Early Recollections ig 
she would twist and toss and sway before our eyes 
in the most tantalizing fashion. Of course, we 
would all take our turn at trying to catch it, but the 
minute we thought we had a good hold, the first 
thing we knew the tail would be over on the other 
side ; and then by the time we got over there, it 
would be back where it was before. Many times, 
when, after long chasing, I finally caught hold of the 
elusive member, and while holding on to it with all 
my might, I could feel it slipping and sliding through 
my claws, and before I knew it had gone from me, 
I would see her proudly waving it in the air again. 
One morning, when my mother had gone away 
as usual, I saw some children at play on the side- 
walk, and I thought how nice it would be to be with 
them. It was very naughty for me to think of such 
a thing, because we had been told never to go out- 
side the yard ; and as neither Trix nor Nora would 
go with me, I went alone. 
As soon as I reached the sidewalk, a big black 
dog came across the street and barked at me. I 
started to run back through the gate, but it had 
closed, and I hadn’t time to look for a hole to 
crawl through. So I ran down the sidewalk, trem- 
bling with fright. 
