oh you little ducks of kittens! But s-hh! Listen! I think I hear a rat close by.'
"'Purr purr.'
"'Hush up, you naughty little kitten! I hear a rat close by.'
"That's all."
"Oh!" cried Mary, "tell me about the rat, won't you?"
"Well, I believe the old cat ran like lightning after the rat, caught him, and gave her little kittens a paw apiece, and eat all the rest up herself."
"Every bit?" asked Charlotte.
"I don't think she left the least scrap," said Sarah.
How we laughed--their mother and I--softly to ourselves, when Mary asked Sarah for more stories; Sarah laughed too, and was just going to begin another, when the mother said it was time to go. So I bid her good-by, and sent my kind regards to Mr. Ewer, the dear little childrens' father--who is a minister, and one of the best men in the whole world; because he is never tired of working for God. Great crowds of people go to hear him preach, and his constant prayer is: that he may bring them all, old and young, to the feet of the Blessed Jesus.
The wind blew sharply in my face, and I said, "You dear little kits! I'm glad you are not made of sugar candy; you would snap all to pieces such a cold day! but here, what is this? where in the world is your mitten?"
There was the darling little Charlotte, standing in the cold, with only one white mitten on.
Then the cunning precious pet laughed out merrily, and turning her sweet face up to us, with the funniest little twist of her eye, lisped out:
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