come with me I'll show you where there's a nest full of eggs; it's in
the dry grass 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 ass
Heavy laden with pots, pans, dishes, and glass;
He took out his pipe and played them a tune,
And the jackass'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 passed 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 airship 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!"

[Illustration]

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,