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Page 16
"Just at this moment in ran Johnny. He had put on his best suit. His
yellow hair was freshly brushed and his face was wreathed in smiles.
He reminded one of a dancing sunbeam. It was wonderful to see how
quickly he set the social wheel moving in the parlor. In three minutes
he had them all acquainted and talking to each other. At one side I
noticed Naomi and Jessica who were trying to make the parrot talk for
the big girl. Mary Ethel was turning the crank of a small music box,
around which were clustered a group of the stranger children. On a
sofa three or four others had the portfolio of pictures spread out.
Others came to my cage coaxing me to whistle for them, while Johnny
capered hither and thither and joked and had more funny things to say
than anybody in the room. When he let Bessie out of her cage and put
her on the piano to sing the 'Mocking Bird,' the joy of the visitors
knew no bounds.
"'Have you a parrot, Jeannette?' he asked one of the little barefooted
girls, whose dancing black eyes showed how much she enjoyed Bessie's
performance.
"'No, but I have two lovely cats.' She made the announcement as if
very proud of their ownership.
"'I have a cat too. He dresses in black and wears long white
whiskers, and looks just like a respectable old colored man.' This
description amused the children very much.
"'What's your cat's name?' they shouted.
"'Jett. What do you call your cats, Jeannette?'
"'The big one is _Boule de Neige_ and the little one is _Jaune
Jaquette_.'
"'What queer names!' exclaimed Mary Ethel. 'How did you happen to
select such names for them?'
"'Oh, miss, because the names do suit them so well.'
"'They don't sound like any cats' names that ever I heard. I don't
understand how they would suit.' Mary Ethel looked perplexed.
"'Why, miss, on account of the color of those cats, to be sure,' said
Jeannette in surprise.
"'Pooh!' explained Johnny, 'that's easy. _Boule de neige_ is the
French for snowball, and _jaune_ means yellow, so _jaune jaquette_
means yellow jacket. I learned that in our French reader. I expect
one of the cats is all white and the other is a yellow one. Is that
it, Jeannette?'
"'Yes, sir,' said the French child, and she tipped him a polite little
bow that was very pretty indeed.
"'_Boule de Neige_! what a funny name. I haven't named our white
kitten yet. I believe I'll call it _Boule de Neige_ for a change,'
said Karl.
"Then Jett was brought in and Bessie pounced upon him for a ride, she
chuckling and singing and looking from side to side with proud
satisfaction, knowing she was being observed by everybody. The
children almost screamed with delight at this performance.
"'Now, Bessie,' said Johnny, as the poor cat at last shook her off and
slank away. 'You did that beautifully, and you deserve something to
eat. I am going to let you have some bread and milk right here in the
parlor, and the company can see how nicely you can feed yourself with a
spoon.'
"'All right,' croaked the parrot. Sarah brought in a saucer in which
was a little bread moistened with milk, and two spoons with it. A
cloth was spread over one corner of the table and Bessie crawled up to
the top of a chair which had been placed with its back close to the
table. This brought the bird almost in line with the saucer. Johnny
took his seat beside her and broke the bread into tiny pieces with his
spoon, shoving the particles into the other spoon as fast as Bessie
disposed of them. She gravely clasped her spoon with one claw and
brought it to her mouth quite dextrously and ate the contents with
evident relish, though it was plain that she enjoyed being admired for
being able to do it really more than she enjoyed the bread. Once in a
while her grasp was uncertain and the food was spilled on her breast
feathers or fell to the floor. At this she scolded herself roundly and
seemed quite ashamed.
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