"No claws?"
"No—have you? If you had, I should conclude they had been made to tear little birds and mice in pieces."
"Is that what kitty's claws were made for?"
"So I am told. The truth is, she behaves much better for a cat than you do for a little girl."
Dotty scowled at her feet and patted them with the broom.
"And better than I do for a young man."
"But she ate my duckies—so there!"
"And Prudy's too," said Abner. "But Prudy doesn't beat her for it. It isn't pleasant to see nice little girls show so much temper, Dotty. Now I'm going to tell you something; all those ducklings were a little crazy, and it didn't make much difference what became of them."
"Crazy?"
"Yes, their minds were not properly balanced. There's one left, I believe. I'm going to make a lunatic asylum for him, and put him in this very day."