Miss Tittens was gray, and Cuddle
was gray and white.

The first time Teddikins and I looked into the box where Maltie and her
kitties were, they were very, very little, and their eyes were not open.
The black kitty was lying on top of the others; and Teddikins put in his
little fat hand and picked her up. What do you suppose she did? She
said, "_Sptss!_" and she kept on saying, "_Sptss_" until Teddikins put
her down again; and so we called her Spitfire.

Just as soon as she could see out of her funny little gray eyes, she
began to try to get out of the box. She wanted to see what there was
outside, where Maltie went. She would climb up a little way, and then
tumble back on Miss Tittens and Cuddle, which would make them say,
"Mew," and make Teddikins laugh; but Spitfire always said, "_Sptss!_"
and would try again.

At last, one day we heard a thump; and we looked around, and there was
Spitfire on the floor. She had climbed to the top of the box, and
tumbled over the edge, and there she stood, with her tail straight in
the air, and her legs wide apart, looking at us, and saying, "_Sptss!_"

Maltie was very proud of her kitties, and used to take Cuddle and Miss
Tittens in her mouth, and carry them into the dining-room when we were
eating our breakfast, to show them to us. But Spitfire would not let her
mamma carry her. She would walk in all alone, tumbling over on her
little nose very often (for her legs were not yet strong), but carrying
her little black tail just as straight as little boys carry sticks when
they call them guns.

One morning, Teddikins put a saucer of milk on the floor and what do you
suppose that little Spitfire did? Why, she looked at it very hard, and
then she said, "_Sptss_," and walked right into the milk, and out the
other side of the saucer, with Tittens and Cuddle after her. The floor
was covered with the funny white prints of their little paws.

One day a mouse ran across the kitchen; and Cuddle and Tittens were very
much frightened; but Spitfire humped up her back, and made her tail very
big, and said "_Sptss!_" very hard, and then cantered off sideways
staring at the mouse, and saying, "_Sptss!_" all the time.

You know how kitties like to go to sleep, all cuddled up together. But
Spitfire would not lie down with the others: she always tried to get on
top of them.

When the little kitties were quite strong, they used to play a funny
sort of game. There was a round foot-stool, covered