e mice heard that the cat was coming, what a scampering there
was.

It did not take the whole family of mice long to find a home under a
big stone.

Sammy jumped off the wall and ran up into the pine tree.

The cat came along the path very slowly.

"Meow, meow!" she said to herself. "I must find something for
breakfast."

But she did not find the little mice. They were hiding away under the
big stone.

And she did not find Sammy. He was safe in the pine tree.

Of course she knew where the mice were hiding.

She saw them when they ran into the hole.

But the stone was too heavy for her to move.

She sat down beside the hole and waited and waited, but not one little
mouse put out his nose.

At last the cat grew tired of waiting, and walked back along the path
to the house.

She found a saucer of milk on the kitchen floor.

And the best of it was that it could not run away and hide like the
mice and squirrels.

A SUMMER SHOWER

I

"Rain, rain, rain!" called Robin Redbreast.

"Rain, rain, rain! I wish it would rain."

The pretty flowers heard the robin calling for rain.

They lifted up their heads and listened.

They were wishing it would rain, too. The ground was so dry they could
not find a drop of water to drink.

Mr. Green Frog wished it would rain.

The brook was almost dry, and he did not like that very well.

"Rain, rain, rain!" Robin Redbreast called again.

"Don't call for rain," said Bunny Rabbit. "I like to have the sun
shine all the time."

"So do I," said Sammy Red Squirrel. "I do not like to have it rain on
my fur coat."

"See how the flowers hang down their heads," said the robin.

"I am sure they would like to have a drink of fresh water."

"The flowers are sleepy," said Bunny. "That is why they hang their
heads."

"Quack, quack, quack!" said Mrs. Duck. "Come, children, we will go
down to the brook."

The duck and all the little ducks waddled across the road and into the
meadow.

Bunny saw them coming and hopped over to meet them.

"Good-morning, Mrs. Duck," he said. "Where are you going?"

"We are going to the brook to have a swim," said the duck. "Will you
come with us??

"No, no!" answered Bunny. "I can not swim. You did not teach me."

"Perhaps I could teach you this morning," said the duck. "There is not
much water in the brook to-day."

"I don't want to learn to swim," answered Bunny, and he hopped off to
find Bobtail.

But he cou