only know of the breezes that blow; they swing back and forth when the
wind's from the north, the south, east or west--they are never at rest."
"More poetry from Mother Goose," sighed the weathercock. "If people must
talk, why do they want to rhyme it out? Let them talk in good old
prose. It suits me best."
Mother Goose evidently did not hear his remarks, for she was busily
feeding the gander. Puss was stretching his legs by walking along the
roof and watching some sparrows who were chirping under the eaves.
Presently she called Puss. "We are off again," she cried; "get aboard
the goose-ship!" When they were comfortably seated she turned to the
weathercock and said: "This evening the sun will gild your comb and
silver your wings just before he goes behind yonder western hill.
Good-by!"
The weathercock did not reply, and the gander did not wait, but flew
away with his two passengers safely sitting on his back.
TRIPPING WITH THE STARS
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky."
Puss repeated this little rhyme to himself as he looked at a lovely star
that shone in the heavens with a soft and silvery light.
"I always liked that little song," said Mother Goose. "I've heard it
time and again. Mothers always sing that to their babies just before
they go to sleep."
"Do they?" asked Puss. "Mine never did. She used to sing about little
mice and birds."
Mother Goose laughed heartily. "It all depends on whose little baby you
are," she said, "but I guess it all comes out all right in the end."
The gander said never a word. He was doubtless too busy propelling his
great wings and steering with his tail to pay much attention to what his
two passengers were saying.
I don't know whether there was a sign up like the ones they have in the
cars, "Don't talk to the motorman," or not. At any rate, the gander
observed the law, for he made no answer. On and on they went, through
the night. Past cloud and star, over river and valley, hill and dale,
swiftly and silently, for after these few remarks both Mother Goose and
Puss grew very sleepy.
It must have been well on toward morning before they awoke. Nestled on a
soft, feathery gander's back, with the wind singing lullabies as you
travel swiftly underneath the stars, is quite sufficient to keep any one
asleep. It was indeed a mighty fine cradle, and if the morning sun had
not poked his golden fingers into Puss, Jr.'s, eyes he might still have
been sound asleep.
"Mother Goose," he cried, touching the dear old lady gently on the
shoulder, "we are getting very near the earth. It's time for you to wake
up."
"To be sure it is," she replied, rubbing her eyes and arranging her
curls beneath her old peaked hat; "to be sure, and, dearie me! I believe
I have actually overslept!"
They were now close to the earth. The cocks were crowing lustily in the
barn-yards, and every now and then the bark of a dog, faint but clear,
would come to their ears.
"It's funny to look at a house from the outside in the early morning,"
said Puss. "I've always looked out from the inside."
"Of course you have, my dear little traveler," answered Mother Goose,
"but now that you are on your journey to find your famous father, Puss
in Boots, you will see many things very differently."
"Well," said the gander, for the first time speaking, "I'm a bit tired,
so I think I will alight near this old barn."
Puss was delighted, for he wanted once more to feel himself on earth.
PUSS FINDS ADVENTURE AT THE TOP OF JACK'S FAMOUS BEAN-STALK
The next morning as Puss, Jr., went journeying along he came in sight of
a modest little cottage, in the garden of which was growing an immense
bean-stalk, reaching up and up until its top was hidden in the clouds.
On approaching the front gate, a motherly-looking woman appeared in the
doorway and looked curiously at Puss.
"Good morning, ma'am," said he, lifting his cap politely.
"Good morning," she replied, at the same time wiping a tear from her
eyes. "Have you seen anything of my son Jack?"
"No, ma'am," answered Puss. "Has he not yet climbed down the
bean-stalk?"
"What!" exclaimed the good woman. "Do you mean to tell me he has climbed
up this giant bean-stalk?"
"Indeed he has," answered Puss, "and if you will permit me I will climb
up also. Maybe I shall find him near the top, or possibly entangled in
the vines."
The good woman gladly gave her consent and Puss sprang nimbly up the
vine-like ladder. Up and up he climbed until he was lost to sight amid
the white clouds in the sky. At last he reached the top, and, looking
about him curiously, wondered which way to turn. Suddenly he heard a
gentle cackling near at hand, and a small hen crawled out of a thicket
that lay to the right of the path.
"I'm tired to death laying golden eggs for that greedy giant,
"To lay every day
Is all work and no play,"
she continued, unconsciously making a little rhyme.
"But where is Jack?" asked Puss, after he had consoled her by saying
that there was much harder work in the world than laying golden eggs.
"Oh, he's up at the giant's house, hiding somewhere," she replied.
