his time was in
a corner of the room, where the sudden explosion had made me jump,
not daring to move, terrified with the thoughts of a second shock;
Sally continued crying; and George was doing, nobody could tell
what, for his face was so black, you could not tell whether he was
laughing or crying. The first thing Mrs. Dixon did, was to take
me up and put me in my cage; she then called a servant, and told
him to take me to Miss Cummins, with Sally's love, and beg her
to accept me. Sally then fell on her knees and begged I might
not be sent away, saying it was all George's fault, which George
confessed it was, and that he only did it for a piece of fun!
"Fun," cried Mrs. Dixon with astonishment, "and did you really
think it fun! to burn and frighten a poor little animal. I wonder
at you, indeed, George." She then left them, hoping George would
mind what she said. I was now more caressed by little Sally than
ever, who always took care to give me plenty of food, and when she
had any cake or any other nice thing, she always let me partake of
it. So that I lived very happily all the rest of the time I was at
her house, and most probably should have lived as long again as
I did, had it not been for her brother. He was to go to school,
in about three days time, so was determined to have one more
good piece of fun (as he called it) before he went. He procured
a squirt, and filled it full of ink; he then bored a hole in the
wainscot of the room where he was, quite through into the room
where I was. All things being prepared, he waited till his sister
came to let me out, which, as soon as she had done, he let off
the whole in my face; at least attempted to do it, for I believe
Sally and I were pretty equal sharers. A violent scream, more from
surprise than hurt, soon brought Mrs. Dixon, who, upon coming in
and seeing Sally and myself all over ink, and nobody else in the
room, could not conceive what had made us so; till, supposing it
was one of George's tricks, she ordered him to be called. George
came in trembling, but his mamma would not suffer him to speak,
and as his fare clearly showed his guilt, she ordered his things
to be packed up, and him to be sent to school the next day. George
then cried sadly, but his mamma said she had had so many proofs
of his disposition, that she would trust him no longer. She then
went out of the room, which George perceiving, snatched me out of
my cage, and most probably would have killed me