2018م - 1444هـ
The Little Thief in the Pantry

by Anonymous

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A Little Thief in the Pantry is in the collection A Christmas Hamper: A Volume of Pictures and Stories for Little Folks, published in 1889 by T. Nelson and Sons by various unattributed authors. It's a lesson about perspective, and a little girl's compassion for a mouse who learns the difference between stealing and giving. Most importantly, obey your mother!

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"MOTHER dear,” said a little mouse one day, “I think the people in our house must be very kind; don’t you? They leave such nice things for us in the larder.”

There was a twinkle in the mother’s eye as she replied,—

“Well, my child, no doubt they are very well in their way, but I don’t think they are quite as fond of us as you seem to think. Now remember, Greywhiskers, I have absolutely forbidden you to put your nose above the ground unless I am with you, for kind as the people are, I shouldn’t be at all surprised if they tried to catch you.”

Greywhiskers twitched his tail with scorn; he was quite sure he knew how to take care of himself, and he didn’t mean to trot meekly after his mother’s tail all his life. So as soon as she had curled herself up for an afternoon nap he stole away, and scampered across the pantry shelves.