“The plan I have thought of is this: You have all of you seen how often Posy sits on the piazza and cuts dolls’ dresses out of bright-colored pieces of ribbon and silk. Now there is nothing in the world, I have noticed, that pleases a little girl so much as those bright colors, and we will take advantage of that. The next time Posy brings out her ribbons we must get her out of the way long enough for one of you to steal the prettiest one, and then the sparrow can use it to entice the child Nancy with.”
“But who is to steal the ribbon?” asked the house-cat.
“I should say the sparrow was the one to do that,” answered Mrs. Polly; “he can fly down and pick one out and fly off with it.”
“Very good,” said the sparrow; “but how are you going to make Posy leave her ribbons long enough?”
“I’ve called ’em so many times lately,” said Mrs. Polly, “that they begin to suspect me; and Tom said the other day that I had fooled him so many times that he shouldn’t come again if I called. Let me see—” and Mrs. Polly put on her very wisest expression.
“There’s one way we could fix it,” said the sparrow. “Here’s my friend the barn-cat; she’s so fond of me she can’t have me near enough. Suppose I place myself where Posy can see me, and the barn-cat can make believe spring at me just as she did a few minutes ago. The dear thing! we know she does it out of affection for me, but Posy will think she’s in earnest.”
“A very good plan,” said Mrs. Polly. “Really quite a bright idea,” she said in an undertone to the canary, “though it wouldn’t do to tell him so, he’s so well satisfied with himself.”
The barn-cat had been very quiet since her attempt to spring at the sparrow, but she occasionally scratched her neck with her paw to make that fascinating padlock rattle. She did it in a very unconscious manner, but she knew all the time that the house-cat was watching her out of the corner of her eye, and was secretly jealous of the beautiful collar.
“That’s a very pretty collar you have on,” said the canary.
“A present from Posy,” answered the barn-cat.