t again and box it about between her paws.
This she did until the poor little Mamma mouse grew so tired it could
scarcely run away from Boots.
Boots would let it get almost to the hole in the wall before she would
catch it, for she knew it would not escape her.
As she watched the little mouse crawling towards the hole scarcely able
to move, Raggedy Ann could not keep the tears from her shoe-button eyes.
Finally as Boots started to spring after the little mouse again, Raggedy
Ann threw her rag arms around the kitten's neck. "Run, Mamma mouse!"
Raggedy Ann cried, as Boots whirled her over and over.
Uncle Clem ran and pushed the Mamma mouse into the hole and then she was
gone.
When Raggedy Ann took her arms from around Boots, the kitten was very
angry. She laid her ears back and scratched Raggedy Ann with her claws.
But Raggedy Ann only smiled--it did not hurt her a bit for Raggedy was
sewed together with a needle and thread and if that did not hurt, how
could the scratch of a kitten? Finally Boots felt ashamed of herself and
went over and lay down by the hole in the wall in hopes the mouse would
return, but the mouse never returned. Even then Mamma mouse was out in
the barn with her children, warning them to beware of kittens and cats.
Raggedy Ann and all the dolls then went to bed and Raggedy had just
dozed off to sleep when she felt something jump upon her bed. It was
Boots. She felt a warm little pink tongue caress her rag cheek. Raggedy
Ann smiled happily to herself, for Boots had curled up on top of Raggedy
Ann and was purring herself to sleep.
Then Raggedy Ann knew she had been forgiven for rescuing the Mamma mouse
and she smiled herself to sleep and dreamed happily of tomorrow.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
RAGGEDY ANN'S NEW SISTERS
Marcella was having a tea party up in the nursery when Daddy called to
her, so she left the dollies sitting around the tiny table and ran down
stairs carrying Raggedy Ann with her.
Mama, Daddy and a strange man were talking in the living room and Daddy
introduced Marcella to the stranger.
The stranger was a large man with kindly eyes and a cheery smile, as
pleasant as Raggedy Ann's.
He took Marcella upon his knee and ran his fingers through her curls as
he talked to Daddy and Mamma, so, of course, Raggedy Ann liked him from
the beginning. "I have two little girls," he told Marcella. "Their names
are Virginia and Doris, and one time when we were
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