'MY INFANCY' 



31 



very rude to interrupt, just as I was going to tell 

 you something else, and I have a good mind not 

 to tell you at all now. 



Y^es, to be sure ! How very stupid of me, and 1 

 have been trying to get back to it for such a long 

 time. My birthday ! Let us make quite sure of 

 it this time. Say it over a lot of times, like twice 

 seven are seventeen, twice seven are seventeen — 

 birthday, birthday, borthday, brothday. Why, 

 broth was what the hounds had in the kennels 

 where I lived. A¥hat ? getting away from ' birth- 

 day ' again ! Drat that silly old birthday of mine ! 

 We always say * drat ' instead of ' bother.' It is so 

 like our own name tliat nobody thinks of stopping us. 

 Now I have got into three stories : that birthday, 

 those kennels, and ' bother.' Which will you have ? 

 The kennels won't take a minute ; but the birthday 

 ought to come first, as I had to be born before 1 

 could live in the kennels, don't you see ? I might 

 forget the kennels if I don't put them in now ; and 

 I will really promise, if you will remind me very 

 hard, to go straight on to the birthday afterwards. 

 The only way will be to go off with a great rush, 

 and then we are sure to keep straight. 



In the kennels, as you will insist on having that 

 story first, when I am wanting all the time to tell 



