The little group around the fire was very quiet. Dormouse Dodo went off into his usual soporific state. Judy was knitting rapidly, and the click of her needles was all that broke the stillness. Judy always declared she did not mind knitting if she could just make her needles click. Molly was too tired to knit, too tired to do anything. If only she had settled matters with her first born! Her conscience told her it must be done and done soon. If only something would happen to keep her from having to do it, whatever it was to be. She actually prayed for strength to take the matter up and also that she would not have to take it up.
Suddenly on the twilight calm of the library there arose a broken-hearted wail! Mildred had broken out into an abandon of grief. Her wails rent the air.
"Gee whilikins! I thought the Germans had come," exclaimed Kent, jumping to his feet.
"My darling, what is it?" asked Mrs. Brown as Mildred clutched her around the neck.
"Oh, Granny, Granny! My muvver hates me!"
"Oh, Molly! What have you done to this angel?" asked the grandmother almost sternly.
"That's jes' it! She ain't done nuffin! That shows she hates me. Kizzie done say, 'Who de Lord loveneth he chases,' an' I done did the wussest thing I could do an' my muvver she ain't so much as said: 'Why, Mildred!' I wants to git spanked! I wants to git spanked!"
"Why, darling, what have you done?" asked Mrs. Brown, trying to control her risibles.
"I done shave-pated, number-eighted my little Haythen friend. Kizzie called Cho-Cho:
"'Shave pate, number eight Hit yo' haid aginst the gate.'
"It sho did hurt Cho-Cho's feelings. And Cho-Cho, she slish-slashed my hair off so's I'd look cute. Nobody ain't told us we look cute--and nobody ain't spanked us nor nothin'--and nobody don't love us." This tirade came out between sobs.
Kent and Judy roared with laughter but Molly and her mother tried to look sad and mournful.
"Molly, I'm astonished! Why don't you spank your kid? I never heard of such an inhuman parent," teased Kent.
Molly was very happy indeed. The miracle had come! Her prayer was answered. She did not have to punish Mildred. Mildred was punished.
"You wouldn't have treated yo' dear little children so mean, would you, Granny?"