But the children continued to pull, to clamber, and to clamor.
“You naughty children, to hurt the kind old man!” cried Kitty, jumping down from the table and coming to the rescue of Daddy Coax. Her efforts to protect him were of no avail. The next moment the children tripped him up. He fell down flat on the ground, and the flute was snatched from his hand. There was a loud laugh—shouts of hurrah. Then Kitty saw two boys fighting over the flute, and snap—it broke in their hands.
The Fight for the Flute.—Page 108.
All at once the noise was interrupted, there came a scamper round and round the room. The two stern women stood there among the children. How they entered—by the door, or through the floor, or in by the windows, or down by the chimney—Kitty could not tell. There they were, pouncing upon the children, who were vainly dodging to escape them.
Daddy Coax struggled to his feet, battered, bruised, and in rags.
“Don’t take the little darlings to Punishment Land,” he said with his whole heart in his voice. “Poor little angels, they did not mean it. They did not know how Daddy Coax loved his flute.” He put up his hand and wiped away a tear.
“Daddy Coax, if you did not spoil the children you would spare them many a punishment,” said one of the stern women, stopping upon the threshold and turning round to speak. She had a load of children tucked under each arm. They might kick as much as they liked; it did not trouble her. She held them tight as a vise.
“It was their fun. Indeed I liked it,” said Daddy Coax apologetically.
“Don’t put your foot into Punishment Land,” continued the stern woman. “Once you were allowed in, and you nearly ruined the place. Take my word for it, Daddy Coax, you are a goose, and the children know it. As for you,” she went on, addressing Kitty, “you had better run away, or you will be spoiled too.”