Part 6 (1/2)

”Dear me!” thought the China Cat, ”this is a dreadful state of affairs.

I wonder if I am ever to get out of this smothering place. I don't like it, cooped up like this! I want to get out in the air, and have Geraldine or Angelina wash me!”

You see the China Cat did not know all that had happened to her. She hoped she would soon be back in Mr. Mugg's store, washed nice and clean, and set on a shelf. But the store of poor Mr. Mugg was in a sad state now, even though the fire had been put out.

As Jeff's breathing became easier, his brothers and sisters, who were just getting up out of their beds, crowded around him. His mother, who was getting breakfast, asked him again:

”Jeff, am de p'licemans tryin' to git yo'?”

”Nope!” answered the colored boy. ”I runned 'cause I wanted to git away from Sam Brown an' his crowd. Dey was gwine to take mah cat away from me!”

”Yo' _cat_?” cried Jeff's mother. ”Where'd yo' git a _cat_?”

Jeff wiggled and twisted as he reached his hand inside his blouse and pulled out the China Cat.

”Dere she am!” he cried, holding her up. ”Dere's mah p.u.s.s.y! I done got her at de fire, an' de p'liceman didn't see me!”

For a moment there was silence in the dingy bas.e.m.e.nt tenement where Jeff lived. His brothers and sisters, all smaller than he, crowded up around him as he held the China Cat high in the air.

”Ain't she jess boo'ful!” murmured one little black girl.

”Kin she wiggle her haid, like I done see a Donkey shake his haid in de toy shop?” asked one of Jeff's brothers.

”Lemme hab her!” pleaded the littlest black girl of all.

”No, suh!” declared Jeff. ”Dis am mah white p.u.s.s.y, dat I done took outen de fire an' de p'liceman didn't see me, an' I's gwine to keep her, I is!”

He held the China Cat higher above his head.

”Oh, mercy me!” thought the poor white p.u.s.s.y, ”I hope he doesn't let me fall. Oh, how miserable I am! So dirty, and in such an unpleasant place!

I thought I'd be back in the toy shop with the Talking Doll and my other friends!”

The China Cat did not at first know where she was when Jeff pulled her out from beneath his blouse. It had been dark in there, but it was lighter in the kitchen, and this confused the toy animal. But when she had a chance to look around, held up high in the air as she was, she did not at all like her new home. And she was very much afraid that Jeff would let her fall.

But the colored boy did not. He set the China Cat on the table, right down in a little puddle of mola.s.ses that had been spilled when the table was set for breakfast.

”Oh, dear me, this is worse and worse!” thought the China Cat, as she felt the sticky stuff on her tail. ”I shall never get clean and white again now!”

As for Jeff and his brothers and sisters, they did not seem to mind a bit of mola.s.ses on the table. Indeed, one of the little colored girls put her finger in the sweet, sticky puddle, and then she put her finger in her mouth.

”Dat's good!” she murmured. ”Me 'ikes 'la.s.ses, me does!”

But the others were more interested in the China Cat. They stared at her with all their eyes, and Jeff's mother asked:

”Where yo' done say yo' got her?”

”At de fire,” Jeff explained. ”I heard de engines puffin' past early dis mawnin', an' I gits up an' goes out. Dere was a toy store on fire, an'

dey frowed a lot ob toys out in de street. Dere was Jumpin' Jacks, an'