Puss in Boots, Jr., and the Good Gray Horse Part 6

"Let's close the barn door," said Puss, before they started off for the house. "The little mouse may freeze if we leave it open."

It was a very big barn door that ran on little iron wheels, and it wasn't easy to move. "Pus.h.!.+" cried Puss, bracing his feet against the side of the barn.

"We can't push any harder," cried the three little kittens.

"Try again," said Puss. "Now, all together, heave ho, heave ho!" The big door began to move. "Pus.h.!.+" cried Puss. "It's beginning to move."

The three little kittens did their best, and pretty soon the little wheels went round and round, faster and faster, until all of a sudden the big door b.u.mped into the other end of the doorway, sending Puss, Junior, and the three little kittens head over heels into the snow.

HUNGRY KITTENS

"GOODNESS, what a b.u.mp!" cried the little black kitty, wiping the snow from his eyes.

"Gracious! what a b.u.mp!" said Puss, scrambling up from the ground. "I think I felt it more than the old barn door, for I was underneath, you see, and you were piled on top of me."

The three little kittens felt very sorry and commenced to brush the snowflakes from his fur coat. "There's snow in your boot legs," said the little gray kitten, standing on tiptoe and looking down Puss, Junior's, boots. "Don't you feel it? I should think it would make you s.h.i.+ver."

"I'll soon find out," said Puss, pulling them off and turning them upside down.

"Are they wet inside?" asked the tabby kitten, anxiously.

"Not very," said Puss, squinting up one eye and peering in.

"If they are," said the little black kitten, "mother will dry them for you at the fire."

Then:

The three little kittens put on their mittens, And soon ate up the pie.

"Oh, mother dear, we greatly fear That we have soiled our mittens."

While Puss was busy placing his boots before the kitchen stove the three little kittens seated themselves at the table.

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"Why don't you take off your mittens?" Puss asked. "I guess you're so hungry you can't wait," he added with a laugh.

It took but a short time for his boots to dry, for there was a big, blazing fire in the stove.

"Don't you want something to eat?" asked Mrs. Cat, coming over to Puss.

"You have very pretty boots," she continued, lifting up one and looking at it with much admiration.

"Yes, they are nice boots," said Puss, Junior. "They were made for my famous father, Puss in Boots. Mr. Solomon Grundy, who was born on a Monday, made them years ago for my father. And one day, it was only last week, when I stopped at his store, I saw a notice in his window that he had died on Sat.u.r.day and was buried on Sunday, and that was the end of Solomon Grundy."

"Too bad," said Mrs. Cat.

"When I went into the store," continued Puss, "Mrs. Grundy took them down from a shelf and sold them to me. Then she went across the street to ask an old friend where my father lived, but she couldn't find out--her friend didn't know or couldn't remember--so here I am, still searching for my daddy."

"Too bad," said Mrs. Cat again. "I'm really very sorry. But do not give up hope, for you will find him I am sure."

KITTENS WASH MITTENS

AFTER Mrs. Cat had powdered Puss, Junior's, toes so that they would slip easily into his boots she turned to see what the three little kittens were doing. They had just finished eating the pie. She had been so interested in hearing how Puss, Junior, had found his red-top boots that she hadn't heard them say:

"Oh, mother dear, we greatly fear That we have soiled our mittens."

"What!" exclaimed Mrs. Cat. "Soiled your mittens, you naughty kittens!"

Then they began to sigh, "Mi-ow, mi-ow, mi-ow."

Then they began to sigh, "Mi-ow, mi-ow, mi-ow."

"Take them off at once," cried Mrs. Cat.

"We will, mother," said the three little kittens.

"I can't imagine why you kept them on," said Mrs. Cat.

"We were so hungry we didn't have time to take them off," said the little black kitten.

"My fingers were so cold I thought I'd leave them on," cried the tabby kitten.

"I didn't think about anything," sobbed the little gray kitten. "I just looked at the pie, and then I forgot I had on mittens."

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Mrs. Cat stood with her front paws on her hips, looking first from one little kitten to another.

"Did you ever see anything like children?" she sighed, turning to Puss, Junior.

"My dear madam, forgive them this once. They were so excited over finding the pie that they lost their heads."

"It's a good thing they are tied on," said Mrs. Cat, with a laugh; "they might not be found as easily as the mittens."

The three little kittens looked very much ashamed. Then the little black kitten ran over to the washtubs and, jumping on a stool, turned the hot-water faucet. His mother handed him a big cake of soap, and in another minute the other two little kittens climbed up beside him.

"What are you going to do?" asked Mrs. Cat, with a sly wink at Puss, Junior.

"Never mind, mother, dear. Please don't look." And they commenced to scrub their mittens. And when they had them all covered with lather they dipped them into the water and squeezed them until the soapsuds looked like a snow drift, and after that they all reached down and pulled out the stopper, and when the soapy water was all gone they filled the tub again with nice, clean water and washed the mittens all over again. But, oh, dear me! the water was so deep that the little gray kitten wet her little pink sleeve.