Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-11
from morning until night.

you' for cream. Jimmy knows be.
cause he tried It. The kitten always
growled Morrow" when milk was
poured into his pretty saucer beside
the kitchen stove. Jimmy thought
perhaps the kitten was cross because
he had no cream, and SO one morning
he gave Master Kitten cream from his
own oatmeal
"Mer-ro.aow!" scolded that kitten.
He must have liked the cream, too.
because it wasn't three minutes before
the saucer was empty and the kitten
was asking for more-this way; "Mer.
row! Mrow! Mrow!" You may be
sure he didn't get any more cream
that morning.
There was nothing Jimmy didn't do
to make his little kitten happy. He
kept him supplied with fresh water to
drink, and made his bed every morn
ing so it surely would be comfortable.
The bed was a small feather pillow in
a wooden box behind the stove and
was softer than Jimmy's crib. Yet
every night before the kitten went to
bed he stood a moment beside the box
and complained, "Ye-ow-mrrow.
.ermrow!"
One day when Jimmy was visiting
Mr.. Cooper at the mill, his mother
put the cross kitten in basket and
tied on the cover. Then she carried
the basket to the grocery store. You
shouldn't blame Jimmy's mother.
Good morning, Mr.. Pickles. said
she-the grocers name happened to
be Pickles. 81 have been told that
you are looking for kitten to live
with you and catch grocery mice. Here
is one that will scare the mice away
If he doesn't catch them. Oh, you are
quite welcome. I am delighted to let
you have him.
You see, the grocer had said II
thank you" the very second Jimmy's
mother spoke the word Kitten" She
was gone before he had a chance to
change his mind, and he changed his
mind before the cross kitten had eaten
dinner.
"You can't live here unless you stop
saying Morrow" threatened the
grocer. IT won't keep cat that hasn't
better manners" f~ ....
"Mer-row-mrow." growled the kit
ten, impudently "Mmrow!"
Next morning the kitten ran away
before breakfast, mer-row-ing at every
step. Straight he went to Mrs. Had
ley's back door and asked for milk.
"Scat! Run away" exclaimed Mrs.
Hadley when she opened the door and
saw the cross kitten. "Scat, say
Then to Mrs. Ketchem's back door
trotted the kitten. There he called
.Row-yow-mrrow!" so loud that Mrs.
Ketchum thought dog was after him.
She opened the door quickly.
"Mer-row!" exclaimed the kitten.
ooh, you go on" advised Mrs.
Ketchum. "Scat. sir You are too cross
to come visiting .here!"
From house to house went the little
cross kitten, getting hungrier every
minute as he was turned away from
one door after another. Miss Pole even
chased him with a broom.
At last the kitten cried Meow TOR
Jimmy, and before long the meow
became a pitiful little New! New
Jimmy was eating his supper OF
bread and milk when he heard gentle
little New" outside. -.
what IL it were my own poor little
kitten!" exclaimed Jimmy; and, when
he opened the door, there, sure enough
was his kitten, only this was a good
little kitten. The minute Jimmy said,
"Come in,. poor little kitty the kit.
ten began saying. "Purr! Purr! Purr!"
until il his throat had been made OF
thin china, it must certainly have
broken.
From that day to this Jimmy's kitten
sings "Purr! purr! purr" from morn
ing until night. and is thankful for his
home. his food. and his warm I'D N?'
hind the kitchen stove. Even in mis-
dreams this little cat sometimes says,
"Purr! purr! purr!'
You wouldn't think, to see him now,
that he ever had been cross little
kitten.-Frances Margaret Fox in the
Continent.