Harry was not a cruel boy either; he never lashed his pony, beat his dog, pinched his sister, or killed any butterflies, though he often chased them for fun, and one day he even defended a wasp, at the risk of being stung, when Mrs. Crabtree intended to kill it. "Nasty, useless vermin!" said she angrily, "What business have they in the world! coming into other people's houses, with nothing to do! They sting and torment every body! Bees are very different, for they make honey." "And wasps make jelly!" said Harry resolutely, while he opened the window, and shook the happy wasp out of his pocket handkerchief. Mrs. Crabtree allowed no pets of any description in her territories, and ordered the children to be happy without any such nonsense. When Laura's canary-bird escaped one unlucky day out of its cage, Mrs. Crabtree was strongly suspected by Major Graham, of having secretly opened the door, as she had long declared war upon bulfinches, white mice, parrots, kittens, dogs, bantams, and gold fish, observing that animals only made a noise and soiled the house, therefore every creature should remain in its own home, "birds in the air, fish in the sea, and beasts in the desert." She seemed always watching in hopes Harry and Laura might do something that they ought to be punished for; and Mrs. Crabtree certainly had more ears than other people, or slept with one eye open, as, whatever might be done, night or day, she overheard the lowest whisper of mischief, and appeared able to see what was going on in the dark. When Harry was a very little boy, he sometimes put himself in the corner, after doing wrong, apparently quite sensible that he deserved to be punished, and once, after being terribly scolded by Mrs. Crabtree, he drew in his stool beside her chair, with a funny penitent face, twirling his thumbs over and over each other, and saying, "Now, Mrs. Crabtree! look what a good boy I am going to be!" "You a good boy!" replied she contemptuously: "No! no! the world will be turned into a cream-cheese first!"