Then his father held the basket down low. He put it in a chair, and James stood by the side of it. He saw that there was a cloth spread over the top of it, and tied round the basket. James’ father untied the string, and unwound it, and then carefully lifted up the cloth, and James looked in and saw there a beautiful gray kitten.
The kitten appeared afraid; she curled down into a corner of the basket, and looked up as if she was frightened.
“Oh, father,” said James, “let me take her out.”
“Well,” said his father, “but do it carefully.”
So James put his hands in to take up the kitten; but when she saw them coming, it frightened her more, and she jumped up to the top of the basket, and then leaped out upon the chair, and from the chair to the floor. She ran along the floor. At the same instant, James ran after her, holding out his hands, saying, “Oh, catch her, catch her.” His father only turned round quietly, and shut the door. He was much wiser than James, for James’ bustle and noise only made the kitten more frightened, while his father quietly did what would effectually keep the kitten from running away.
“Now, James,” said his father, “let the kitten stay there under the table a minute or two, while I tell you something. You see how frightened she looks. She is afraid you will hurt her. Now, if you treat her very gently and kindly for a few days, and do not try to catch her at first, she will soon find out that you are her friend, and she will not be afraid of you. She will let you take her, and play with her as much as you please. But if you handle her roughly, or tease her in any way, she will be always wild.”
Then James’ father went away.
James stood a minute or two looking at his kitten, and then he thought he would go and catch her. So he walked along towards the table, and then stooped down to take up the kitten, but she suddenly turned round, and ran under the chairs, and hid behind a basket, in one corner of the room.
James ran after her. He pulled away the basket, and saw the kitten for an instant crouching in a corner of the room, staring wildly at him, and evidently very much terrified. The moment she found that the basket was taken away, and that she was exposed again, she started off, ran directly across the room, towards a large clock which was in the opposite corner, and squeezed under it.
James now did not know what to do. He could not move the great, heavy clock. He put his face close down to the floor, and looked under, and he could just see the kitten’s two shining eyes there, but he could not reach in, to take her.