She would probably have kept right on scolding for a long time, but as soon as Billy Whiskers realized what he had done, he turned and trotted off without even trying to apologize.
“She probably don’t know what a circus is and takes that way to conceal her ignorance. I’ll never believe in cats again,” thought Billy.
“There,” said Abbie, when Billy disappeared around the corner of the house, “he’s gone and I’m glad of it. He thinks that I know all about circuses but wouldn’t tell him because I was cross at being disturbed. Wasn’t that a good one about my neuralgia!” and Abbie laughed as cats do, and washed her face.
Billy next asked his best friend and greatest chum, Rex, the colt; but Rex, who was quite young, owned up at once that he didn’t know.
“Billy Whiskers,” said he, “how can I be expected to know about such things when you don’t? You have been almost everywhere and I always thought you had seen everything. If you don’t know what a circus is, there is no one at Cloverleaf Farm who can tell you.”
Some people would have been discouraged by this time, but not so Billy Whiskers.
“I’ll have to ask old Polly Parrot and I don’t want to one bit. She will probably laugh at me, and it is quite as likely as not she may suspect my plan and in that case she will blab it all over Cloverleaf and I’ll find myself shut up and closely guarded by Tom and Harry. While I don’t like Polly Parrot any too well, I must admit that she is as sharp as tacks and if I’m to get anything out of her I shall have to be very sly when I ask her about the matter.”
Billy was just saying these mean things to himself when he spied Miss Polly out in the grape arbor, swinging and chattering.
“Now is my time,” thought Billy.
“How do you do, Polly Parrot? Nice morning, isn’t it? You have no idea how fine you look with the sun shining on your beautiful feathers. I’ve always known that you are handsome but you certainly outshine yourself today.”