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"So you're going to make a call on Mrs. Mousey," said Puss, as he and Mr. Rowley Frog and the rat reached the dusty highway.

"Yes, sir-ee," replied Mr. Rowley Frog. "She lives just over there." And when Puss looked across the meadow he saw a cute little house.

"Looks like a pretty nice little place," said the rat; "let's hurry along." So all three started off on a run.

When they came to the door of Mousey's hall, Heigh-ho, says Rowley.

They gave a loud knock, and they gave a loud call.

Pray, Mrs. Mouse, are you within?

Heigh-ho, says Rowley!

Oh, yes, kind sirs, I'm sitting to spin.

"I guess she's too busy," said Puss. "We'd better not interrupt her."

"Nonsense," replied Mr. Rowley Frog, bowing to Mrs. Mousey, who happened just then to look out of her little window. Then Mr. Rat took off his cap and said:

"Pray, Mrs. Mouse, will you give us some beer?"

Heigh-ho, says Rowley.

"For Froggy and I are fond of good cheer."

"Indeed, I will not," said Mrs. Mousey. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself! And as for Mr. Anthony Rowley, he must throw away that horrid cigar if he wants to call on me."

Well, goodness gracious! Didn't Mr. Rowley look ashamed! He threw his cigar away at once, and Mr. Rat hid behind Puss, he was so embarra.s.sed, and as soon as Mrs. Mousey saw that they were both truly sorry for what they had done, she smiled and said:

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"Pray, Mr. Frog, will you give us a song?"

Heigh-ho, says Rowley.

"But let it be something that's not very long."

"Indeed, Mrs. Mouse," replied the Frog, Heigh-ho, says Rowley.

"I've caught quite a cold, for it's damp in the bog."

"Since you have caught cold, Mr. Frog," Mousey said, Heigh-ho, says Rowley.

"I'll sing you a song that I have just made."

But first she opened the door and invited them in. "I'm not afraid of you," she said to Puss, "for I know you are Mr. Puss in Boots, Junior."

Well, just as soon as they were all seated, she began to sing:

"Mrs. Mousey has a housey, Very small and trim, Nice Swiss cheeses good for sneezes, Filled up to the brim.

Also candy, fine and dandy, Ice cream soda, too, If you're nice to little mice, I'll give some to you."

"I'll see that my two small friends behave," said Puss, with a grin.

MRS. MOUSEY

"WHAT will you have?" Mrs. Mousey asked Puss, Junior, as she opened the cupboard door.

"I'll have a strawberry ice-cream soda," said Puss. So Mrs. Mousey poured some red syrup into the gla.s.s and dropped in a ball of ice cream, and after that she held the gla.s.s under a regular soda-fountain spigot which was fastened to a cute little ice-box. "Fiz-z-z, fiz-z-z!" went the water until the pink-colored foam almost ran over the edge of the gla.s.s. But it didn't. Wasn't that lucky?

"I'll take a pink and white peppermint stick," said Mr. Rowley Frog, and Mr. Rat said, "Cheese, if you please!" when Mrs. Mousey asked him what he would have.

"But while they were all a merry-making, Heigh-ho!" says Rowley.

"A cat and her kittens came tumbling in."

And, oh dear me! Puss dropped his soda-water gla.s.s, and it broke all to smithereens. And then,

The cat she seized the rat by the crown: Heigh-ho! says Rowley.

The kittens they pulled the little mouse down.

And after that the cat jumped through the open window with the rat and disappeared around the house, and the kittens ran out of the door with poor Mrs. Mouse.

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Puss jumped through the window, but before he could catch them they ran into a hole just big enough for them to squeeze through, and Puss was left outside, wondering what to do. The old cat was nowhere to be seen.

She had taken good care to get out of sight, for she knew that Puss, Junior, would take Mr. Rat away from her if he ever caught her.

"This put Mr. Frog in a terrible fright, Heigh-ho, says Rowley!

He took up his hat, and he wished them good night."

"I'll go home to mother," he said when he reached the roadway. "I am getting homesick. I think the old pond is the best place for me."

"Home, sweet home, in the dear old pond, That is the place for me.

I'll never go even a foot beyond, I'll sit there and croak, and never will smoke, In my pond by the gra.s.sy lea!"

"That's right," said Puss, as he hurried along with Rowley, who, now that he had made up his mind, could not get home fast enough.

"A wise frog stays in his bog, And sits and croaks upon his log."

A SAD ENDING

"I'M very sorry for poor little Mrs. Mousey," said Puss, as he and Mr.

Rowley Frog hastened toward the pond.

"So am I," answered Rowley. "She was very generous with all her good things to eat."

"And the poor rat," continued Puss. "It was a sad ending to our little feast. I guess he's been eaten up by this time. That naughty old cat looked very hungry."

"Oh dear, oh dear," sobbed Rowley, the tears rolling down his face, "I want to get home. I'll never run away again."

"But as Froggy was crossing over a brook, Heigh-ho, says Rowley.