CHAPTER V
A SURPRISING CONVERSATION
“Who’s your mother?” Pet asked Tompkins.
“She is Salome, a beautiful gray Persian,” and as Tompkins answered he noticed the three kittens looked rather merry.
“Do you mean that stuck-up silly old fluff-pot?” said Ugly. “We often watch her stalking about the garden, giving herself airs.”
“And looking just as if she wore petticoats,” Pussy joined in.
“What a dull mother to have!” remarked Pet. “Not much fun to be got out of her, I should think.”
Tompkins was thunderstruck. He had never been used to hearing his dignified mother spoken of like this, and thought the kittens were very rude. “My mother is very beautiful and very valuable,” he said indignantly; “besides, she is a nice warm fluffy mother to go to sleep with.”
“Maybe,” said Ugly, “but we shouldn’t care to change with you. Our mother Tibby is the right sort. She never forgets us and isn’t above stealing a little now and then, and if it’s too big for her she lets us help eat it.”
“And look what a sportsman she is!” said Pussy. “You should see her after a mouse. And once, she told us she almost caught a rat.”
“I should like to see your old fluff-pot of a mother running after a mouse,” laughed Ugly. “I am sure she would be much too ladylike to catch it.”
“Why, she would have to pick up her petticoats,” said Pet, and then they all three roared with laughter.
What bad manners they had, thought Tompkins and he felt furious with them. He wouldn’t play with them any more, and with his head up and his tail fluffed out he walked away, looking very like his mother when she was offended.
But Pussy, who was a kind hearted kitten and didn’t like to see him hurt, ran after him and said, “Please, don’t go, we were only in fun. Come back and tell us more about your mother, I’m sure she has her points, and anyhow I don’t expect she boxes your ears like Jane does ours.”
Tompkins was surprised. “Does she really?” he asked, for he had never heard of such a thing.
“Indeed, she does, with her claws out, too, sometimes,” said Pet.
“Yes, she nearly spoilt my beauty,” said Ugly with a grin; “she gave me a horrid scratch over the eye.”
As the kittens had given up teasing and seemed rather nice again, Tompkins settled down and told them how nice and sweet-tempered his mother was and that she was so admired that people always wanted to photograph her. “In fact,” he said, being just a little inclined to show off, “she got so used to the camera that she once tried to take a photograph herself and got my sister Minette to sit for her.”
“Whatever is a camera?” the kittens asked astounded.
“I am afraid I can’t very well explain just now,” replied Tompkins who didn’t know himself, “as it’s time I said ‘Good-by,’” and he trotted off home.
Tried to take a photograph.
A perfect bunch of bad temper.