Naughty Miss Bunny

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Naughty Miss Bunny, by Clara Mulholland

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Title: Naughty Miss Bunny A Story for Little Children
Author: Clara Mulholland
Release Date: November 21, 2006 [EBook #19889]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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NAUGHTY MISS BUNNY.
[Illustration: THE BUTLER SURPRISES BUNNY.]
NAUGHTY MISS BUNNY
A STORY FOR LITTLE CHILDREN.
BY
CLARA MULHOLLAND Author of "The Little Bog-trotters," &c.
[Illustration: Logo]
LONDON BLACKIE & SON, LIMITED, 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C. GLASGOW AND DUBLIN

CONTENTS.
Chap. Page
I. ONLY FOR FUN, 9
II. PLEASANT NEWS FOR BUNNY, 27
III. BUNNY GETS UP EARLY, 37
IV. BUNNY GETS A FRIGHT, 49
V. THE LITTLE INDIAN, 59
VI. BUNNY FORGETS AGAIN, 69
VII. IN MISS KERR'S ROOM, 83
VIII. BUNNY TRIES TO SHOW OFF, 99
IX. MISS KERR PROMISES A PRIZE, 125
X. ON OLIVER'S MOUNT, 138
XI. WAS IT CRUEL? 152
XII. THE FIREWORKS, 167
XIII. QUIET TIMES, 179
XIV. BUNNY'S IMPROVEMENT. HOME AGAIN, 185

ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page
THE BUTLER SURPRISES BUNNY, Frontispiece 19
BUNNY WELCOMES HER FATHER, 50
FRANCIS SAVES BUNNY, 115

[Illustration: Chapter decoration.]
NAUGHTY MISS BUNNY.
CHAPTER I.
ONLY FOR FUN.
"How nice!" cried Bunny. "Mama has sent for Miss Kerr, so I can do exactly as I like for a little while. I am very glad papa brought us up here, for it is so pretty and so cool, and these gardens are so lovely;" and she gazed about her at the garden and the lawn and then at the distant sea that lay just beyond them, sparkling and dancing in the sunshine. "If I had no governess," continued the little girl, "and no lessons, and no nasty nurse to say, 'Sit still, Miss Bunny,' and 'Don't make dirty your frock, Miss Bunny,' I think I should be jolly--yes, that's papa's word, jolly. But, oh dear, big people are so happy, for they can do what they like, but chindrel must do everything they are told." And quite forgetting her pretty white frock and dainty sash, and the many orders she had received not on any account to soil them, she lay back comfortably upon the grass.
Bunny, whose real name was Ethel Dashwood, was six years old, and was one of the spoilt "chindrel," as she called children. If she had had brothers and sisters, very likely Bunny would have been kept in better order, but as she was quite alone no one could bear to correct her, and so she became very hard to manage indeed. Her papa indulged her, and thought she could do nothing wrong, whilst her mama was so delicate that she was very seldom able to look after her little girl, and left her to the care of a kind-hearted, but foolish old nurse, who allowed her to have her own way in everything and never for an instant thought of finding fault with her.
This was all very well so long as Bunny was no more than a baby, but when she came to be six years old Mr. Dashwood suddenly found that her little girl was much too naughty, so she resolved to make a change in the nursery, that would, she hoped, have a good effect in every way. First of all old nurse was sent away, and a trim French maid, with a quick sharp manner, was engaged to take her place.
Bunny was sorry to part with nurse, who had always been kind to her, but Sophie was so amusing, spoke such funny English, and sang such merry songs that the little girl soon ceased to fret, and became quite pleased with her new maid.
The change of nurses Bunny bore in a quiet way that surprised everyone in the house; but when her mother told her that she had arranged with a young lady to come and live with them and be her governess, the little girl burst into a passion, and stamping her foot declared she would have no one to teach her, that she would say no lessons, and that her mama was very unkind to think of such a thing.
Mrs. Dashwood was greatly shocked, and unable to understand such naughtiness, rang the bell and ordered Sophie to take the child away, and Bunny was carried off weeping bitterly. But this fit of anger only made her mama more anxious to have some one to look after her daughter, and in a few days the governess arrived, and Bunny was set down to learn to read and write.
This was a great change for the neglected child, and had her teacher been a sensible person Bunny would doubtless have become a good little girl in