"Won't you show me the way?" said Puss, "for I have a message from his
mother to deliver to him."
"Come along; follow me," she cackled, and Puss walked by her side,
politely helping her over the rough places, as the path became steeper
and steeper. Near the top of the hill was the giant's house. But Puss
was not afraid and boldly followed the little hen through the great
doorway and presently found himself in the presence of the giant.
[Illustration: "GOOD MORNING, MA'AM," SAID HE, LIFTING HIS CAP
POLITELY]
"Come, chick," cried the giant, not noticing Puss. "Come, chick, and lay
me a gold egg!"
"I'm so tired to-day," she replied, "won't you let me off just for
once?"
"No, siree!" roared the giant. "Lay! lay!"
"How dare you be so cruel, Sir Giant!" roared Puss as loud as he could,
stepping forward and brandishing his staff.
"Heighty tighty!" laughed the giant, "on one condition will I let off
the little hen, and that is that you spend the night in my house and
tell me some of your adventures."
Puss, Jr., bowed low and graciously. He was able now to reward the
little hen for showing him the way, and as the guest of the giant, it
would be much easier to find Jack. Puss made up his mind toward midnight
to hunt over the entire house for him.
PUSS DISCOVERS WHERE JACK IS HIDING
Puss, Jr., found the giant a very agreeable host. Perhaps it was because
Puss told so many interesting stories of what he had seen and done since
leaving the garret.
"By the time you find your father," roared the giant, for even when he
whispered it sounded like thunder, "you will have traveled far and wide,
my dear friend."
They were seated in the giant's great living-room. A huge pipe was in
his mouth, the smoke from which rose in a cloud as big as that from a
factory chimney. Puss, Jr., was not the least bit dismayed, however, for
he was naturally a brave cat, and his many adventures had given him an
air of assurance as well as a liberal education. He sat opposite the
giant and recounted his adventures one after another, much to the
delight of his great host. All the while, however, Puss was scheming as
to the best way to discover Jack. He had made up his mind firmly that
after his long climb up the bean-stalk, and the fact that he had been
so lucky as to make a friend of the giant, he would allow nothing to
turn him aside.
Finally the giant fell sound asleep. Puss carefully opened the door and
tiptoed into the kitchen, where the giant's wife was washing up the
supper-dishes. As he entered he noticed that the oven door was open just
a crack. "My good woman," said Puss, "your husband is asleep, so I have
taken this opportunity to thank you for the very fine supper of which I
have just partaken."
The giant's wife started at the sound of his voice and immediately
walked over and stood in front of the oven as if to guard it from view.
"Ha, ha!" said Puss to himself. "I'll wager Jack is in the oven. I
wonder why the good woman mistrusts me.
"Madam," said Puss, "I'm in search of a little boy named Jack, and I
have a message from his mother for him. Jack of the wonderful
bean-stalk, and I am sure he is in yonder oven."
Puss, Jr., heard a scratching sound, then a creak, and in a moment Jack
stepped from behind the giant's wife, after carefully closing the oven
door.
"How do you do," said Jack, coming forward, "and what does mother want?"
"She is worried about you," replied Puss, Jr., "and asked me to tell
you, should I have the good fortune of meeting you, that she hoped you
would return home, for she is so lonely."
"That I will," answered Jack, "as soon as I have the opportunity." He
had hardly finished speaking when the heavy tread of the giant was
heard. Jack jumped back into the oven, while the giant's wife commenced
talking to Puss, Jr., as if nothing whatever had happened.
"Why did you leave me?" roared the giant, turning fiercely to Puss.
"Why did you fall asleep?" asked Puss. "Were my tales not of sufficient
interest to keep you awake?"
"They were," replied the giant, somewhat taken aback by the answer he
received. "I guess I have the habit of falling asleep after supper. It's
mighty difficult to break a habit."
"It is, indeed," said Puss. "I feel sleepy myself. Will you allow me not
to break my habit of going to bed early?"
The giant laughed long and loud. "Show him his room, mother," he said,
turning to his wife. So Puss said good night and followed her up-stairs,
having made up his mind to meet Jack at midnight.
PUSS AND JACK MAKE A BOLD RESCUE
It was midnight in the giant's house. Puss Jr., heard the great clock
strike twelve. Softly he tiptoed down the stairs, holding his boots in
one paw and his staff and cap in the other. When he reached the great
living-room he peeped cautiously in.
There sat the giant in the big arm-chair, fast asleep, the poor little
hen that laid the golden eggs lying on the table, not daring to move.
