Ellen had a new playmate and the Popovers did not like him at all.
He was a little white kitten, soft and furry and full of fun. His name was Blinky, and he did little all day long but play.
Caroline's friend, Sarah, who lived in a house where there was a plump mother-cat, had given him to Caroline to give to Ellen. And Aunt Amelia, who was not fond of cats, had said that Blinky might stay, at least until Ellen went home.
Ellen liked to do nothing better than to hold Blinky on her lap and stroke his soft fur and let his rough little pink tongue lick her hand. She never tired of seeing Blinky chase a spool tied to a piece of string. She liked to watch clean little Blinky wash his face and paws. She liked to watch hungry little Blinky drink his saucer of milk. She liked to watch sleepy little Blinky curl himself up in his box on a bit of warm blanket and close his lively blue eyes for a nap.
But the Popovers did not care for Blinky in the least.
'He is too rough in his play.' said Mr. Popover.
And surely he should know, for Blinky delighted in rolling and tossing Mr. Popover about as if he were merely a clothespin and not the father of a family and the head of the Little Red Doll House.
'I don't like anyone, not even Peanut, to walk into my house without ringing the doorbell,' said Mrs. Popover.
You must agree that Mrs. Popover was right in this. You would not want a large furry animal, at least four times your size, to come walking uninvited into your house when you might be washing the baby's face or making piecrust or even scrubbing the kitchen floor.
'Blinky 's claws are too long and sharp.' said Velvetina.
Sure enough, her fat little arms were covered with scratches; while Mrs. Popover could not count the number of times the Baby had been waked out of a sound sleep by being tickled in the face by Blinky's whiskers.
But the Popovers had a still greater reason for not liking Blinky. It was because Peanut was now afraid to come and see them.
The little grey mouse would come creeping softly in the dead of night when Blinky was almost sure to be asleep, and he would jump and start at every noise until the Popover family grew as fidgety as he. Peanut never came to see them now in the daytime. He never dropped in unexpectedly for a bit of luncheon or for afternoon tea. And the Popovers missed his friendly little visits more than words can tell.
It was a warm afternoon, and Ellen had gone to visit one of the five little girls who had come to her party. Blinky was downstairs, asleep on the shady porch. So the Popovers had overheard Caroline tell Ellen when she had asked Caroline where Blinky was.
As for the Popovers, they were having a pleasant time at home. At least Mrs. Popover was. She sat rocking Loo-Loo's cradle and mending one of Velvetina's tiny socks. And Mr. Popover, napping on the bed, with a handkerchief over his face, was enjoying the afternoon, too.
But Velvetina was restless. She wandered from room to room all over the house. She wouldn't sit down and look at a picture book as her mother told her to do. She made the floor squeak in the bedroom and almost woke her father from his nap. She teased to play on the piano until her mother grew tired of saying 'no.'
'Can't I have a cookie?' begged Velvetina, standing on the rocker of her mother's chair and giving her a sudden jolt.
'Yes, one,' replied Mrs. Popover, not wishing to scold Velvetina, but feeling quite annoyed. 'You may have one cooky and no more.'
But I am sorry to say that when Velvetina opened the tiny cake-box that was kept on the kitchen shelf, instead of taking one cookie she helped herself to two.
Certainly Velvetina was not behaving well this warm afternoon.
'Mother' said she, appearing in the livingroom again, once her cookies were eaten, 'Mother, I want to go and look down Peanut's crack in the floor. Perhaps he is waiting there and I could tell him that Blinky is asleep downstairs. Then he could come out and see us all.'
'Stay right where you are, Velvetina Popover.' answered Mrs. Popover in her firmest voice. 'Peanut knows best how to take care of himself. And I don't want you to go far away from me now. Suppose Blinky should come and catch you. What then?'
Velvetina had nothing to say, and Mrs. Popover went on with her mending.
But, oh, naughty Velvetina! What do you think she did?
Out of the house she slipped and over to Peanut's crack in the floor. To look at her you would never have dreamed that she would be such a disobedient child.
Far down the crack peered Velvetina. How she longed to see a pair of bright black eyes shining up into her face! But there was no one there. The crack was empty.
'Peanut!' called Velvetina, putting her face close to the crack. 'Peanut, are you there?'
There was no answer.
Velvetina waited. Then she leaned over the crack again.
'Peanut!' she began.
But she said no more. For two white paws caught Velvetina, and over and over and over the playroom floor she was rolled, boxed and tossed about by Blinky, who, after his nap, felt much refreshed and ready for play.
Back and forth, back and forth rolled Velvetina. Now Blinky tossed her from him only to fall upon her and tumble her about once more. He worried her with his teeth, he threw her in the air, he hugged her close in his two white paws.
And all this while Mr. Popover lay napping on his golden bed and Mrs. Popover peacefully rocked and sewed.
But presently Mrs. Popover missed Velvetina and soon she spied her, in her pretty pink velveteen dress, being played with like a mouse by Blinky on the playroom floor.
In less than a moment Mr. and Mrs. Popover had rushed out to the help of Velvetina. But what could three little Popovers do against a great, strong, furry, white kitten?
Blinky thought three playthings much better than one. He tossed them about from one end of the playroom to the other. Not content with this, he jumped into the Doll House. He tumbled screaming little Loo-Loo out of his cradle onto the floor. Loo-Loo had a bump on his head from this fall that did not go down for days. Blinky knocked over chairs and tables. He chewed Velvetina's nicely mended sock.
Then out of the Doll House he came to pounce again upon the Popovers, and it was at this moment that Ellen walked into the playroom and saw the mischief that naughty Blinky had done.
The first thing Ellen did was to catch Blinky and hold him tightly in her arms.
'If Aunt Amelia knew how you had treated the Popovers,' said Ellen, 'she would send you away tonight. I am going to lock you out on the back porch to stay!'
And so Ellen did.
Then she ran back to the playroom and tenderly and with great care put the Popovers to bed.
'There are scratch-marks all over Velvetina's dress, but I think I can get them out with my finger-nail,' said she to the poor Popovers. 'That is the worst. You are not broken anywhere. But if you don't feel well tomorrow, after a good night's rest, I will take you all to the country, out under the apple tree.'
When Ellen had gone, for a long time no one in the Red Doll House spoke. They were too exhausted by their painful afternoon.
But at length Mrs. Popover raised her head from her pillow.
' Velvetina,' said she in a solemn voice, 'do you see now what happens when little girls disobey their mothers?'
'Yes, ma'am,' answered Velvetina, snuggling as far down under the covers as she could.
'Let this be a lesson to you,' said Mrs. Popover, sinking back upon her pillow again.
And let us hope it was.
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Thursday, May 4, 2023
A Lesson For Velvetina
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