The Black and White Kitty

Well, one nice afternoon when Freddie came home from school (he was six years old and in the first grade) his Father said to him, "This would be a good chance for you and Sister to go out and get some hickory nuts. This morning I was over by there, and I saw lots of nuts on the ground. You can pick a bag full in just a little while."

Now, Freddie knew what hickory nuts were and where the trees were because his Father had shown him. Of course he wanted to go. So he went and got Sister who was playing house on the side porch (she was just barely five so she didn't go to school yet.) Then they went in the kitchen and got two cloth bags from their Mother. She gave Sister a white one, sugar came in. Freddie had one of the kind they use for oranges sometimes.

"There" Mother said "Goodbye and don't stay too long because it gets dark early now."

It really wasn't far to the hickory trees. You could see them from the house. That's why Freddie's Father and Mother let them go because they could watch to see that they were all right.

Sister and Freddie went down the path, by the barn. And down the lane where the cows go to pasture. Down by the brook they crossed over the little bridge.

Of course they stopped a little while to see if there were any fish in the brook. But then they hurried over the wall into the old pasture where the hickory trees were.

When they were almost there they were so excited that they began to run. And sure enough all over the ground among the leaves were Hickory nuts! Lots of them! Big kind of white ones. And some had the husks sticking to them. My! how fast they worked!

"Look Freddie! how many I have" shouted Sister, holding up the bag for him to see. "I'm going to fill mine to the top," said Freddie. He didn't quite, because it was a big bag.

But he did get allot, so many the bag was heavy to carry.

They had so much fun they didn't notice it was almost supper time, until Sister got a little tired and Freddie said "It's time to go home."

Back they went over the wall and back across the brook and were starting up the lane when sister said, "look a funny white and black kitty!" Freddie looked, and there was a little animal like a cat . It was black and white on its back. It's tail was BIG and fluffy.

"It is not afraid at all," said Freddie. "Lets play with it," said Sister. Here kitty, kitty, kitty." "Maybe someone lost it," said Freddie. So both started to go and play with what they thought was a kitten. They were almost there when something happened.

The animal turned around and its fluffy tail lifted right over its back and---

Then Freddie and Sister smelled the most awful smell they had ever smelled in their lives---it was terrible! They choked and coughed, and began to run.

They ran and ran all the way up to the house. But the smell went too. It was on their clothes, and in their hair, all over them. They both began to cry.

Their Mother heard them and came to the door just as they came up the path--she smelled that awful smell.

"Both of you, stay outdoors" she said. Their Father came running "OH!" he said. He smelled it, "Take off your clothes" he told them. Then their Mother brought two big tubs and filled them with hot water. She put Sister in one and Freddie in the other. She brought soap and two brushes for them to scrub themselves with.

Mother helped Sister scrub. Father got a shovel and dug a hole. Then he picked Freddie's and Sister's clothes up with a stick and threw them in the hole and covered them up. Then he helped scrub Freddie.

Father told them all about the animal they thought was a kitten. Of course you know it was a Skunk. And he told them how skunks have little bags of awful smelling stuff near their tails and when someone comes near them or bothers them they squirt the stuff out and that drives people away.