"How dare he break his word?" said Puss to himself. "He promised if I
told him stories last night that he would not make the little hen lay
her daily golden egg. Now he has gone and broken his promise."
The little hen moved uneasily and looked appealingly at Puss.
"What can I do?" he said to himself. Suddenly a bright idea came into
his head, and, turning toward the kitchen, he opened the door very
softly and peered in. To his great delight he saw Jack sound asleep in
the big rocking-chair that the giant's wife sat in during the few
moments of the day in which she was not hard at work. Puss, Jr.,
carefully set his boots down near the door and walked over to Jack.
Fearing he might let out a cry of surprise upon seeing him, Puss paused.
"How shall I waken him without startling him?" he asked himself. It was
indeed a problem. Should Jack give a scream the giant would wake and
rush in. Then all would be lost. It was a trying moment for Puss, Jr.
Suddenly an owl hooted outside. Jack slowly opened his eyes.
"'S-sh!" cautioned Puss, quietly, "be careful!"
"Don't worry," replied Jack in a whisper. "I've no desire to make the
acquaintance of the giant. He wouldn't care for my stories. He'd just
eat me up."
"That he would," said Puss. "He's no good, either. He broke his promise
to me last night," and then Puss told Jack how the giant had said he
would let the little hen off for once if Puss would tell some of his
adventures.
"And I spent all last evening telling him stories till I was tired out,"
concluded Puss, "and now he has kept that poor little hen by his side
all night long. She's in the great living-room on the table, not daring
to move. And the giant has the gold egg tightly grasped in his hand."
"Let's rescue the little hen," said Puss.
"How can we?" asked Jack.
"Why, just run off with her," replied Puss.
"Where to?" said Jack, for he was still rather sleepy and his mind was
not working as rapidly as Puss, Jr.'s.
"Take her home to your mother," whispered Puss. Together they crept into
the room where the giant still lay snoring. Jack carefully picked up the
little hen and started for the door. As he did so he knocked Puss,
Jr.'s, staff from his paw.
"Run!" cried Puss, as the giant opened his eyes. They fell upon Puss,
for Jack had disappeared down the bean-stalk.
"You have stolen my hen!" he roared.
Puss darted in another direction and the giant after him. Just then the
little owl, who had awakened Jack, flew near and called out:
"The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat."
And this is the way Puss, Jr., escaped from the wicked giant.
PUSS, JR., MEETS MR. ROWLEY FROG
The following day Puss, Jr., was trudging along near the edge of a
forest. The land was rather low and marshy, and the path was none too
dry. He gingerly picked his way, avoiding as well as possible the muddy
spots. Of a sudden his attention was arrested by a funny sight.
A few feet in front of him, as he rounded a curve in the path, was a
frog. On his head rested a large stove-pipe hat, much worn and
weather-beaten. A large cigar was in his mouth, on which he puffed away
vigorously, the clouds of smoke streaming out behind him like a long
gray feather.
"Hello, Mr. Rowley!" cried Puss.
The frog turned. Taking the cigar out of his mouth, he answered, "How do
you know my name?"
"Just a good guess of mine, perhaps," replied Puss. "But, anyway,
there's a famous Mr. Rowley in _Mother Goose_, so I took a chance."
"Well, I don't want you to try to stop me," said Rowley, "for I had
enough fuss when I left home. You see, my people didn't want me to go at
all."
"Then why did you?" asked Puss, who by this time had come up to the
frog.
"Because I was tired to death of the old pond," replied Rowley. "One has
got to see the world some time, and when one is young is the time and
not when one is old."
"Yes, 'every dog must have his day,'" quoted Puss.
"And every frog, too," answered Rowley, pushing his high hat down on his
head more securely and replacing the cigar between his lips.
"And where are you going?" asked Puss.
"A frog he would a-wooing go,
Heigh-ho! says Rowley.
Whether his mother would let him or no.
With a rowley powley, gammon and spinach,
Heigh-ho! says Anthony Rowley."
"Well, then, Anthony!" cried Puss, taking the frog by the arm, "let us
be comrades. For it is lonesome business, this traveling alone, and I
would have a good friend to talk to while we trudge along."
"But I already have a companion," answered Mr. Rowley. "Don't you
remember the second verse in _Mother Goose_?"
"Not exactly," replied Puss, Jr.
"Well, this is the way it goes," answered the frog. "It's describing me,
of course."
"So off he set with his opera hat,
Heigh-ho! says Rowley.
And on the road he met with a rat.
'Pray, Mr. Rat, will you go with me?'
Heigh-ho! says Rowley,
'Kind Mrs. Mousey for to see?'"
