As da ladykits bed down da kitlins fur da nite, an get der ownselfs weady fur shleep, da menkits gaffer by da fire. " Tare, Sly, Vester an Cuddles, yu take da furst watch, "Capt. Larry meows. Riley, Tarrigo, CV an Grizz, yu takes da second. Da resht uf yu get sum shleep."
Offur by one uf da wagons da yungur gurls whispur togeffur, makin pwans fur tomorrows shopping. "OOOOOOOOOh, " Willow meows, "I shure hope da general stwore gots some candy, an I wants a noo ribbon fur my neck. Dis one ish weally worn owt."
Dey whispur a bit more an one by one dwift off to shleep..
Oreo wakes urlee an stwarts a fire for bweakfasht. She goes to da water barrel an fwills hur buckit. Pwetty shoon da awoma uf coffee an bacon wafts along in da urlee morning bweeze. By ones an twos da twafulers drift offur to da cookfire, fwilling pwates wit bacon an porridge an cups wit stwong coffee.
When bweakfasht ish done, da ladykits get ready fur der venture into da gweat city uf St. Louie. It been some weeks shince dey haff been in a weal town and der ish much xsitement amongst dem. When effery ish weady dey stwart off in a gwoup, meowing merrily. When dey ariffe at da main stweet dey bweak into smaller gwoups, each wit a list uf da fings dey wish to purrchase. Willow an da uffur yunggirlkits head furst to da candymakers shop. Dey gaze in aw at awl da sweet things on dishplay. "Doodness," Jojo meows. "I dont nose which to pick." "No pwoblum fur me," Willow weplies. "I want one uf efferyfing." "Willow, yu gonna be big as a house iffun yu eat dat much candy. How yu gonna keep up wit Timmy den?" "Jojo Snowtakit, yu gots no room to meow. I see yu wit da cookies in yur pockit," Willow giggles.
Dey make der choices an pay fur dem, den head off to find a shop dat sells wibbons. "Oh, wook at dat dwess in da winnow. Ishnt it bootifwul? " meows Willow as dey pass by a seamstwess shop. "I shure wish I cood sew wike dat." Dey wandur on an finawy stop at a shop selling notions. Each gurlkit picks owt a noo wibbon an dey wander on again.
"I gots an idea," meows Willow. "Lets go peek in da saloon, Mama Oreo woont neffur let me go back home, dis owr chance." "Okay, shounds wike fun!" Dey skampur off in da diwekshun uf da neerest saloon an sthop at da door. "Wow," Jojo meows , "it shure ish cwouded fur sho urlee in da day. Hey, wook at dat ladykit offur der wit Tare, do yu fink she a hussy?" "I bet she ish," meows Bambam. "An wook offur der, der anuffur one." "Well , Tare bettur be carefwul, iffun Aunty Franci catches him he gonna wish he were sumpwace elsh fur shure!" Willow meows. "Wunner wat dey doing." Da gurls continue to sthand in da doorway watchin da cwoud in da saloon until dey heer a voice behind dem. "Wat yu gurlkits think yur doing hangin round here?"
Da gurls whirl around. "Aunty Franci, ummmm ahhh, well." "Get away fwum der rite now! Dats no pwace fur desent yung gurl kits. Dats no pwace fur any desent gurl kits, fur dat matter. Now come on, lets go. Yu can hewlp me cawwy dis stuff."
"Yesh, maam," da gurls meow ash dey takes Franci's packages.
As da gurls stwart off down da stweet, Franci gwances into da saloon. She stares aghast at da scene befur hur. Den she shofes opun da swingin doors an marches in, stwait towards Tare. "Antares Meowzer, wat yu up to wit dat floozy? Yu gets away fwum hur rite now!" Tare jumps awmosht owt uf his furs at da sound uf his wifeykits voice. "Franci, dawrling, wat yu doing here? Um, I wasn't doin nuffin, jusht haffin a meow wit dis yung ladykit...she was offuring to teach me how to danse, an I was splaining I gots four left paws." "Yur lucky Mamma Shortys parasol ish packed up back in da wagon," Franci meows. "Yu sposed to be fixin dat fwat wheel an heer yu ish tomfoolin awound wit dat hussy an dwinkin sassparilla. Now yu come on,yu gots wurk to do. Sheesh, furst I finds da gurls hangin round owtside da door, an now yu in heer. I not nose wat da wurld coming too."
Wit dat, Franci twurns awound an stwarts owt da door wit Tare fowwowing behind hur. He gwances offur at a tabul in da cornur as he goes an sees Capt. Larry an Capt. CV sitting der chuckling ....
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