was invisible to human eyes.
There was such a wailing and crying when the children found there was no breakfast. "We had no supper yesterday—and now no breakfast to-day!" they wept. "What is happening? This is simply horrid."
The butcher let them have some meat although it was Sunday. Mr. Jones got a cabbage from the garden, and Mrs. Jones borrowed some flour from a neighbour to make a batter pudding. Everything was put on to cook. The joint sizzled in the oven, and the cabbage boiled in its saucepan. The pudding browned nicely by the meat.
"Goodness! I've never been so hungry in all my life!" said Joan. "I do hope dinner will be early!"
But gracious me, when Mrs. Jones went into the garden for a moment, Pink-Whistle slipped indoors, whipped the meat out of the oven, took the cabbage out of the saucepan, and popped the pudding into a dish he carried. Then off he went again to the row of tumble¬down cottages. The people there really thought that they must have gone mad when a large, half-cooked joint appeared, a tender cabbage, and a big batter pudding!
"PLEASE DON'T PUNISH MY FAMILY ANY MORE," SAID THE TABBY CAT.
"I CAN'T BEAR IT."
But oh, the Jones family! What a way they were in! How they sobbed and cried, all except Mr. Jones, who pulled at his moustache and wondered what in the world could be happening. The tabby-cat sat and watched them.
"I'm so hungry," wept Joan. The tabby suddenly got up and went outside. She saw Pink-Whistle sitting on the wall and went up to him.
"Please, Mr. Pink-Whistle," she said, "don't punish my family any more. I can't bear it. They are all so hungry, and I know what it is to be hungry. I thought I would be pleased when I saw them getting as thin and miserable as I got when they were away. But I find that I am not pleased. I am only sorry."
"You are a good and kind little cat," said Pink-Whistle, jumping down from the wall. "I think you are right. We won't punish them any more. I will get them some food and speak a few words to them."
Pink-Whistle went to a tea-shop that was open and bought eight penny buns. He took them into the house and put the bag on the table. Everyone was most surprised to see the bag appear out of the air, because they couldn't see Pink-Whistle, of course.
"Look—what is it—how did it come—oh, who put that bag there?" cried the Jones family.
"I did!" said Pink-Whistle, making his voice very deep and solemn. "I am Pink-Whistle, your cat's good friend. You left her without food for two weeks—so I took away your food to make you feel what it was like to be hungry and not to have anything to eat. But your cat is sorry for you, and so I will not punish you any more. I have brought you something to eat. Look after your cat in future, or you will be VERY SORRY!"
There was a silence after this speech. It seemed to come out of the air, and was very strange to the Jones' family. They stood or sat, their eyes wide open, wondering who was speaking. Then they opened the bag. There were only eight penny buns there—but, dear me, how pleased everyone was to see them!
And you will be glad to know that each of the Jones' family felt ashamed of having left their poor cat without food or sleeping-place, and they gave her a bit of their buns. She is happy now, and always on the look-out for her good friend, Mr. Pink-Whistle. When she sees him coming she runs up to his legs, rubs against them, and purrs. And if he is invisible, it does look funny to see Tabby rubbing herself against nothing! You would laugh if you saw her!
CHAPTER V
MR. PINK-WHISTLE AND THE
BALLOON
THERE was once a little girl who loved balloons very much JL indeed. Her name was Susie, and whenever she went to a party, which was about once a year, she always hoped that she would be given a balloon, and sometimes she got her wish.
Now Susie very badly wanted a blue balloon. She had had a red one, and a yellow one, and a green one—but she had never had a blue one.
"I think blue balloons