“Ah!” said Harry, “I knew it was mice made that noise. How I wish I could catch them.”
The next morning he told his mother about the noises he had heard.
“I will get you a mouse-trap,” she said.
“I don’t want the kind that kills the mice, I only want to catch them and tame them,” said Harry.
His mother laughed and told him when he had tamed his mice he must keep them well out of her way.
The trap was set, the mice were caught, and sure enough, in a short time were so tame they would eat from Harry’s hand. He made a little house for them, and kept in it his bedroom. Whenever he went out, he always shut the door carefully.
Now it happened that among Harry’s acquaintances, there was one very disagreeable boy. His name was Dick Taft. Harry did not play with him very often, for he was so ugly it was hard to get along with him.
Dick never liked to be beaten at any game, and sometimes made it very uncomfortable for the one who got ahead of him.
One day Harry happened to beat him at one of their school games. Dick called after him when it was over, “I’ll pay you for this, see if I don’t.”
Harry only laughed as he walked away going in the opposite direction from his own house.