The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-05-11
A KITTENS PUZZLE.

Grandma was sorry she ever
thought of giving the black kitten to
Janey and Carolyn, when she learned
that they quarreled about it's name
Janey wished to name the kitten mid
night" because it was so black. Car
olyn insisted upon calling it "Jetty.'
The only fact about that kitten upon
which the little sisters agreed was its
color It was unquestionably black.
Janey wished the kitten to be fed
nothing but milk and begged to keep
it's bed in the kitchen. Carolyn tried
to teach the kitten to eat everything
even oranges; she was glad mother
said it must sleep in the woodshed
1t did seem as If the little black
kitten made more trouble in the fam
lily than anything that had ever hap
pened-even measles. Mother threat
ened to send the pretty creature back
to the farm to live with it's mother cat
and grandma and grandpa.
While mother, father, grandpa, and
grandpa were feeling SO bad because
Janey and Carolyn quarreled about
their pet, no one stopped to think that
the kitten was much troubled himself
You see, he didn't know whether he
was Midnight or Jetty. Sometimes he
thought he was Midnight, and liked
nothing but milk to drink; again, he
was sure he was Jetty, who preferred
bits of beefsteak for dinner. 1t was
extremely puzzling.
One day something happened that
never had happened before.
Said Janey: 'Its name is Midnight
I tell you.''
Said Carolyn: "And I tell you its
name is Jetty."
The kitten had listened to this many
times before; but, when Janey made
a face at Carolyn, and Carolyn that
very minute made face at Janey,
the kitten fed.
One day passed, two days passed,
and the kitten failed to return. Janey
waited with fresh saucers of milk.
Carolyn waited with a feast spread
On the woodshed steps.
At last Janey cried Il am afraid
something has happened to our dear
kitten she said. 90, if it will only
come back, we will call it :Jetty'!"
Don't speak of it, answered Caro-.
lyn. IF the sweet thing ever comes
back, shall be be too glad to call it
Midnight I am afraid it has been
killed by dogs"
"Or run over by an automobile, -
walled Janey
''And it is all our own fault" per.
sisted Carolyn. "If we had even said,
Come back, kitty that day, believe
it would have stayed at home"
Instead of doing that" moaned
Janey, II called, Come, Midnight, Mid.
night, Midnight and it mewed and
ran fast"
"Yes,' added Carolyn land, when ]
called Come, Jetty, Jetty, Jetty,' it
mewed and ran faster than ever. !
believe that kitten knew more'n we
supposed"
20, often saw the little thing wash
it's face and think at the same time -
admitted Janey.
One moonlight evening, when Janey
and Carolyn were sitting on the front
steps with their arms around each
other, who should come walking up
the garden path but one black kitten
followed by second black kitten!
Midnight and Jetty had come back
home, but which is which neither
Janey, nor Carolyn knows to this day.
All they do know is that grandma's
kitten from the country came home
with a twin so exactly like himself
that even grandma can't tell which
one is the farm kitten.
The kitten himself knows which one
he is, because once in a great while,
when Janey and Carolyn talk over the
past and agree never to quarrel over
anything again, one kitten winks at
the little girls. Before Janey and
Carolyn get over their surprise, the
kitten quickly has a game of "tag"
with his twin, and three seconds after
that no one can tell which kitten
winked, because they both look so
exactly alike and so pleasant.
Perhaps all kittens would do any
thing but purr cheerfully and never
NEW if they lived with such loving
little sisters as Janey and Carolyn
have been ever since their kitten left
home long enough to think of way
out of his puzzle
-Bops and Girls.