"GID-AP!" said Puss, Junior. "Gid-ap, my good steed, for we must hasten
on. 'Tis yet a long ways we must journey ere I find my illustrious
father, Puss in Boots."
The Good Gray Horse quickened his pace, and soon many a mile was left
behind.
At length Puss saw a little girl in the doorway of a cottage.
Lucy Locket
Lost her pocket;
Kitty Fisher
Found it;
Nothing in it,
Nothing in it,
But the binding
Round it.
"Whoa!" cried Puss. "Can I help you, miss?"
"I'm so disappointed!" cried the little girl. "I thought there might be
a bright penny inside."
"Are you sure there isn't?" asked Puss, sympathetically. "Do you want a
penny very much?"
"Yes," replied the child.
"Well, here's one," replied Puss, thrusting his paw into his pocket and
bringing out a bright penny. Leaning down from his horse, he handed it
to the little maid.
"What are you going to buy with it?" he asked.
"Peppermint stick," she answered. "Peppermint stick with red rings all
around it."
[Illustration]
"That sounds pretty nice," said Puss. "Where's the candy shop?"
"Just over there," she replied, pointing to a small shop on the opposite
side of the street.
"Let's go in," suggested Puss, dismounting and tying his Good Gray
Horse to the hitching post.
The candy shop smelled very nice. Molasses candy in long yellow coils
lay in the glass cases. Sticks of pink-and-white peppermint candy stood
in big glass bowls with shiny glass stoppers. Chocolate drops were
ranged in long glass dishes. There were gumdrops and marshmallows, and
goodness knows what all. Puss thrust his paw deep into his pocket, for
he knew that one little penny wouldn't go very far in this candy shop.
"What other kind do you like?" he asked.
"Why don't you call me Kitty?" laughed the little maid. "My name is
Kitty Fisher."
Just then another little girl appeared.
"Hello, Lucy Locket!" cried Kitty.
"I've just lost my pocket," said Lucy. "Did you happen to find it?"
"Yes," replied Kitty, "but there was nothing in it. Just a ribbon round
it."
"That's 'cause I took out my penny," answered Lucy, "and I'm going to
spend it right here before I lose it."
Soon both little girls had eaten their peppermint-candy sticks. And
after Puss had given his Good Gray Horse a big lump of sugar he mounted
and rode away.