Then James’ father put on his hat, and took the basket and walked away.
Some months afterwards James went to see Rollo. He found Rollo out on the platform, in the garden-yard. You remember the picture of the garden-yard. You can see the platform in the picture if you look back.
When James arrived at the house, and went through to the yard to see Rollo, he found him playing horses. He had a little wooden cart, very small, with a string tied to it, and was trotting about on the platform. And who do you think he had in the cart for a driver? Why, it was a little gray kitten! She was lying down in the cart with her fore paws resting on the front of it, and her chin resting on her fore paws, and she seemed to enjoy her ride very much. She looked so funny that James could not help laughing.
“Oh, what a beautiful kitten!” said he. “I wish I had such a kitten. I had one once, but she was not such a tame, good kitten as that,—she was an old, cross, ugly, good for nothing puss. She did nothing but scratch me.”
Now it happened that this was the very kitten which James had, though James did not know it. His father had come and given it to Rollo. Rollo called her Ooty, and he made her gentle and tame by treating her kindly.
[*] Brandishing it means holding it up as if he were going to strike her.