Aunt Judys Tales

Aunt Judy's Tales

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Aunt Judy's Tales, by Mrs Alfred
Gatty (#1 in our series by Mrs Alfred Gatty)
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Title: Aunt Judy's Tales
Author: Mrs Alfred Gatty
Release Date: February, 2004 [EBook #5074] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 14,
2002] [Most recently updated: April 14, 2002]
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, AUNT
JUDY'S TALES ***

Transcribed from the 1859 Bell and Daldy edition by David Price,
email [email protected] *** AUNT JUDY'S TALES

TO THE "LITTLE ONES" IN MANY HOMES, THIS VOLUME IS
DEDICATED. M. G.

Contents: The Little Victims Vegetables out of Place Cook Stories
Rabbits' Tails Out of the Way Nothing to do

THE LITTLE VICTIMS.

"Save our blessings, Master, save, From the blight of thankless eye."
Lyra Innocentium.
There is not a more charming sight in the domestic world, than that of
an elder girl in a large family, amusing what are called the LITTLE
ONES.
How could mamma have ventured upon that cosy nap in the arm-chair
by the fire, if she had been harassed by wondering what the children
were about? Whereas, as it was, she had overheard No. 8 begging the
one they all called "Aunt Judy," to come and tell them a story, and she
had beheld Aunt Judy's nod of consent; whereupon she had shut her
eyes, and composed herself to sleep quite complacently, under the
pleasant conviction that all things were sure to be in a state of peace
and security, so long as the children were listening to one of those
curious stories of Aunt Judy's, in which, with so much drollery and
amusement, there was sure to be mixed up some odd scraps of
information, or bits of good advice.
So, mamma being asleep on one side of the fire, and papa reading the
newspaper on the other, Aunt Judy and No. 8 noiselessly left the room,

and repaired to the large red-curtained dining-room, where the former
sat down to concoct her story, while the latter ran off to collect the little
ones together.
In less than five minutes' time there was a stream of noise along the
passage--a bursting open of the door, and a crowding round the fire, by
which Aunt Judy sat.
The "little ones" had arrived in full force and high expectation. We will
not venture to state their number. An order from Aunt Judy, that they
should take their seats quietly, was but imperfectly obeyed; and a
certain amount of hustling and grumbling ensued, which betrayed a
rather quarrelsome tendency.
At last, however, the large circle was formed, and the bright firelight
danced over sunny curls and eager faces. Aunt Judy glanced her eye
round the group; but whatever her opinion as an artist might have been
of its general beauty, she was by no means satisfied with the result of
her inspection.
"No. 6 and No. 7," cried she, "you are not fit to listen to a story at
present. You have come with dirty hands."
No. 6 frowned, and No. 7 broke out at once into a howl; he had washed
his hands ever so short a time ago, and had done nothing since but play
at knuckle-bones on the floor! Surely people needn't wash their hands
every ten minutes! It was very hard!
Aunt Judy had rather a logical turn of mind, so she set about
expounding to the "little ones" in general, and to Nos. 6 and 7 in
particular, that the proper time for washing people's hands was when
their hands were dirty; no matter how lately the operation had been
performed before. Such, at least, she said, was the custom in England,
and everyone ought to be proud of belonging to so clean and
respectable a country. She, therefore, insisted that Nos. 6 and 7 should