Puss in Boots, Jr., and the Good Gray Horse Part 17

TOM, THE PIPER'S SON

"TOM was a piper's son, He learned to play when he was young; But all the tune that he could play Was 'Over the hills and far away.'"

"Well, it's a pretty fine tune," said Puss, Junior, to himself, as the strains from Tom's pipe came clear and sweet across the meadow. "I wish I could play as well." Again the music came down the breeze, clear and sweet, and pretty soon Tom came capering toward him, followed by a crowd of boys and girls.

"Heigh-ho!" laughed Puss. "Here they come, dancing away, as if they had nothing to do but play all the day long."

"Over the hills and far away!" piped Tom.

"Good morning!" cried Puss.

"Come and dance," said the piper's son, taking the pipe from his mouth; "come and have a merry dance. Make those red-topped booties prance."

"Then play a merry jig," answered Puss, catching up a small pig and waltzing him around at a giddy rate.

"Hold on!" cried the pig. "I'm getting dizzy."

"I won't let you fall," replied Puss, with a grin.

"Let go!" squeaked the pig. "I tell you I'm getting dizzy!"

"Well, why didn't you say 'let go' at first," laughed Puss. "You said, 'hold on.'"

By this time the poor pig was so out of breath that he rolled over on his side and lay quite still until a small boy said:

"Your tail is all twisted from dancing around and around."

"Nonsense!" replied the pig, sitting up. "Pigs' tails are always twisted. Dancing makes your head go around, but it doesn't curl your tail."

Then all of a sudden Tom commenced to play again.

"Oh, please don't!" cried the breathless pig. "I don't want to dance any more."

Tom with his pipe did play with such skill That those who heard him could never stand still; Whenever they heard him they began to dance-- Even pigs on their hind legs would after him prance.

And, goodness me! it was such wonderful music that even Puss couldn't keep still, but must needs dance with a little girl in a blue dress until Tom was out of breath and too tired to play any longer.

OLD DAME TROT

AS soon as Tom, the piper's son, stopped playing everybody sat down to rest, even the little pig who had been waltzing about on his hind legs.

He didn't try to run away. I guess he was too tired for that. Pretty soon he took out a yellow handkerchief and wiped the perspiration from his pink nose, and after that the little girl in blue asked Puss, Junior, where he had learned to dance.

"At Mademoiselle Feline's dancing school," replied Puss. "She taught twenty-one little kittens twice a week."

Just then, all of a sudden, Tom, the piper's son, jumped to his feet and started off, and before very long

He met Old Dame Trot with a basket of eggs; He used his pipe and she used her legs; She danced about till the eggs were all broke; She began to fret, but he laughed at the joke.

"I think it very mean of you to break an old lady's eggs," cried Puss.

"I'm sorry your eggs are broken," cried Tom to Old Dame Trot. "If you'll come with me I'll show you where there's a nest full of eggs; it's in the dry gra.s.s under the raspberry bushes in yonder meadow."

But the old lady had gone only a few steps when

Tom saw a cross fellow beating an a.s.s Heavy laden with pots, pans, dishes, and gla.s.s; He took out his pipe and played them a tune, And the jacka.s.s's load was lightened full soon.

"It serves that fellow right," cried Puss. "His donkey had too heavy a load."

And while the tin pans were flying about and clattering on the stones the old lady climbed over the fence.

"There goes the hen to her nest now!" shouted the children.

"I'll play her a tune and while she's dancing you pick up the eggs and give them to Old Dame Trot," cried Tom.

Of course as soon as the music commenced the little hen began to dance.

And when all the eggs were in the old lady's basket he stopped playing, but the little hen was so provoked that she went straight home to the barnyard.

BOBBY SHAFTO

AS Puss, Junior, rode along on his Good Gray Horse he pa.s.sed a pretty cottage near the roadway. And the roses that climbed over the front porch were so fragrant and the voice of the girl floating through the open window was so sweet that he stopped to listen.

"Bobby Shafto roams the skies With silver goggles on his eyes.

A lonely girl am I who sighs For pretty Bobby Shafto.

"Bobby Shafto's bright and fair, Very gay and debonair; He's the king of all the air, Bonny Bobby Shafto.

"His airs.h.i.+p is the fastest one That races with the golden sun, And when his azure voyage is done, Pretty Bobby Shafto.

"He's promised he will marry me, And then how happy I shall be; We two shall sail the starry sea, I and Bobby Shafto!"

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Pretty soon the owner of the lovely voice looked out of the window and when she saw Puss she asked him to come in and sit on the front porch while she went for some cream. So Puss tied his Good Gray Horse to the hitching post and, opening the little gate, sat down on the doorsteps.

After he had finished drinking the cream she asked him to tell her where he was going with his lovely red-topped boots and long feather plume. And would he take out his sword and show it to her? All this made him very proud, and of course he thought she was a lovely little girl.

Well, after a while they spied an airs.h.i.+p in the sky. Pretty soon it came nearer and nearer till finally it landed in a field close by. The little girl and Puss jumped up and ran as fast as they could across the road and through the fence.

Throwing her arms around Bobby Shafto, she cried, "He's the king of all the air."