“Hunt the Thimble.”
Tompkins went to the door and mewed; at least you would have thought he was only mewing but really he was calling, “Come, come, come,” and the little kitchen kittens, right the other end of the passage, heard him. They mewed back, telling him they wanted to come badly but their door was shut and they couldn’t get out. “Well, come as soon as you can,” he called back.
They didn’t have to wait long, for very soon the cook came in and out again in such a hurry that she forgot to shut the door. You may guess the kittens didn’t wait long, and they were out like lightning and racing down the passage. You would have laughed to see them come tumbling into the room where the Persians lived, a perfect bundle of mischief.
They weren’t a bit shy and Minette loved them; she thought they were such fun and so clever and bright. Ugly and Pussy soon started a game of “Hunt the Thimble,” and Minette thoroughly enjoyed it. First of all they found a work-basket, then they knocked it on the floor and made hay of its contents till they found that little shiny silver thing that is so good at rolling. They chased the thimble all over the room till it disappeared behind a solid bookcase, and I shouldn’t be surprised if it isn’t there still.
Minette had never had quite such an exciting time, and she wondered why Tompkins wasn’t enjoying it too. She looked round for him, but he seemed to have disappeared. At last she heard a little “miaou,” and there he was right up one of the curtains. Pet was up the other curtain and they kept calling to each other, “Look at me! I’m highest!” There was no doubt that Pet was beating him, for she was near the ceiling, but they were both digging in their little claws and pulling themselves up. After watching such daring sport as this, “Hunt the Thimble” seemed very tame, so the other three joined the mountaineers, and soon there were five kittens tearing and scratching at the curtains trying to climb.
CHAPTER VII
THE VISITORS’ TEA
When Ugly had got a good way up, he looked down and saw the tea tray. “I know a better game than this!” he cried and got down as quickly as he could. “All this exercise makes me thirsty, and I spy some milk.”