Oh, you wicked little thing! cried Alice, catching up the kitten, and
giving it a little kiss to make it understand that it was in disgrace.
Really, Dinah ought to have taught you better manners! You _ought_,
Dinah, you know you ought! she added, looking reproachfully at the old
cat, and speaking in as cross a voice as she could manage and then she
scrambled back into the arm-chair, taking the kitten and the worsted
with her, and began winding up the ball again. But she didn t get on
very fast, as she was talking all the time, sometimes to the kitten,
and sometimes to herself. Kitty sat very demurely on her knee,
pretending to watch the progress of the winding, and now and then
putting out one paw and gently touching the ball, as if it would be
glad to help, if it might.
Do you know what to-morrow is, Kitty? Alice began. You d have
guessed if you d been up in the window with me only Dinah was making
you tidy, so you couldn t. I was watching the boys getting in sticks
for the bonfire and it wants plenty of sticks, Kitty! Only it got so
cold, and it snowed so, they had to leave off. Never mind, Kitty, we ll
go and see the bonfire to-morrow. Here Alice wound two or three turns
of the worsted round the kitten s neck, just to see how it would look:
this led to a scramble, in which the ball rolled down upon the floor,
and yards and yards of it got unwound again.
Do you know, I was so angry, Kitty, Alice went on as soon as they
were comfortably settled again, when I saw all the mischief you had
been doing, I was very nearly opening the window, and putting you out
into the snow! And you d have deserved it, you little mischievous
darling! What have you got to say for yourself? Now don t interrupt
me! she went on, holding up one finger. I m going to tell you all
your faults. Number one: you squeaked twice while Dinah was washing
your face this morning. Now you can t deny it, Kitty: I heard you!
What s that you say? (pretending that the kitten was speaking.) Her
paw went into your eye? Well, that s _your_ fault, for keeping your
eyes open if you d shut them tight up, it wouldn t have happened. Now
don t make any more excuses, but listen! Number two: you pulled
Snowdrop away by the tail just as I had put down the saucer of milk
before her! What, you were thirsty, were you? How do you know she
wasn t thirsty too? Now for number three: you unwound every bit of the
worsted while I wasn t looking!
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