At that moment the rat jumped out of the bushes. "Don't be afraid," said
Puss, Jr.
"All right," replied the rat, "I sha'n't."
"Glad to have seen you both," said Puss, Jr. "I can't tarry long, for I
must continue my journey."
PUSS IS HEARTILY WELCOMED BY JACK THE JUMPER
It was near nightfall. Puss, Jr., was weary and footsore, for he had
traveled far. No one had given him a thing to eat all day, and he was
faint from want of food. Darkness was coming upon him and he looked
about him to find a place to sleep.
In the distance a little light caught his eye, and, hastening his steps
toward it, he soon came to a small cottage. Looking through the open
door, he was surprised to see resting on the floor a small brass
candlestick. It was the flame from this that had attracted his attention
and drawn his weary feet forward.
Jack be nimble,
Jack be quick,
And Jack jump over the candlestick.
Over the candlestick leaped a small boy, and with a laugh turned toward
the open door.
"Can _you_ jump over a lighted candlestick?" he asked.
"I never tried," said Puss, "but I guess I can."
"Don't singe your tail!" cried Jack, as Puss prepared himself for the
jump.
"Don't worry," replied Puss, Jr. "I think too much of my tail to spoil
one single little hair."
Gathering himself together, Puss jumped nimbly over the candle.
"Good for you!" cried the little boy.
"Oh, that's nothing," replied Puss. "I once belonged to a circus."
"You did?" cried the little boy. "Tell me about it."
"Well," said Puss, "there isn't much to tell. I was walking along one
day and came up to a big tent. A man asked me if I would not like to
join, and I said yes."
"What did you do?" asked the little boy.
"Oh, I rode a horse around the ring. I jumped through hoops covered with
tissue-paper, and I never slipped off. It was pretty good fun," sighed
Puss, Jr. "But, dear me, I'm so hungry! Can't you get me some milk?"
"Of course I can," replied the little boy; "you just sit down and see
that the candle doesn't blow out, and I'll run and tell mother." In a
few minutes he returned, followed by a motherly-looking woman.
"Why, it's Puss in Boots!" she said.
"No, madam," replied Puss; "but I'm his son, and have been these many
months trying to find my dear father."
"And you haven't found him yet?" said the good woman.
"No, not yet," replied our little hero, "but I hope to very soon."
"Well, you shall have a good supper," said the kind woman, "for my
little boy tells me you are hungry."
In a few minutes Puss was eating a hearty supper, and then he followed
the little boy up to his bedroom, where they both slept soundly all
night long after mother had blown out the light.
OLD KING COLE'S FIDDLERS ARE RATHER RUDE TO PUSS
Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
And he called for his pipe,
And he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.
And every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
"Tweedle dee, tweedle dee," said the fiddlers;
"Oh, there's none so rare as can compare,
With Old King Cole and his fiddlers three."
Cole Castle was a very magnificent one. Puss looked up at the great
walls and sighed. "I wish I would find my dear father here, but I
suppose I won't."
"No, you won't," cried a voice, and one of the three fiddlers poked his
head out of a window and laughed loud and long. "There are no cats in
this castle."
"No cats allowed here," cried the third fiddler, appearing at the
postern gate.
Puss, Jr., almost felt like crying. "Did you ever hear of Puss in
Boots?" he asked.
"Certainly," replied all three fiddlers at once, "but he doesn't live
here. No cats do. We make all the noise in this castle. You don't think
for a moment Old King Cole could stand any more noise, do you?"
"My father wouldn't make any noise," replied Puss, Jr., indignantly.
"I never heard of a cat that didn't," said one of the fiddlers.
"All cats make an awful noise at night," said another.
"They meow and cry like everything on the back fence," said the third
fiddler. "They make more noise than a fiddle, and a worse noise than a
fiddle out of tune."
"I don't like you," said Puss. "People who don't like cats are not to be
trusted."
"Ha, ha!" laughed all three fiddlers, "you're jealous of us!"
"Not the least," replied Puss, stoutly. "I'm not jealous at all. I'm
just indignant that you should make such a remark about my family."
"No harm meant," said the three fiddlers, "no harm meant, my good Sir
Cat."
"Very well, we won't argue the matter," said Puss, "for a traveler has
no time to argue if he would reach his journey's end. Time is precious,
and I must be on my way. Only let me tell you, I have heard many a
fiddle that made a worse noise than a cat," and with this parting remark
our little hero continued on his way.
