GRANDPA GROWLER AND THE THREE BEARS
Next morning early, Dot and Tot and Trot woke up crying,
“We’re good Little Kittens,
May we find our mittens?
Old Mother Kit-Cat, we’re coming down stairs,
We’re good Little Kittens,
We’ll go find our mittens,
If we may repair to the home of Three Bears.”
Old Mother Kit-Cat answered, “What do you know about Bears? You cannot
understand Bear Language.”
“Boo hoo, boo hoo,” cried the Three Little Kittens,
“Old Mother Kit-Cat we must find our mittens.”
Mother Kit-Cat looked at the Three Little Kittens over her spectacles
and The Little Old Man of the Fire said,
“To interrupt is quite absurd,
In Politeness Land, I’ve heard.”
The Three Little Kittens hung their heads and sat very still in their
three little rocking chairs by the fire.
At this very minute, “Rap-a-tap” was heard at the door. The door
opened, and in walked Grandpa Growler, the friendliest Bear in the
world.
The Three Little Kittens cried, “Oh Grandpa Growler have you some candy
for us? Oh Grandpa Growler have you come to tell us a story?”
He answered,
“Three Little Kittens all like to tease,
Come, let me get my breath, if you please.”
He sat down by the fire and growled and growled. He was a peculiar Bear
and always growled the loudest when he was happy. He was very happy now
warming his paws by the cheerful fire.
He was a sure enough Story Teller and he began in a sing-song kind of
way, “Once upon a time Three Little Kittens lost their mittens.”
[Illustration: THEY RAN THIS WAY AND THAT WAY, COOKING AND MAKING
COOKIES AND PIES]
“How did you know?” asked Dot.
“How did you know?” asked Tot.
Trot said, “Oh Grandpa, please go on with your story.”
Grandpa Growler growled again pleasantly and said,
“Three little Foxes are trying to fit on
Three little mittens from Three Little Kittens.”
“Didn’t they really, truly fit?” asked Dot and Tot.
Trot said as before, “Oh Grandpa, go on with your story, please.”
At this Grandpa Growler removed his spectacles and said,
“Three little Foxes I do declare,
Are just as shy as Three Little Bears,
The thing to you may seem quite funny,
They traded the mittens for milk and honey.”
The Three Little Kittens joined paws and whirled round singing,
“The Three Little Bears have our mittens ho, ho,
To their little wee house in the woods we must go.”
Grandpa Growler was always in a hurry to do things so he growled again
pleasantly saying,
“I will not wait a year and a day,
We’ll start away, and make no delay.”
Before the Three Little Kittens could say a word he had tucked Dot and
Tot in his overcoat pockets, and he tucked Trot in his market basket
and walked off in his funny flat-footed manner.
The Little Kittens felt safe but Dot and Tot whispered to each other,
“What if we should fall? What if we should meet the Bears in the woods?”
They went on and on until they came to the House of the Three Bears.
They could hear the Bears scolding about somebody eating their porridge
and sitting in their chairs.
[Illustration: “HURRAH, HURRAH FOR THREE LITTLE KITTENS”]
Grandpa Growler walked right in and said,
“Such a grumbling I never heard,
Three Little Bears, it’s quite absurd.”
Then he growled as loud as he could, and the Three Bears stopped their
noise.
All would have gone well I am sure, if the porridge had not smelled so
good.
All of a sudden the Three Little Kittens jumped on the table and began
to eat porridge as fast as they could.
“Ho, ho,” cried the Three Bears, “so we have more visitors.” They
thought the Three Little Kittens so cute they hugged them most too hard
but Grandpa Growler said,
“Make your best bow, you Three Little Kittens,
And ask, politely, for news of the mittens.”
“THE MITTENS!” shouted the Three Bears in one breath. Then they cried,
“The Three Little Foxes are very sly
They brought us the mittens only to try.”
“Didn’t they fit you?” asked Dot.
“Didn’t they fit you?” asked Tot.
“Where can they be now?” asked Trot.
The Three Bears said,
“You dear little Kittens, we gave up the mittens,
To three little Squirrels who live in the woods.”
“Squirrels,” said Dot and Tot.
“Curly-Tails,” said Trot.
They had a fine visit with the Three Bears and by and by went merrily
homeward in the moonlight.
Grandpa Growler swung a lighted lantern before them growling softly all
the time.
He was very fond of fish and kept saying under his breath, “I wish I
had some trout, I wish I had some salmon. I am so hungry I could eat
Three Little Kittens.”
The Three Little Kittens were not at all afraid for this was one of
Grandpa Growler’s jokes.
[Illustration: THE THREE LITTLE FOXES RAN AWAY AGAIN]
When they got home Old Mother Kit-Cat said,
“If I were a fairy to grant you a wish,
What would you like to eat better than fish?”
“FISH” roared Grandpa Growler so loudly that the roof nearly came off.
Old Mother Kit-Cat brought in a dish of fish for all and Grandpa
Growler said,
“If you’ll invite me I’d like to stay,
While the Three Little Kittens journey away,
For Three Little Squirrels are wearing the mittens,
That really belong to Three Little Kittens.”
“Squirrels,” said Dot and Tot.
“Curly-Tails,” said Trot.
They soon went merrily to bed.
All this time Three Little Foxes wearing three pairs of mittens were
dancing merrily in the moonlight.
The Little Old Man of the Fire sang,
“Oh Three Little Kittens, oh Three Little Kittens,
I fear me, the Foxes are wearing your mittens.”
“You mean squirrels,” said Dot and Tot sleepily.
“You mean Curly-Tails,” said Trot.
The Little Old Man of the Fire sang his song, but I don’t know what he
knew about the matter.