CHAPTER III
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX BIRTHDAYS.
CHAPTER III.
THE THIRD BIRTHDAY.
Wuen Susy awoke on the morning of her third birthday, she said, "Now I am going to give mamma three kisses!'
So she crept softly out of bed and ran on her little bare feet to the door of the nursery where her mamma slept with Robbie, who was not very well.
She opened the door and peeped in, sisiling, and looking so lovely and so loving that her mamma wanted to snatch her up and kiss her.
She held out her arms, and Susy ran and climbed up the side of the bed and gave both mamma and Robbie a great many hugs and kisses.
And her mamma gave her three birthday kisses; one on her lips and one on each cheek.
Robbie was more than a year old now; he could not speak a word, and had not learned to walk yet.
But his little heart was brimful of love, and he put
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his arms around Susy's neck and patted her soft cheek, and seemed very glad to see her.
As soon as the children were washed and dressed it was time for breakfast.
Susy sat at the table with her papa and mamma, and was very happy.
After breakfast they all went up into the nursery together, and there they found upon the table, Noah's ark.
Some kind friend had sent it to Susy.
It was a famous little ark; and besides all sorts of beasts and birds, Susy found Mr. and Mrs. Noah and all their family inside.
This made her begin to dance up and down, and clap her hands; and when Robbie saw her do that, he laughed and clapped his hands too.
Susy sat down upon the floor and played with her ark a great while.
And while she played she talked to the beasts and the birds, and told them it was her birthday, and asked them if they didn't wish it was their birthday too.
And she told them every now and then, "Tm going to havea party! I'm going to have a party !"
After awhile, her mamma came and took Susy
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into her lap, and read to her a little story, and then she kissed Susy a great many times, and said God was very good to let her have such a darling child three years.
Just then there came a ring at the door, and there came into the nursery a great bundle wrapped in a linen napkin.
When Susy's mamma saw that it was something for her little girl she let her take out all the pins from the napkin, and pretty soon out rolled a baby—oh, a beautiful baby! with real shoes on its feet and a hat on its head, and a box full of dresses beside.
It was sent by the same lady who sent the first doll, about which I told you.
She thought Peggy must be worn out by this time.
The moment Susy saw this new baby she ran to find poor Peggy, which she thrust into Robbie's arms, saying, "There! you little darling! now you shall have a baby too!"
Robbie was very glad.
He took Peggy in his arms, with her feet up and head down, and began to pat her and say, " By, by! by, by!" which made Susy laugh.
But it was getting time for his nap, so Susy and her mamma left the nursery, and went downstairs to let papa
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX BIRTHDAYS.
see the birthday presents.
He was very glad to see them.
He took Susy on his knee while she showed him the ark, and all the dogs and cats and doves and ravens there were in it.
Then she let him peep at her new doll; and as soon as he had seen it and had been made to kiss it, Susy and her mamma went out to take a walk.
When they came in from their walk Robbie was awake, and Susy said it was time for he1 party to begin.
You will wonder who she expected to see at this party, so I must tell you at once that nobody had been invited but Robbie and all the dolls.
And a funny little party they made, I can tell you.
Susy set out her table, and a cup and saucer for each one; also a plate and spoon for each.
Then her mamma filled the little teapot with " milk-tea," as Susy called it, and gave her some sponge cakes and a few sugar-plums, and an orange nicely cut, and then they all sat down to the feast, Susy and her new doll on one side, and Robbie and Peggy and old black Dinah on the other.
Robbie was a dear little boy.
He did not pull the
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i Lg cups about or snatch the cake; he sat very still, and opened his mouth now and then when Susy offered him a little tea or a crumb of cake. The dollies, too, were very good.
They did not fall over upon their faces, as some ill-bred dollies do, nor slip down from their chairs, nor push each other.
'They sat as still as mice, and behaved far better than mice would have done.
Susy thought her party a very nice affair, and I think her papa and mamma did too, for I saw them peeping in at the nursery door, laughing and rejoicing.
Susy was a very busy little girl.
She was always at work upon something, as if she felt afraid she should not get out of each day all the fun there was in it.
So as soon as she had eaten up all there was on the table (with the help of mamma and nurse), she began to play again.
She made a great yard with a fence around it—the fence was made of blocks—and put her animals into the yard.
Her papa sat down on the floor and helped her make it, and showed her how to drive her cattle in.
Susy was delighted, and she said to them, " Now,
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beasts, I am going away, and you must be very good while I am gone.
Don't snatch each other's things away. Don't make each other cry !"
Then she made believe go out to walk, and when she came back she found they had all been very good indeed.
She said she should give them each a book, if they were always so good.
Shouldn't you think they might have laughed when she said that?
Well! they did not.
They looked just as they did before, and as if they did not hear a word she said.
Susy was so busy that she did not notice how dark it was growing.
Now every night when it began to grow dark her mamma used to take her in her lap and tell her stories and sing to her.
All at once it grew so dark that she could not see to play; then she remembered it was time to pick up her tays.
While she was doing this Robbie crept ahout, gathering up his, but he did not tauch hers.
When the toys had all been put nicely away nurse gave Robbie his supper and Susy went down to her mamma.
It was dark in the parlor, but the firelight made it pleasant.
Susy
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climbed into her usual place and said, " Please sing, mamma !"
"What shall I sing about? asked mamma.
Susy thought a little while, and at last she said:
" About a little kitty !"
Now her mamma did not know any verses about a little kitty, but she did not like to refuse Susy, so she began to sing:
Once there was a little kitty Whiter than snow; In a barn she used to frolic, Long time ago.
In the barn a little mousie Ran to and fro ; For she heard the kitty coming, Long time ago.
Two eyes had little kitty, Black as a sloe ; And they spied the little mousie, Long time ago.
Four paws had little kitty, Paws soft as dough, And they caught the little mousie, Long time ago.
LITTLE SUSY'S SIX BIRTHDAYS.
Nine teeth had little kitty, All in a row; And they bit the little mousie, Long time ago.
When the teeth bit little monsie, Little mouse cried "' Oh !"
But she got away from kitty, Long time ago.
Susy was just going to cry, when she heard that the little mousie was bitten, but her mamma made haste to comfort her by singing that mousie got away long ago.
She had to sing it a great many times after this, for Robbie soon was old enough to like to hear about kitties.
"Now, mamma, please tell me one story," said Susy, "about the little fly that hadn't any breakfast."
So her mamma told it to her, though I sup. pose Susy had heard it fifty times; and then there were some little hymns sung.
By this time Susy's supper was ready, and when she had eaten it she kissed her dear papa and mamma, and said her prayers, and went trotting up to bed.