From The Wish Fairy of the Sunshine and Shadow Forest by Alice Ross Colver; Henry Altemus Company, Philadelphia, 1919; pp. 29-34.
NOT long ago after Miss Canary Bird had been caught by the man, Mr. Bow-wow and Miss Pussy Foot decided to go hunt for her, and see if they could find out whether she was happy and well.
So they, too, walked for seven days and seven nights to the outsidest edge of the Sunshine and Shadow Forest, and they, too, were warned by the horses to go back. But they were curious, too, at the queer sight of the two-legged thing, and they followed, sniffing at his heels, until he led them into his house.
Of course, then, they were prisoners like Miss Canary Bird, but they didn’t mind. In the first place, they had Miss Canary Bird 30 and each other for company. In the second place, they were allowed to go out in a great big fenced-in yard to play; and in the third place, the wife gave them good, good things to eat — milk and bones especially.
At first everybody was happy. But by-and-by trouble came. This was how it happened.
The wife used to put just one saucer, or plate down on the hearth for Mr. Bow-wow and Miss Pussy Foot, because she saw how friendly they were, and how nicely they took turns eating and dividing the food. And, besides, it left her only one dish to wash instead of two.
But by-and-by Mr. Bow-wow grew piggy. He was the biggest and sometimes the hungriest, and the minute he heard Miss Pussy Foot’s sharp claws clicking across the hearth he’d hop up and race 31
to the plate and gobble almost everything before Miss Pussy Foot had a chance to get anything to eat. Because, you know, Miss Pussy Foot was a lady, and didn’t like to gobble. She liked to eat daintily and slowly, and not rush into her plate.
Poor Miss Pussy Foot was very polite, and she didn’t scold much, but she grew thinner and thinner, because she wasn’t getting enough to eat. The wife noticed that, but she didn’t see what the trouble was, and Miss Pussy Foot couldn’t make her understand.
At last, one day, when Miss Pussy Foot clicked across the hearth, and Mr. Bow-wow opened his sleepy eyes and made a dash for the plate and gobbled up everything in sight quick-as-scat, poor Miss Pussy Foot sat down, and sighed.
“Oh, dear,” she said, softly, “If only my claws wouldn’t click! If 33 I could walk without my claws clicking, then I could get there first.”
Did I tell you that in those long ago days Miss Pussy Foot’s claws rattled when she walked, because she had no soft pads on her feet as she has now?
Little Miss Wish Fairy had been waiting to hear Miss Pussy Foot make that wish. She clapped her hands together and then waved her wand and said:
Miss Pussy Foot heard, and she wondered how that could be. But she waited patiently until supper time came. Then, as usual, Mr. Bow-wow was dozing on the hearth, and Miss Pussy Foot saw the wife bring the saucer full of 34 milk. Miss Pussy Foot got up and walked across the hearth to the saucer.
What do you think? Soft cushion-pads had grown on her feet during the afternoon, and her claws were sunk away back in them, and she walked so softly that Mr. Bow-wow never woke up till she was licking the plate.
Well, sir, that taught Mr. Bow-wow a lesson. He decided to give Miss Pussy Foot half of everything after that, and there was never any more trouble.