o tears, and
said that he hadn't meant anything at all by what he had said about the
story, and that some time, when they were all alone, Mr. Robin must
tell it to him again, and he would try to have sense enough to
understand it.

Then he ran over to Mr. Robin, and was going to embrace him and weep on
his shoulder, and would very likely have mashed him if Mr. Turtle hadn't
dragged him back to his seat and told him that he had done damage enough
to people's feelings without killing anybody, and the best thing he
could do now would be to go on with a story of his own if he had any.

But Mr. 'Possum said he was too sleepy now, so Mr. Dog sang the poem
which he had promised the evening before because, he said, singing would
be a nice thing to go to sleep on. Mr. Dog's song was called

THE CAT WHO WOULD BE KING

There was cat who kept a store,
With other cats for customers.
His milk and mice
All packed in ice
His catnip all in canisters.

[Illustration: AND SO THIS CAT GREW RICH AND FAT]

Fresh milk he furnished every day--
Two times a day and sometimes three--
And so this cat
Grew rich and fat
And proud as any cat could be.

But though so fat and rich he grew
He was not satisfied at all--
At last quoth he,
"A king I'll be
Of other cats both great and small."

[Illustration]

Then hied he to the tinner cat,
Who made for him a tinsel crown,
And on the street,
A king complete,
He soon went marching up and down.

[Illustration]

Now, many cats came out to see,
And some were filled with awe at him;
While some, alack,
Behind his back
Did laugh and point a paw at him.

Mice, milk, and catnip did he scorn;
He went to business less and less--
And everywhere
He wore an air
Of arrogance and haughtiness.

[Illustration: HIS CLERKS]

His clerks ate catnip all day long--
They spent much time in idle play;
They left the mice
From off the ice--
They trusted cats who could not pay.

While happy in his tin-shop crown
Each day the king went marching out,
Elate because
He thought he was
The kind of king you read about.

[Illustration: A SOLEMN LOOK WAS IN HIS FACE]

But lo, one day, he strolled too far,
And in a dim and dismal place
A cat he met,