I03 



The boy's friends, lads like himself, were very 

 much interested in the bat and liked to feed it and 

 handle it. Sometimes they gave it flies and small 

 insects, sometimes fresh meat. 



Very few of the ladies who came to the house 

 liked Flitters, however. They seemed to be afraid 

 of the little bat. 



One day a friend of the boy's mother came to the 

 house. She had called for a roll of papers that had 

 been promised her. No one being at home, she 

 told the maid she would look in the library and see 

 if it were there. 



On the table lay a loose roll. " This must be the 

 one," said the lady. " I'll just see." She picked it 

 up and as she did so out slid Flitters, falling upon 

 the table. The bat had been taking a quiet nap 

 inside the tube of papers where it was dark. 



The lady screamed, she was so frightened, and 

 when the housemaid told her it was only a tame bat 

 she seemed quite angry that anyone should have 

 such a pet. She did not know how cunning Flitters 

 could be. 



The place Flitters liked best in the daytime was 

 the cloak closet. It was dark and still there, and 

 the bat found many fine places in which to nestle. 



