Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building Part 40

[Ill.u.s.tration: "What you burying, a bone?"

"Nop, interning a muzzle."]

THE LITTLE GRAY KITTEN

BY MARY LAWRENCE TURNBULL

Once upon a time there was a little gray kitten, who had wandered far away from home. At first she liked all the strange sights she saw, but by and by she began to feel very homesick, and wished she was once more cuddled up with her brothers and sisters.

Now the only word this little gray kitten knew was "Mew, mew!" So when she was lonely she would say "Mew;" when she was hungry, "Mew;" when she was cold or tired, glad or sad, it was always "Mew." At home they knew what she meant when she said "Mew," but out in the wide, wide world, n.o.body seemed to know.

Wandering along the street, she came upon a little squirming earthworm.

"Mew," said she, meaning, "Where is my home?"

The earthworm, however, did not notice little gray kitten, but crawled away across the street.

Next, the little gray kitten met a b.u.t.terfly on the top of a dandelion.

"Mew," said the little gray kitten, meaning, "Can you tell me where my home is?" But the b.u.t.terfly did not say anything, and flew away.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "SHE CAME UPON A LITTLE EARTHWORM."]

[Ill.u.s.tration: "THE b.u.t.tERFLY FLEW AWAY."]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MISCHIEF FROM AN ENGRAVING OF THE PAINTING BY FRED MORGAN.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: "THEN SHE SPIED A ROBIN."]

[Ill.u.s.tration: "SOON SHE MET A BIG RED COW."]

The little gray kitten walked on, and then she spied a robin on a stone wall near-by. "Mew," said the little gray kitten, "Where is my home?"

But the robin, c.o.c.king his head on one side, answered, "Chirp, chirp,"

and then spreading his wings, flew away.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "RUNNING ALONG SHE CAME UP TO A BIG BLACK DOG."]

She felt very sad indeed, but running along she came up to a big black dog. "Mew, mew!" said the little gray kitten, "Oh, can you not tell me where my home is?"

But the big black dog shook his tail, and barked "Bow-wow, bow-wow-wow-wow!" so loudly that the little gray kitten ran away from him as fast as she could go.

The little gray kitten was very tired, but she still ran on, and soon met a big red cow. "Mew, mew-ew," said the little gray kitten, "Can you not tell me where my home is?"

[Ill.u.s.tration: "'OH, YOU DEAR FLUFFY GRAY BALL,' SAID THE LITTLE GIRL."]

The big red cow, however, hardly looking at the little kitten, stretched out her big head, and shouted, "Moo, moo-oo!" which so frightened the little gray kitten that she jumped over a fence and landed right in the middle of a flower-bed.

There she caught sight of a little girl running up to her, and with such a sweet smile on her face that the little gray kitten ran toward her and said once more, "Mew, do _you_ know where my home is?"

"Oh, you dear fluffy gray ball!" said the smiling little girl, catching the kitten up in her arms. "I'm going to take you right home to live with me."

The little girl was the only one who had understood, and the little gray kitten purred softly. She was happy for she had found a home.

p.u.s.s.y'S WHEELS

BY ANNIE W. McCULLOUGH

I wonder what you're thinking of, my darling little cat.

It may be meat, it may be cream, that makes you nice and fat; It may be all the fun you have in barn-loft warm and dry; It may be mice you try to catch as by their hole you lie.

Perhaps you think of trees to climb, with birds that sing up there, They always get away from you, although you creep with care.

Perhaps you think of warm, green gra.s.s, and basking in the sun, Or of your ball, that slides so fast as after it you run.

I hope you think of me, sometimes, because I love you well; I hope you love me back again, although you cannot tell; And how I know you're thinking (it's a secret that I've found), Is 'cause I hear, close to my ear, your thought-wheels going round.

THE SMALL GRAY MOUSE

BY NATHAN HASKELL DOLE

The small gray Mouse ran East And the small gray Mouse ran West And could not tell in the least Which way was best.

The small gray Mouse ran North And the small gray Mouse ran South And scurried back and forth To escape the Kitten's dreadful teeth-lined mouth!

But Kitty thought it precious fun To see the panting Mousie run, And when it almost got away Her furry paw upon its back would lay.

But Kitty grew too vain and sure; She thought she had the Mouse secure; She turned her head, she shut her eyes.

That was not wise, And ere she knew The gray Mouse up the chimney flew, Where dainty cats could not pursue.

So she had nothing else to do But miew--oo--oo--!

[Ill.u.s.tration: "YOU MAKE SO MUCH NOISE I CAN'T SLEEP!"

FROM THE PAINTING BY J. H. DOLPH.]

THE RABBIT, THE TURTLE, AND THE OWL

The little girl and the little boy stood in the corn-field near the hollow tree where the Owl lived. The corn was in shocks like wigwams, and the yellow pumpkins lay on the ground. The Turtle came up from the brook below the corn-field, and stuck his head out of his sh.e.l.l to watch. The Rabbit sat on the edge of the slope, with his ears sticking straight up, to listen.

The sleepy Owl stirred behind his knot-hole.

"Don't you think," said the little boy, "that the Rabbit--"

"And the Turtle--" said the little girl.

"And the Owl," went on the little boy, "should have a Thanksgiving dinner?"