'Now,' said Baby Jane briskly, 'we'll go and wash our faces in the river.'
Her pupils, except the Crocodile, who tried to look as if she were very brave in obeying, all made excuses, but Baby Jane was firm, and there was soon a great spluttering and screwing up of eyes, and they became very lank and dank and shiny.
Then came breakfast under a spreading palm—a fine breakfast. There was bread-fruit—which always grows ready toasted in this part of the world because of the heat of the sun—and butter-nuts and cocoa-nuts with fresh milk in them; and any one who knew more of these wonderful African plants would probably tell you of the shrimp shrubs, and of the whiting-fried-in-egg-and-breadcrumbs-with-their-tails-in-their-mouths bushes.
'Do you know,' said Baby Jane confidentially when they had finished, 'it is nice that I'm going to teach you something that is great fun this sunshiny morning, instead of being taught myself in a stuffy school-room—and perhaps put in the corner.'
At this point she grew red, and looked round to see if they looked shocked, but they were all grinning affectionately. A great reformer loses nothing by little admissions like this.
'Come along, now,' said she; 'I'll teach you some games on this smooth patch.'
The animals and the Piccaninny all frisked around in high excitement.
'First we'll play blindfold "Cat and Mouse,"' said Baby Jane, after a moment's thought. 'Lion, you are "mouse," and, Rabbit, you are "cat." Now I want two handkerchiefs.'
The Bear retired and came back with a large spotted handkerchief. This time Baby Jane did not ask how he got it—she only sighed.
It was old, so they tore it in half, and, having blindfolded the Lion and the Rabbit, they spun them round three times and then kept very quiet to watch the fun.