Then the tiger-kitten turned and chased him, and how the little Maltese kitten did run! He dodged almost as well as the tiger-kittens did, and the tiger-kitten had to try with all his might till he caught the Maltese kitten, and then they both rolled over together and kicked and clawed, just as if the Maltese kitten had played “tag” every day of his life.
“Very well indeed, my dear!” said the barn-cat, with an approving nod; “try it once more, and you needn’t be afraid to put out your claws a little farther. My kittens don’t mind a few scratches, I can tell you; and look here, my dear, when you run up to them, crouch a little, this way, and wriggle your body before you spring, and don’t be afraid of hurting them when you knock them over. Try it again, my dear; you’ll do it better next time.”
The little Maltese kitten did try it again, and succeeded so well that the house-cat, although she tried not to look interested, couldn’t resist a smile of pride. Then the other Maltese kitten tried it, and did it so well that the barn-cat praised her for it.
“Now, my dears,” said the barn-cat, “I’m going to teach you how to catch mice.”
She looked around and picked out a little green apple that would roll easily.
“Now play that was a mouse sitting still; show me how you would catch it. You begin first,” she said to one of her kittens, “because you’ve already had a lesson in it.”
So the tiger-kitten crept cautiously towards the apple, swishing her little tail the way her mother had taught her; and when she came within the proper distance she stopped and wriggled her body from side to side, and then gave a great spring and seized the apple with her little front paws; but the tiger-kitten was so excited from playing “tag,” that she forgot she was playing “mouse,” and batted the apple with her little paws and set it rolling, and then chased it and caught it, and lay on her back and clawed it with all her four paws.
“I’m ashamed of you,” said the barn-cat severely; “now put it down and do it over again properly; and mind, no fooling this time!”
So the little tiger-kitten did it over again, and really did it very well; and then the Maltese kittens tried it, and the barn-cat was very much pleased with them. “Now,” said the barn-cat, “we’ll make believe ’tis a mouse running. See how well you can do that!” and she gave the apple a push with her paw, and all the four kittens set off at once after it, and rolled over one another and clawed and kicked just as they had done when they played “tag.”
The barn-cat couldn’t help smiling to herself, but she took care that the kittens didn’t see her smile, and then she made each one do it alone, and gave them very good advice about hiding behind corners and then suddenly springing out.