AS I told you in the last story, the Fox promised to help Puss and
pretty soon he led him out of the little log house and through a thick
undergrowth of young timber until they came to a river. "Now, the
robbers will never think for a moment that you would travel by water,"
said the Fox with a grin. "Here is a little boat," and he pushed aside
the bushes behind which lay a rowboat with a pair of oars.
As Puss got in, the Fox gave him some parting directions. "Follow the
stream until you come to a lake. Then leave your boat and follow the
right bank until you come to a bridge. After that you will find the
highway which will take you to the castle of my Lord of Carabas, where
your famous father, Puss in Boots, lives."
"Thank you, my good friend," cried our little hero, pushing off from the
shore, and in a few minutes he was gliding down the stream.
"Heigh-ho!" he sighed. "This is a new way to travel, but I have had
many experiences, so why not a rowboat instead of a gander or an
automobile," and he bent to his rowing and by and by he came to a bend
in the river, and as it was late in the afternoon, he decided to land
and camp for the night. But no sooner had he landed on the bank than a
large turtle came up to him and said:
"This is Turtle Island. No one is allowed to land unless he has a
permit." Of course, little Puss, Junior, didn't have one, but after a
moment's reflection, he said:
"I am about to visit my father, the famous Puss in Boots, and if I
cannot remain here for the night, I may have an accident on the river.
Please let me stay."
"Very well," said the Turtle, scratching his head, "you may remain on my
island," and then he crawled away to his own house on the hill, which
Puss could see in the distance. I think the Turtle was a disagreeable
sort of person not to have asked our little traveler to spend the night
with him, but then, you know, there are some disagreeable people even in
New Mother Goose Country, and the Turtle was one of them.
The next morning, bright and early, Puss, Junior, got up and cooked his
breakfast, and then he jumped into his rowboat and started off and by
and by, as he was gliding along, a big fish came up to the surface and
said, "Helloa, there!" At first Puss was startled, for he didn't see the
fish, but as soon as he did, he replied:
"Don't get in my way! I might push my oar in your eye." This made the
fish laugh so hard that he cried, and after that he laughed some more,
only he didn't cry that time. "Where are you going?" he asked.
"To the castle of my Lord of Carabas," replied Puss.
"A long journey, my brave little cat," said the fish, "but keep up a
brave heart. You are already more than half way across New Mother Goose
Country."