“Yes,” said his father, “when the proper time comes”; and they went down stairs.
The next time they came, the kitten came running out to meet them, and they held the saucer down. When she came near, James’ father reached out his hand, and took her up gently and said, “Now we will carry her down stairs.”
“Let me carry her,” said James.
“Well, you may,” said his father; “but you must hold her very carefully.” So James took the kitten, and his father took the saucer, and they went down stairs. They put the kitten and the saucer under the table, and pretty soon, though she seemed rather frightened at first, she began to drink. James’ father forbid his touching her, or doing any thing to her, all day.
Thus, in a few days, the kitten became considerably tame, and would let James play with her, but he soon began to handle her roughly again. He would pull her by the tail, and carry her around under his arm, and try to make her stand up on her hind legs, and do a great many other things, which he thought was very good fun for him, but which were very terrifying or painful to her. The kitten became very much afraid of him. She would never let him play with her, or catch her, if she could possibly get away, and often in struggling to get away she would scratch his hands. Thus the kitten hated James, and James soon began to hate the kitten.
“She is a cross, ugly, good for nothing old puss,” said he one day.
“Very well,” said his father, “then I will take her out of your way.”
So his father got the basket, and put her gently in it, and he spread the cloth over it, and tied it down; James stood by, looking sorrowfully.
“What are you going to do with her, father?” said he.
“I am going to take her out of your way. She shall never trouble you any more.”