Page 12 - The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Jr.

"Little kittens don't need Wee Willie Winkie, I guess," said the maid, tickling Puss, Jr.'s, head.

"Hush-a-bye, baby, lie still with thy daddy; Thy mammy has gone to the mill To get some meal to bake a
cake, So pray, my dear baby, lie still."

The lullaby made Puss, Jr., sleepy, for the man's voice was low and tender, and Puss was very tired.

In a sleepy voice he asked, "And has the mother gone to the mill to get the meal for the cake?"

"Indeed she has," replied the maid.

After this she went into the kitchen. Puss gazed about him for a while and then dropped off to sleep, hearing
the drowsy voice of the man up-stairs singing:

"Hush-a-bye, baby, lie still with thy daddy."

All was very quiet. "Tick-tock, tick-tock," said the big clock, and a mouse peeped out of his hole and laughed
to himself when he saw Puss fast asleep. He tiptoed over to the red-topped boots that had fallen off Puss, Jr.'s,
tired little feet, and even crawled inside. Perhaps he wanted to tell his father how brave he had been to go
inside a big cat's high-top boots while the owner snored close by. Presently he ran over to the hole in the wall.
I imagine it did not take him long to tell his story, for in a few minutes three little mice crept out and tiptoed
over to where Puss lay sleeping so soundly.

"Did you ever see any nicer boots than these?"

Mr. Mouse put on a very wise expression.

"They are certainly a very fine pair of boots," said he, "and they have the mark of a royal cobbler."

"Gracious me! how interesting!" cried Mrs. Mouse; "let me take a look." And she inspected Puss, Jr.'s,
footwear with much interest. "Beautifully made," she said. "This must be a royal cat, for otherwise why
should he have a royal cobbler?"

"I only hope he is not a royal mouser," replied Mr. Mouse, "and I think, now that we have seen all we have,
we had better return, for who knows when he may awake?"

So they scampered off, leaving Puss, Jr., still sound asleep.

PUSS, JR., MEETS THREE JOLLY WELSHMEN AND THE QUEEN OF HEARTS

As Puss, Jr., staff in hand, wandered down the green hills to the lowlands, he came to a sandy beach, and there
stood three jolly Welshmen looking toward the sea:

One said it was a ship, The other he said "Nay," The third one said it was a house With the chimney blown
away.

"It's nothing of the sort," cried Puss, Jr., jumping nimbly about, "it's nothing of the sort."

"Perhaps it's a submarine," suggested one of the three jolly Welshmen, walking over to inspect the little craft.

"Wrong again," tooted a little owl who was perched upon a tree close by.