Free The Aloe by Katherine Mansfield

down came the tomahawk and the duck’s head flew off the stump – up and up the blood spurted over the white feathers, over his hand – When the children saw it they were frightened no more – they crowded round him and began to scream – even Isabel leaped about and called out “The blood the blood” – Pip forgot all about his duck – He simply threw it away from him – and shouted “I saw it, I saw it” and jumped round the wood block –
    Rags with cheeks as white as paper ran up to the little head and put out a finger as if he meant to touch it then drew back again and again put out a finger. He was shivering all over. Even Lottie, frightened Lottie began to laugh and point at the duck and shout “Look Kezia look look look” – “Watch it” shouted Pat and he put down the white body and it began to waddle – with only a long spurt of blood where the head had been – it began to pad along dreadfully quiet towards the steep ledge that led to the stream – It was the crowning wonder. “Do you see that – do you see it?” yelled Pip and he ran among the little girls pulling at their pinafores – “It’s like an engine – it’s like a funny little darling engine –” squealed Isabel – But Kezia suddenly rushed at Pat and flung her arms round his legs and butted her head as hard as she could against his knees; “Put head back put head back” she screamed – When he stooped to move her she would not let go or take her head away – She held as hard as ever she could and sobbed “head back head back” – until it sounded like a loud, strange hiccough. “It’s stopped it’s tumbled over it’s dead” – said Pip. Pat dragged Kezia up into his arms. Her sunbonnet had fallen back but she would not let him look at her face. No she pressed her face into a bone in his shoulder and put her arms round his neck –
    The children stopped squealing as suddenly as they had begun – they stood round the dead duck. Rags was not frightened of the head any more. He knelt down and stroked it with his finger and said “I don’t think perhaps the head is quite dead yet. It’s warm Pip. Would it keep alive if I gave it something to drink –” But Pip got very cross and said – “Bah! you baby –” He whistled to Snooker and went off – and when Isabel went up to Lottie, Lottie snatched away. “What are you always touching me for Is a bel.”
    “There now” said Pat to Kezia “There’s the grand little girl” – She put up her hands and touched his ear. She felt something – Slowly she raised her quivering face and looked – Pat wore little round gold earrings. How very funny – She never knew men wore earrings. She was very much surprised! She quite forgot about the duck. “Do they come off and on,” she asked huskily?
    Alice in the Kitchen
    Up at the house in the warm, tidy kitchen Alice the servant girl had begun to get the afternoon tea ready – She was dressed. She had on a black cloth dress that smelt under the arms, a white apron so stiff that it rustled like paper to her every breath and movement – and a white muslin bow pinned on top of her head by two large pins – and her comfortable black felt slippers were changed for a pair of black leather ones that pinched the corn on her little toe “Somethink dreadful.” It was warm in the kitchen – A big blow fly buzzed round and round in a circle bumping against the ceiling – a curl of white steam came out of the spout of the black kettle and the lid kept up a rattling jig as the water bubbled – The kitchen clock ticked in the warm air slow and deliberate like the click of an old woman’s knitting needles and sometimes, for no reason at all, for there wasn’t any breeze outside the heavy Venetians swung out and back tapping against the windows. Alice was making water cress sanwitches. She had a plate of butter on the table before her and a big loaf called a “barracouta” and the cresses tumbled together in the white