St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-07-07
Pitawitan's Nightmare
By Katherine Yates.


F one apple costs two cents, what
will six apples cost? Let me see;
II one apple costs. two cents. six ap-
Piles will cost six times two. which is
which is-oh, dear! / always get just
SO far, and then I can never do the
rest and very large frown puck
cred Dorothy's forehead until it
looked like the crinkly pink liberty
silk on her own Sunday hat. Then
she tipped back in the big rocking
chair in the bay window, where she,
an arithmetic and a tablet had been
having a sort of wrestle, and, making
. fine, large paper wad, she threw it
at Pitawitan, the canary, who hung
in q gilt cage in the window.
Pitawitan did not even dodge, but
only eraned his yellow neck lit
tie, eying the bit of paper with beady
black eyes, and then began to trill
pretty little notes and whistles, final
ly breaking into such a volume of
song as threatened to burst his little
throat.
Dorothy looked ashamed and turned
hack to her. arithmetic. "If one apple
costs two cents"
"Cheap, cheap" called the canary.
Dorothy laughed. 'Of course they
are cheap. Pitawitan."
"Well, didn't l say so?" answered
Pitawitan
Dorothy pursed up her lips. "Oh.
you needn't expect me to be surprised
to hear you speak. for if Pusskins and
the Guinea pig talk, 1 suppose that
there is no reason why you should
not. have been expecting it for
some time"
'.Glad it didn't give you shock," !"
said Pitawitan, sarcastically.
"And it's funny" went on Dorothy
in an aggrieved tone, "that you furry
and feathery folk are SO good-natured
nntii you begin to talk, and then you
are as cross and snippy and i'll tenn
pered as can be. Here you have been
singing as happy rs anything all
morning, and now"
Singing! Who said was singing?
Who said was happy?"
ssWhy, heard you singing my own
SELF" exclaimed Dorothy, '.just as
cheerful and jolly even after threw
that paper wad at you"
''Singing!" repeated Pitawitan
again disdainfully. Singing! Do
you call that singing, when I was
just sitting here telling you what an
ugly, disagreeable, ill-natured girl
you are to throw things at me, mere
" because you couldn't get your les
son ~ You call that singing. do you?"
Dorothy looked disturbed. Were
vow really talking to me like that?t
Why, thought that you were always
happy when you were singing"
81. is not singing, tell you." cried
Pitawitan, angrily; sit is just talk
ing, and lot of good it does to talk
to folk in this house, too"
"Why!" exclaimed Dorothy, indig-
nansly; II think that you have love-
IL home. I'm sure I'd like to live just
the same way: in beautiful gold
house hung on spring, SO that 1t
sways all the time just like ham,
mock; no lessons to get, and lovely
things to eat; there's . big lump of
sugar in your cage all the time, and
that is just the same as If I had
chocolate drop twice as big as my
head to nibble whenever / chose.
I've seen them as large as that and
always just longed for one. And then
there is your seed; that's just the
same as nuts-walnuts and pecans-
ind then there's cutie fish, and that's
Just the same as-as-well. we'll call
that bread; and then there's always
fresh fruit, and water, and lovely
glass bathtub, and swing where you
can swing whenever you wish-oh. I'd
Just love to live in a place like that
and no lessons at ALL" she added
again.
Pitawitan looked disgusted as well
as he could. ''Oh. yes, lovely life!"
he exclaimed. "And how would you
feel if folk sometimes forgot to give
you food all day?"
.But there's the sugar." said Dor
othv.
"Wer, how would you like to have
notl,ing but chocolate drops tc eat for
! day at q time, and not drop of
fresh water, when they made you so
thirsty that you were fairly choked?
And then suppose that when you be-
gan calling for some one to bring you
food because you were nearly starved.
folks would say: DO just listen to
that dear little bird sing. Isn't he
ouite the happiest little fellow that you
.ver sawT And then when you grow |
and screech SO loud that you |
nearly split your throat some one says:
Bless his jolly little heart; hasn't he
The most joyous song? But it is Just .
lvf6e too shrill. Marie, will you please
throw = towel over Pitawitan's cage;
he is little too noisy How would you
ike that?''
Dorothy looked grave. "But. Pita-
witsn. how are we to know what you |
ire asking for. when We can't under
ltard what you say?
"Aerely by coming to see what
,eed. But, anyway, how would you
ike to be shut up in a prison the whole
inns. even IL it were gold one? It
snx much fun, I can tell you: and I
hink that you must see me free in
,h.,r room for q few minutes once in
while, just to try my wings and get
! little exercise"
.Why. 1 never thoqeAt of that!" ex-
,laimed Dorothy.
.Never thought of It! When I have
naxed and begged and pleaded on ny
,ended Inees! Tn surs-