"Hurrah, my hearties!" he shouted, and up he jumped, stood
on his furry head on the deck, and waved his pink pajamaed legs in the
air. "Now we can have our tea!" he cried.
The faces of the three children brightened at the pleasant thought of
tea, and when the tray arrived, carried by Towser, Ann asked if she
might pour.
"Paw away!" cried Prowler, grinning widely as he fixed his round
yellow eyes on a small covered dish that Toddles had just set before
him.
Ann lifted the cover of the tea-pot to peep inside but as she sniffed
the steam an expression of disgust wrinkled up her little nose.
"Ugh!" she cried, "it's catnip tea."
"Course it is," answered Prowler calmly. "Catnip tea and stewed
mouses' tails--an' I asks what could anybody want nicer?"
"Little girls that don't like what's put before 'em can go without.
Ever hear anything like that before?" asked Growler sweetly, and as he
spoke he reached over and took the covered dish away from Prowler and
helped himself to it largely.
"But we don't any of us like this kind of a tea!" cried Rudolf
angrily.
"Then all the more for us that does," said Prowler, and he snatched
the dish in his turn away from Growler and emptied all that was left
of it on his own plate. Since there was nothing else for the children
to do, they sat and watched the two mates eat, all of them feeling
decidedly cross, especially Peter.
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