“Oh, mah good lan’!” exclaimed Dinah, “I neber did see such a birfday as dish yeah! Nebber in all mah born days!”
Bert caught up his aluminum napkin ring and threw it across the room as the mouse made a dart toward the door leading into the kitchen.
“There he goes!” cried Bert. “No use getting Snoop now!”
“Well, I’m glad the creature is out of the way!” said Mrs. Bobbsey, with a sigh of relief. “Now, Freddie, what possessed you to do a thing like that—to give Dinah a mouse for her birthday?”
“And where did you get it?” asked Bert. “I should think you’d be afraid of it, Freddie.”
“He was in the box, and I shut the cover down quick—like that”—Freddie clapped his hands together—“and I ketched him.”
“You should say ‘caught,’” murmured Nan. “Your teacher wouldn’t like to have you say ‘ketched,’ Freddie.”
“Well, I—I got him, anyhow,” Freddie went on. “An’ I tied some string around the box and I kept the mouse and I thought maybe Dinah would laugh an’—an’——”
Freddie looked around the room. All too much had happened from his little surprise. The whole place was in confusion.
“If dey is any mo’ birfday presents like dat,” said Dinah, “I reckon I better go!”