see
your flowers are still in bed."

"Daffy and Down and Dilly are very lazy, I fear," laughed the farmer's
pretty daughter; "they'll never get to town to buy a new gown if they
don't hurry."

"I hope they won't meet any bad crows on their journey," replied Puss.

"And I hope they won't have any bumpety bumps!" said the farmer's pretty
daughter.

Just then the farmer came out of the barn leading Puss, Junior's, Good
Gray Horse.

"Good-by," said Puss. "I've had a pleasant visit." And off he rode. By
and by, after a while, he met an old crow walking along the top of the
fence. He wore a silk hat and carried a cane, but he couldn't lean on
it, for the fence rail was so narrow, you see.

"Hello!" said Puss, Junior. And, goodness me! that well-dressed crow
nearly lost his balance, he was so startled at Puss, Junior's voice.

Well, as soon as he had caught his breath, he said:

"I have just found a beautiful pearl necklace. Do you think it belongs
to the Queen of Hearts?"

[Illustration]

"I'm sure I don't know," answered Puss. "Suppose you come along with me
and maybe we'll find the owner."

So the silk-hatted old crow sat himself down behind Puss, and the Good
Gray Horse kicked out his heels, and away they went to the next village,
and when they reached there they stopped before the office of the Mother
Goose daily newspaper and asked the man who ran the "Lost and Found"
advertisements if he knew who had lost a beautiful pearl necklace of
twenty-three pearls and a little diamond clasp?

"Let me think," he said, scratching the top of his head, which was as
bald as a billiard ball. You see, he was a bald-headed eagle, although I
forgot to mention it before.

"You might inquire at a little green house about a mile down the road. A
little yellow hen lives there who once had a coral necklace." So Puss
said gid-ap to the Good Gray Horse and rode away, and by and by, after a
while, they came to the little green house. And when the old crow
knocked on the door it was opened by the little yellow hen herself.

"Have you lost a necklace of pearls?" he asked, politely doffing his
silk hat.

"Dearie me! Let me look," she answered, hopping back into her little
house. Pretty soon she came back with a little jewel case, which was as
empty as a Christmas stocking on the Fourth of July.

"Who could have taken it out?" she said.

So the honest old crow handed over the pearl necklace, and went inside
for a cup of tea, wh