“You can’t hold this, too,” she said, “but you see it is a little hen.” She opened the basket and Cassy laughed as the buff hen cocked her head to one side and made the remark: “Caw; caw!”
Not to be outdone by the others, Bubbles, chuckling and trying to swallow her laugh, held a small box in her hand. There was a scrambling and a scurrying inside. Cassy wondered what it could be.
“Miss Dimple say you lak mouses,” said Bubbles, “and I fetch yuh dis one.”
Cassy put her kitten into Eleanor’s arms.
“Hold it for me,” she said, “and don’t let it go.” She took the box, but too late heeded Bubbles’ warning. “Take keer!” for Miss Mouse giving a sudden spring lifted the lid of the box as Cassy was preparing to peep in, and leaping out scurried away out of sight as fast as she could go.
“Oh!” exclaimed Cassy dismayed and hardly aware of what had happened. But Bubbles threw up her hands and brought them together with a shout of delight. It was just the kind of sensation that she enjoyed.
“Ne’min’, Miss Cassy,” she said. “I reckons hit’s a good thing fo’ Miss Mouse she git away, fur de kitten mought git her.”
“Let’s make a house for the hen,” said Rock to Jerry who had followed up Rock and now had returned to see what all this fun was about.
“All right,” said Jerry, glad for some excuse to exercise his energies. “I’m going to keep the puppy right with me all the time. I tell you, he is a dandy. I am awfully glad to have him.”
“You’ll call him Ragged Robin, won’t you?”