THE MILLER OF THE DEE
"What a lovely old mill!" thought Puss, Jr. "Is that your 'hush-a-by
baby upon the tree-top'?" he asked the miller on entering the old mill.
"No, sir-ee!" answered the jolly miller, with a jolly laugh. "Haven't
you ever heard the song about me? This is the way it goes:
"There was a jolly miller once
Lived on the River Dee;
He worked and sang from morn till night,
No lark so blithe as he.
"And this the burden of his song
Forever used to be:
'I care for nobody! No, not I!
And nobody cares for me!'"
"Doesn't anybody care for you?" asked Puss. "It seems strange, for you
are so jolly."
[Illustration: "AREN'T WE GREAT FRIENDS?" ASKED THE MILLER]
"Well," answered the miller, "you see, it's this way: I am here all
alone all day; there's no room in the mill except for me and the sacks
of corn. It all belongs to me, even the old willow-tree. I let a little
woman who lives quite near here hang the cradle on the limb every
morning. As she goes to work in the village, she puts her baby in the
cradle and the wind rocks it to sleep until she comes back at noon. Then
she goes away again and comes back at evening and takes the cradle home
with her. The baby is very good; that is, it has been so far; but you
can never tell how long a baby will be good."
"That's true of every one," said Puss, with much gravity.
"If it ever starts crying--that is, a long crying spell, she'll have to
get another willow-tree or another baby. I can't be bothered with a
crying baby so close at hand."
"But you haven't answered my question yet," said Puss.
"Oh," replied the miller. "You mean because I care for nobody and nobody
cares for me."
"Yes; I don't quite understand it."
"Come inside and I'll explain it to you," said the miller.
Puss walked inside and sat down on a bag of flour. "All I do is to grind
corn for people," continued the miller, sitting down on a dusty stool.
"They bring their corn in to be ground and then they leave. When they
come back the corn is ready for them,--that is, the flour. They take it
away and I'm left all alone. So what do I do? Well, I make friends with
a little mouse and a big rat that live in the old mill." As he spoke
the little mouse ran out of her hole and sat down by the miller. "We are
great friends, aren't we, mousie?" he said.
The little mouse squeaked, "Yes, Mr. Miller."
Then the big rat came out and sat down by the miller, only on the other
side.
"Aren't we great friends?" asked the miller.
The rat said, "You are the best friend I have." At which the miller
smiled and Puss grinned.
"Animals make good friends," said the miller.
"Yes, indeed," replied Puss, "but rats and mice are so destructive. They
eat your corn."
"Not much," said the miller; "only a little bit."
"We only eat what we need," said the mouse and the rat in chorus.
PUSS, JR., RENDERS A MOTHER AID
Puss, Jr., was very much interested in the jolly miller and his two
small friends, the rat and the mouse. It seemed strange to Puss that a
miller should have two such friends as these. But when he thought it
over he saw there was much reason to the miller's words.
At the time the miller was talking the mouse and the rat kept a close
watch on Puss, Jr. They knew from experience, most likely, that cats are
not millers, and although Puss, Jr., with his boots and cap, his clothes
and staff, did not resemble an ordinary cat, at the same time he was a
cat. So the rat and the mouse kept at a safe distance.
"Tell your little friends," said Puss to the jolly miller, "that I won't
hurt a hair of them."
"Mousie," said the miller, leaning over and patting the little mouse,
"Sir Cat says he will not harm a hair of your tiny head."
"That's very kind of him," replied the little mouse in a squeaky voice.
The rat made the same answer when the miller patted him.
Just then the mother of the baby who was in the cradle on the tree-top
came by. She smiled at the miller, who took off his rusty, dusty cap.
"There she goes," he said to Puss. "She's going to take the cradle down
now. She'll take 'cradle, and baby, and all' home with her."
Puss stepped to the doorway to watch her. First she stood on tiptoe and
looked into the cradle. Then she smiled and leaned over and kissed the
baby, who began to crow and clap his hands. After she had kissed him
many times she lifted him out of the cradle and danced him up and down
on her knee. As she danced him gently up and down, she sang:
"Down in the village, all the day long,
Mother's been singing a sweet little song;
Just to herself she's been singing all day,
While baby's been rocking and rocking away:
'Hush-a-by, baby, upon the tree-top,
Mother is watching the tick-tocky clock;
Counting the minutes go by until she
Will be taking her baby boy down from the tree.'"
Then she laid the baby over her shoulder and, picking up the cradle,
started off for home.
"Let me carry the cradle for you," said Puss, Jr., running out of the
mill.
"That would be a great help," she replied, "for baby is getting very
heavy, and mother has been working hard all day."