Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-06-07
PitaWitan's Nightmare
BY Katherine Yates.
: F one apple costs two cents, what

II one apple costs two cents, six ap-
pies will cost six times two, which is
which II s--oh, dear! I always get Just
so far, and then / can never do the
rest" and very large frown puck
ered 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 tablet had been
having sort of wrestle, and, making
fine, large paper wad, she threw it
at Pitawitan, the canary, who hung
IN gilt cage in the window.
Pltawitan did not even dodge, but
only craned his yellow neck a 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 volume Of
song as Threatened to burst his little
throat. - Ii -
Dorothy looked ashamed and turned
back to her arithmetic. eff one apple
costs two cents
= Cheap, cheap" called the canary.
Dorothy laughed. ''Of course they
are cheap, Pitawitan" ~ a
Well, didn't I say so?'' answered
Pitawitan' ~ ea~,e.>s. ~. -
Dorothy pursed up her lips. t"Oh,
you needn't expect me to be surprised
to hear you speak, for if Pusskins and
the Guinea pig talk, I suppose that
there is no reason why you should
not. I have bee. expecting it for
some time.''
Glad it didn't give you a 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
until you begin to talk, ana then you
are as cross and snippy and i'll tenn
pered as cen be. Here you have been
singing as happy as anything all
morning, and now"
Singing! Who said was singing?
Who said was happy"
Why, I heard you singing my own
self" exclaimed Dorothy, lust as.
cheerful and jolly even after I 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
you really talking to me like that?
Why, I thought that you were always
happy when you were singing"
1T is not singing, tell you," cried
Pitawitan, angrily; cit is just talk
ing, and a lot of good it does to talk
to folk in this house, too
'Why!" exclaimed Dorothy, indig-
nantly; II think that you have love-
ly home. I'm sure I'd like to live just
the same way; in beautiful gold
house hung on a spring. so that it
sways all the time just like a 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 had a
chocolate drop twice as big as my
head to nibble whenever I 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-
and 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 a 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 Disguised as well
as he could. "Oh, yes, a 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
othy.
''1Vell, how would you like to have
nothing but chocolate drops to eat for
a day at time, and not a 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
quite the happiest little fellow that you
ever saw?' And then when you grow
desperate 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 a
rrife too shrill. Marie. will you please
throw a towel over Pitawitan's cage;
he is a little too noisy How would you
like that?''
Dorothy looked grave. ''But, Pita-
witan, how are we to know what you
are asking for, when we can't under
stand what you say?"
Merely by coming to see what I
need. But. anyway, how would you
like to be shut up in prison the whole
time, even If it were a gold one? 1t
isn't much fun, Lean tell you; and I
think that you must see me free in
your room for few minutes once in