Well, Jack had a pretty little brown dog, named Carlo, and a nice little white cat, named Minnie; and Jack the boy, and Carlo the dog, and Minnie the cat, were the best friends, and had the greatest fun together, that ever a boy, and a cat, and a dog had, since the world began, and a little before.
When Jack had eaten his pudding, and Carlo had munched his bones, and Minnie had lapped her milk, they would all rush out in the garden together, as if they were distracted with joy; and then such a hurrying, and a scurrying, and a scampering, and a scattering, and a cutting round corners, and a hiding under bushes, and a jumping out of unexpected places, was never seen or heard of, I do believe. Wasn't it funny? Did you ever have such fun?
One day, Jack's father and mother had gone out to spend the day with Mr. and Mrs. Thingumbob, and the cook forgot to give the poor little boy his dinner.
Into the kitchen he rushed, and nearly tumbled head first into a tub full of soap-suds. If he had, I couldn't have finished this story, which would have been a pity. But he did not fall in; for he immediately shouted out—"Mary! Mary! Mary! I want a piece of bread and butter! I want my dinner!"
You can't have any dinner, said the cook.
"But you can't have your dinner yet," said the cook; "I'm just making the dumpling; the baker has not come, and there isn't a speck of bread in the house."
"Well, give me a piece of cake then," said Jack.
"Haven't got any cake," said the cook.