Puss in Boots, Jr., and the Good Gray Horse Part 7

PIE FOR MRS. MOUSE

THE three little kittens washed their mittens And hung them up to dry.

"Oh, mother dear, do you not hear That we have washed our mittens?"

Sure enough, all the mittens were washed and neatly hung on the clothesline. But the clothesline was so high that Puss had been forced to climb a stepladder. The kittens had stood below, their little paws full of clothespins, and every time Puss needed a pin one of them had climbed up and handed it to him.

"Washed your mittens! Oh, you're good kittens.

But I smell a rat close by.

Hus.h.!.+ Hus.h.!.+ mee-ow, mee-ow.

We smell a rat close by, Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!"

cried Mrs. Cat.

When Puss heard this he ran around the house. I guess he expected to find the "rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built."

But Mrs. Cat had made a mistake, for there was no rat to be seen.

Instead, there stood the little mouse who two or three stories ago had told the black kitty where to find their mittens.

"What do you want?" asked Puss, Junior, kindly.

"I think the three little kittens have forgotten their promise to give me three pieces of pie. I've been waiting in the barn all this time."

"Kittens!" cried Puss.

The three little kittens came tumbling around the house. But the little mouse ran behind a tree.

"Did you forget to save some pie crust for the little mouse and her two children?" asked Puss.

"Of course not!" replied the three kittens.

"I tucked a little piece under my plate," said the gray kitten.

"I put a little piece in the old clock," said the tabby kitten.

"And I put mine behind the big sh.e.l.l on the mantelpiece," cried the black kitty.

"Go and get them," said Puss, "for Mrs. Mouse can't be kept waiting; her babies out in the barn will be crying for her."

The three little kittens ran into the house, and pretty soon returned with the pie crust.

"We'll carry it out to the barn for you," they cried.

So the little mouse ran ahead, and when she was safe in the barn she waited until the kittens had placed the three little pieces of pie crust on the floor. As soon as they had gone the little mouse came out and carried the pie crust into her house.

SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE

SING a song of sixpence, A pocketful of rye, Four and twenty blackbirds Baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened The birds began to sing.

Wasn't that a dainty dish To set before the king?

Well, when little Puss, Junior, heard those blackbirds singing he halted before the castle and knocked on the gate.

"You must have a thousand canaries."

"Canaries nothing," replied the old retainer. "The King's twenty-four blackbirds are singing."

But, goodness, gracious me! all of a sudden something happened. And it was even worse than when the raven cried, "Croak!" and the farmer's mare fell down and broke her knee. For just then, while

The maid was in the garden Hanging out the clothes, Down came a blackbird And snapped off her nose.

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Perhaps he was angry because he hadn't been invited to sing for the King. I'm sure I don't know, but, anyway, he was a mighty mean bird, let me tell you.

"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" cried the poor maid, and she sat down on a garden bench and began to weep. Just then the four and twenty blackbirds jumped out of the pie and flew into the garden to look for that naughty bird.

But they couldn't find him. Oh, dear, no! He was far away by that time, maybe at the North Pole of Mother Goose Land, which they tell me is a frosted stick of sugar candy.

"Oh, what shall I do?" sobbed the maid, still holding her poor nose in her hands.

"You had better call in the doctor," suggested Puss.

"He lives a good two miles from here," said the old retainer, "and our telephone is out of order."

"I'll go fetch him," said Puss. "Dry your eyes, pretty maid!" And, jumping on his Good Gray Horse, he galloped away. And the four and twenty blackbirds flew after him so that in case the naughty blackbird came back to nip little Puss, Junior's, nose they would be there to protect him.

DOCTOR FOSTER

DOCTOR FOSTER went to Glo'ster In a shower of rain; He stepped in a puddle up to his middle, And never went there again.

Which was a mighty lucky thing, for, goodness knows, perhaps the poor maid never would have had her nose mended if Puss hadn't found the good doctor at home.

Well, as soon as he learned what was the matter, he jumped up behind Puss, and the Good Gray Horse kicked out his heels and galloped away, and the four and twenty blackbirds trailed after them, and pretty soon, not so very long, they came to the Blackbird-pie Castle. There sat the poor maid in the garden, still holding her nose in her hand.

"Let's see it," said the doctor, opening his little black bag and taking out medicine and bandages.

"I'm afraid it's half gone," sobbed the maid, "I don't want to look at it."

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"But I do," said the doctor. "Otherwise, how can I mend it?" And I guess he was right, for he was the most famous doctor in all Mother Goose Land. Well, as soon as she took away her hand he said: