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Title: Three little kittens who lost their mittens
Author: Laura Rountree Smith
Illustrator: F. R. Morgan
Release date: September 23, 2023 [eBook #71710]
Language: English
Original publication: Racine: Whitman Publishing Co, 1919
Credits: Bob Taylor, Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THREE LITTLE KITTENS WHO LOST THEIR MITTENS ***
WHISK BOUND INTO THE SANDMAN’S BAG
Three Little Kittens Who Lost Their Mittens
By Laura Rountree Smith
Pictures by F. R. Morgan
Whitman Publishing Co. RACINE, WISCONSIN
COPYRIGHT 1919 BY Whitman Publishing Co. RACINE, WISCONSIN
Once upon a time Three Little Kittenswent out to slide upon the ice.
Old Mother Kit-Cat called after them,“Dot, Tot, Trot, you have forgotten yourmittens.”
They came back pitter, patter, pitter,patter, as fast as their furry little feetwould carry them.
Old Mother Kit-Cat said,
“Oh Three Little Kittens,
Come put on your mittens,”
and she handed Dot a pair of red mittens,[Pg 12]and Tot a pair of blue mittens, and Trot apair of brown mittens, and the Three LittleKittens went merrily off to skate.
“I don’t like to wear mittens,” said Dot.
“I don’t like to either,” said Tot.
Trot said, “Oh meow, they squeeze mypaws.”
Now, what do you suppose those naughtylittle kittens did?
They took off their mittens and leftthem on the bank by the ice pond.
They put on their cunning little skatesand began to skate to and fro, to and fro,and the wind whistled and called,
“I may freeze your paws and toes,
Nobody knows—nobody knows.”
[Pg 13]
“My long whiskers,” cried Dot, “Howcold it is skating on the ice.”
“By my long tail,” said Tot, “How coldmy paws are.”
Trot said, “We will go back at once tothe bank and get our mittens.”
The Three Little Kittens did not knowthat Three Little Foxes had crept up onthe bank.
They did not know that the little Foxessaid,
“See the nice little mittens,
Left here by the kittens.”
They did not know that the Three LittleFoxes had put on their mittens andhad run away, waving their beautiful tailsbehind them.
[Pg 14]
When the Three Little Kittens got tothe bank and saw that their mittens weregone, Dot and Tot cried together,
“We are sad little Kittens,
We have lost our new mittens.”
Brave little Trot said,
“We are smart little Kittens,
We’ll go find our mittens.”
Then Dot and Tot dried their eyes ontheir little wee pocket handkerchiefs andsaid, “You are so cheerful brother Trot wewill follow where you lead.”
The Three Little Kittens looked onehour and thirty-six minutes for their mittens,but they could not find them and sothey went sadly homeward.
[Pg 15]
SHE SENT THEM, WITHOUT SUPPER, TO BED
[Pg 16]
Old Mother Kit-Cat stood in the doorwaylooking for them.
She cried,
“Go back, go back you naughty Kittens,
Go back and pick up your nice new mittens.”
The Three Little Kittens hung theirheads and said,
“We put them on the bank to dry,
We hope to find them by and by.”
“You naughty Kittens” Old Kit-Cat said.
She sent them, without supper, to bed.
The Three Little Kittens cried, “Meow,meow, meow. Can’t we have a dish ofmilk? Can’t we have a chicken bone?”
[Pg 17]
Old Mother Kit-Cat shook her head, sothe Three Little Kittens went pit-a-patpit-a-pat, up stairs to bed.
They were so hungry they kept talkingabout good things to eat and that madethem want their supper more and more.
“Fish and bones” said Dot, “Milk andcream,” said Tot, “Meat and gravy” saidTrot.
Old Mother Kit-Cat called,
“Hush, be still, for over the hill,
The Sandman comes his bag to fill.”
At this, the Three Little Kittens pulledthe covers high up over their heads, forthey did not want the Sandman to tuckthem in his bag.
[Pg 18]
ALL THIS TIME THREE LITTLEFOXES WEARING THREE PAIRS OFMITTENS WERE DANCING MERRILYIN THE MOONLIGHT.
The Sandman came up over the hilland peeped in at the window.
He saw the beds where the Three LittleKittens lay with the covers pulled upover their heads. He sang softly,
“Oh ho, Little Kittens,
I saw your lost mittens.”
“Where? Where? Where?” cried theThree Little Kittens in one breath uncoveringtheir heads.
[Pg 19]
THREE LITTLE FOXES WEARING THREEPAIRS OF MITTENS
The Sandman answered in a sing-song-lazykind of way,
[Pg 20]
“Come jump in the sack,
I have on my back.”
The Three Little Kittens were thinkingso hard about their mittens that they forgotto be afraid and they went whisk!bound! into the Sandman’s sack and rodemerrily far away over hill and dale, away,away, away.
Suddenly the Sandman’s sack broke andout fell the Three Little Kittens.
The Sandman did not notice what hadhappened, and he ran on leaving the ThreeLittle Kittens behind him.
They saw a little wee house in thewoods and ran and knocked on the door.
Old Mother Catastrophe, the oldest Cat[Pg 21]in the world stuck her head out of thewindow and called,
“Did you happen to have a mishap?
You sadly disturbed me from my nap.”
The Three Little Kittens answered,
“Old Mother Catastrophe, kind and good,
We are Three Little Kittens lost in the wood.”
Old Mother Catastrophe always knewwhat to do, she opened her door andhugged and kissed the Three Little Kittensand said to the delight of all, “NOW FORTHE COOKIE JAR.”
She put a cookie jar on the floor andthe Three Little Kittens put in their three[Pg 22]little paws without saying “By your leave,or thank you, or if you please.”
Then what do you suppose happened?
The cookie jar rose in the air and settleddown out of reach, on the highestshelf in the pantry.
The Three Little Kittens cried “Oh”and “Ah” and “What happened to thecookie jar?”
Old Mother Catastrophe said,
“I do not really mean to tease,
But learn some little words like these,
THANK YOU—say, and—IF YOU PLEASE.”
The Three Little Kittens said, “Thankyou, thank you, please give us a cookie,please do.”
[Pg 23]
OLD MOTHER CATASTROPHE STUCK HER HEAD OUTOF THE WINDOW
[Pg 24]
At that, the cookie-jar floated downagain and they ate cookies to their hearts’content.
They told Old Mother Catastrophe abouttheir lost mittens but she only shook herwise old head and said,
“Enough said, enough said,
Night time is the time for bed.”
She tucked the Three Little Kittens upin her own bed.
Dot and Tot and Trot fell asleep wonderingabout their lost mittens.
ALL THIS TIME THREE LITTLEFOXES WEARING THREE PAIRS OFMITTENS WERE DANCING MERRILYIN THE MOONLIGHT.
[Pg 25]
CHAPTER II. OLD MOTHER CATASTROPHE
Next morning Dot and Tot and Trotwoke up crying, “I am hungry, I amhungry, I am hungry.”
They ran downstairs but Old MotherCatastrophe was nowhere to be seen.
There was no fire in the kitchen stove.
Dot and Tot began to cry but bravelittle Trot said,
“I believe I’ll sing a little verse.
It might be better, it might be worse.”
Then, to the surprise of all a littlesilver bell rang and a voice called,
[Pg 26]
“Old Mother Catastrophe’s old and gray,
Who will bring in her wood to-day?”
“I will, I will, I will,” cried the ThreeLittle Kittens together.
They saw that the wood-box was empty.
The Three Little Kittens went out andgot wood and filled the box.
They thought they had brought inenough but a voice called,
“Day and night, hours four and twenty,
Get a plenty, get a plenty.”
The Little Kittens were so amused theytumbled over each other and hurried outto get more wood.
They next heard the tinkle, tinkle,tinkle, of a silver bell and the voice said,
[Pg 27]
“So far, so good, so far, so good,
For now we find enough of wood.”
The Three Little Kittens were happynow.
“Oh, I wonder what else we can do,” asked Dot
“Perhaps, there isn’t anything else we can do,” said Tot
“Well, we soon will know,” added Trot.
As the Three Kittens stood there lookingat each other, the same tinkle tinkleof the same silver bell was heard by them.
“I wonder what that means,” cried Dotand Tot.
This is what the little silver voice nowsaid.
[Pg 28]
“Who can get breakfast, may I inquire,
Until they have made a good kitchen fire?”
Then the Three Little Kittens made afire and soon it was roaring merrily.
Then the little bell tinkled again anda voice said,
“Old Mother Catastrophe’s old and gray,
Who will bring in her water to-day?”
“I will, I will, I will,” cried the ThreeLittle Kittens, and they went out for a pailof water and filled up the tea-kettle. Andto the surprise of all, there stood OldMother Catastrophe in the door way wearinga cap with silver bells upon it.
She said,
[Pg 29]
“Tis well to work as well as play,
And learn some lessons every day.”
Dot thought of the empty wood box athome and Tot remembered that the tea-kettlewas empty.
Trot thought they could help motherwhen they got home.
Old Mother Catastrophe hugged andkissed each Little Kitten in turn and inless time than it takes to tell it, they satdown to eat breakfast together.
Old Mother Catastrophe said, “I amgoing to see Old Mother Kit-Cat to-day,and you may keep house while I am gone.”
Then she cried, “Where are my rubbers?Where is my great-coat? Where is mymarket basket? Where is my walking stick?”
[Pg 30]
The Three Little Kittens ran this wayand that way waiting upon her.
She said in parting,
“Laugh and play with merry din,
But do not let the Foxes in.”
“The FOXES,” said Dot and Tot, “Ohdear, oh dear we are afraid of the FOXES.”
Trot said, “I am not afraid of theFOXES, we will not let them in.”
The Three Little Kittens stood at thewindow waving their pocket handkerchiefsas Mother Catastrophe went down the walk.
“I think you can have a better play,
If the dishes are washed and put away,”
sang the Little Old Man of the Fire, so[Pg 31]the Three Little Kittens found three littleaprons hanging on a nail and they putthem on and washed and dried the dishesand put them away.
All day long they danced about merrilydoing nice things for Mother Catastropheand the Little Old Man of the Fire shoutedmerrily all the time.
Once he shouted,
“Oh Three Little Kittens,
Tell, where are your mittens?”
“Our mittens,” cried Dot and Tot, “Ohdear, oh dear, we had forgotten all aboutour mittens.”
At this very minute a very excitingthing happened.
[Pg 32]
Three Little Foxes wearing three pairsof mittens came dancing down the roadway.
THEY CAME NEARER AND NEAREREVERY MINUTE.
They ran up to the house and showedthe mittens they were wearing, and theyflattened their noses against the windowpane.
They cried, “Let us in, pray let us in,we are so cold we are freezing our nosesand toeses.”
I don’t know what in the world wouldhave happened but the Little Old Man ofthe Fire leaped out in his jacket of redand yellow, crying,
[Pg 33]
“I will burn your nose, I will burn your toes,
So away and away the wise fox goes.”
The Three Little Foxes were so afraidat that they ran off as fast as their legscould carry them.
They wore the mittens of course thatbelonged to the Kittens.
Dot and Tot began to weep and wail,
“Oh dear, oh dear, we have lost our mittens,
Oh dear, oh dear, we are sad little kittens.”
If you guessed one hundred years youcould never guess what brave little Trotdid.
[Pg 34]
He ran and got the old gold-fish bowlthat stood empty on the table and said,“Will you cry a bowl full? Will you crya pitcher full? Will you cry a tea-kettlefull;—keep it up, keep it up.”
Dot and Tot did not shed another tearand the Little Old Man of the Fire said,
“If you can count your eyes and nose,
’Tis supper time as I suppose.”
Such a hurrying and scurrying younever saw as the hands of the kitchenclock pointed to six.
The Three Little Kittens had supper onthe table and smoking hot, when OldMother Catastrophe came thump, bump,thump, bump, with her cane, rapping andtapping, with her cane, all the way.
[Pg 35]
When they told their adventure at suppertime Old Mother Catastrophe said,
“First class in Foxes come this way,
And hear what Catastrophe has to say.”
Then she said they would have to learnall about Foxes and go to-morrow to thefoxes’ den and get their lost mittens.
Dot and Tot were so scared at the mentionof Foxes that they crept under thetable but brave little Trot said,
“Dear Mother Catastrophe, old and gray,
We are not afraid if you’ll lead the way.”
Old Mother Catastrophe rolled her greatgreen eyes and said,
[Pg 36]
“What about my lame leg and crooked back?
’Tis a mile away, alas! alack!”
Brave little Trot said, “We will takeyou in the wheel-barrow and wheel youright up to the Foxes’ den if you will onlygo with us.”
Mother Catastrophe agreed to this, andthey all sat round in a circle while shetold them about Foxes.
She began by saying,
“Alas! Little Kittens! alas! Little Kittens,
Three Little Foxes have stolen your mittens.”
[Pg 37]
CHAPTER III. THE THREE LITTLE FOXES
Old Mother Catastrophe said,
“I will tell you once again,
How to arrive at the Foxes’ den.”
Dot and Tot said, “Oh Mother Catastrophe,we would rather never find ourmittens than to have to go to the Foxes’den.”
Trot said, “Please tell us how to findour lost mittens.”
Mother Catastrophe said, “You go throughthe woods by the most crooked path youcan find, and turn to the right, and turnto the left, to see if the Foxes are behind[Pg 38]you, if all is still you go on until you cometo their den,
“When Madam Red Fox comes out youbow politely and say,
“Good evening, good morning and how do you do?
We have come to pay a visit to you.”
At that very minute Dot and Tot beganto weep and wail. They cried until littlestreams of tears showed on the carpet.
Mother Catastrophe said, “Will they crya bucket full? Will they cry a tub full?”
Still Dot and Tot cried, “Boo-hoo, wedo not want to go to the Foxes’ den.”
Trot went out and got the washboilerand said, “Cry it full so Mother Catastrophe[Pg 39]can perhaps make use of it.”
But still they cried. While Tot criedloudly, Dot moved the washboiler so thatnone of their tears would fall inside.
“We are afraid of the Foxes, we do notwant to go to their den.”
Old Mother Catastrophe waited for themto stop crying but they would not stop.
“It’s silly quite for you to cry,
You’ll lose all fear by and by.”
“Must we go to the Foxes’ den?” askedboth Dot and Tot.
“We’ll do whatever Mother Catastrophesays,” replied Trot.
Then they started to cry again.
Trot brought the washboiler again. “Ifyou cry hard into this, Mother Catastrophe[Pg 40]will have soft water to wash her clothesin.”
Then Dot and Tot began to laugh insteadof cry and Mother Catastrophe said,
“If manners you really want to know,
Bow politely, and stand in a row.”
The Three Little Kittens stood up ina row and bowed politely.
Old Mother Catastrophe said,
“Dot will make a bow next, and say toMadam Red Fox, How is your cousin theKit-Fox? Has he changed his coat thisseason?”
Dot said, “Do Foxes change their coats?Do tell us about it.”
“Of course they change their coats,”[Pg 41]said Mother Catastrophe. “The Kit-Fox wearsa coat of one color in the summer, andanother color in the winter.
“Tot may next make a bow and say,How is your cousin the Cross-Fox? Heis not really a very cross Fox but he isnamed from his markings.”
“At this very minute little Trot mayshout at the top of his lungs,
“We are the kittens who lost our mittens,
Oh, Red Fox, give them to us to-day,
Oh, we are the Kittens who lost our mittens,
But truly Red Fox we’ve not come to stay.”
[Pg 42]
“You must thank Madam Red Fox whenshe hands you the mittens.”
Trot went out to get the wheel-barrowfor they were going to wheel MotherCatastrophe to the Foxes’ den.
They helped her into the wheel-barrowand went through the woods by the mostcrooked paths they could find.
Suddenly they all stopped still and Trotsaid, “What if Madam Red Fox should notbe at home?”
“Old Mother Catastrophe answered,
“I’m Mother Catastrophe, old and gray,
I don’t cross a bridge while on the way.”
Dot and Tot said, “Where is the bridge?We don’t see any bridge at all.”
[Pg 43]
THE DOOR OPENED AND IN WALKED GRANDPA GROWLER,THE FUNNIEST BEAR IN THE WORLD
[Pg 44]
Old Mother Catastrophe said,
“You can have good manners, if you choose,
You had better mind your “P’s” and “Q’s.”
“Our “P’s” and “Q’s” repeated theThree Little Kittens.
At that very minute they heard the“patter, patter, patter” of feet behind them.
“The Foxes, the Foxes,” cried the ThreeLittle Kittens, “Oh where shall we hide?”
They turned over the wheel-barrow andcrept under it, and to the surprise of all,Old Mother Kit-Cat came down the pathsinging,
“Where are the three Kittens,
Who once lost their mittens?”
[Pg 45]
“Here we are, here we are,” they allshouted rumbling and tumbling out fromunder the wheel-barrow.
They hugged and kissed all around andMother Kit-Cat said,
“Come let us journey on again,
Until we come to the Foxes’ den.”
So, on and on, they went, Old MotherCatastrophe riding in the wheel-barrow allthe way, and the wind whistled a merrytune,
“You’ll not find your mittens,
You Three Little Kittens,
They were stolen away,
For a year and a day.”
“Hark! What does the Wind say about[Pg 46]our mittens?” asked the Three Little Kittens.They shouted at the top of theirlungs, “We cannot spare our mittens fora year and a day, perhaps the wind is onlyteasing.”
“The Wind may be false, the Wind may be true
We’ll accomplish what we set out to do,”
said Mother Catastrophe, and they drewnearer and nearer the Foxes’ den everystep they took.
Dot and Tot said, “By our longwhiskers, we wish we were home.”
[Pg 47]
THEY WENT ON UNTIL THEY CAME TO THE HOUSEOF THE THREE BEARS
Trot said,
“We are on an adventure bound,
Perhaps the mittens will soon be found.”
[Pg 48]
At that very minute they came uponthe Foxes’ Den and they were all surprisedto read a sign in big letters,
“OH, THREE LITTLE KITTENS, WE DID TAKE YOUR MITTENS,
WE WORE THEM AS LONG AS WE COULD,
OH, THREE LITTLE KITTENS, WE GAVE UP THE MITTENS
TO THREE LITTLE BEARS WHO LIVE IN THE WOODS.”
“Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah,” cried theThree Little Kittens, “We will go to thehome of Three Little Bears who live in[Pg 49]the woods. Hurrah for the three littlefriendly Bears.”
Old Mother Kit-Cat said, “Indeed, Ithink you will come home with me.”
Old Mother Catastrophe said,
“I do not like in the woods to roam,
Come, Three Little Kittens, and wheel me home.”
They all took turns in wheeling MotherCatastrophe home, and then they ran besideMother Kit-Cat until they came totheir neat little house at the edge of thewoods.
They said,
“Tis dark within the Foxes’ den,
We hope we’ll not go there again.”
[Pg 50]
The Wind whistled merrily,
“Oh Three Little Kittens, oh Three Little Kittens,
Three Little Bears are wearing your mittens.”
The Three Little Kittens said, “Oh Ma,may we go to the house of The ThreeBears to-morrow?”
Old Mother Kit-Cat washed their facesand said, “When to-morrow comes we shallsee.”
[Pg 51]
THEY BEGAN TO EAT PORRIDGE AS FASTAS THEY COULD
[Pg 52]
CHAPTER IV. GRANDPA GROWLER AND THE THREE BEARS
Next morning early, Dot and Totand 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, “Whatdo you know about Bears? You cannotunderstand Bear Language.”
[Pg 53]
“Boo hoo, boo hoo,” cried the Three Little Kittens,
“Old Mother Kit-Cat we must find our mittens.”
Mother Kit-Cat looked at the ThreeLittle Kittens over her spectacles and TheLittle Old Man of the Fire said,
“To interrupt is quite absurd,
In Politeness Land, I’ve heard.”
The Three Little Kittens hung theirheads and sat very still in their three littlerocking chairs by the fire.
At this very minute, “Rap-a-tap” washeard at the door. The door opened, andin walked Grandpa Growler, the friendliestBear in the world.
[Pg 54]
The Three Little Kittens cried, “OhGrandpa Growler have you some candy forus? Oh Grandpa Growler have you cometo 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 growledand growled. He was a peculiar Bear andalways growled the loudest when he washappy. He was very happy now warminghis paws by the cheerful fire.
He was a sure enough Story Teller andhe began in a sing-song kind of way,“Once upon a time Three Little Kittenslost their mittens.”
[Pg 55]
THEY RAN THIS WAY AND THAT WAY, COOKING ANDMAKING COOKIES AND PIES
[Pg 56]
“How did you know?” asked Dot.
“How did you know?” asked Tot.
Trot said, “Oh Grandpa, please go onwith your story.”
Grandpa Growler growled again pleasantlyand said,
“Three little Foxes are trying to fit on
Three little mittens from Three Little Kittens.”
“Didn’t they really, truly fit?” askedDot and Tot.
Trot said as before, “Oh Grandpa, goon with your story, please.”
At this Grandpa Growler removed hisspectacles and said,
“Three little Foxes I do declare,
[Pg 57]
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 pawsand 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 hurryto do things so he growled again pleasantlysaying,
“I will not wait a year and a day,
We’ll start away, and make no delay.”
[Pg 58]
Before the Three Little Kittens couldsay a word he had tucked Dot and Tot inhis overcoat pockets, and he tucked Trotin his market basket and walked off inhis funny flat-footed manner.
The Little Kittens felt safe but Dot andTot whispered to each other, “What if weshould fall? What if we should meet theBears in the woods?”
They went on and on until they cameto the House of the Three Bears.
They could hear the Bears scoldingabout somebody eating their porridge andsitting in their chairs.
“HURRAH, HURRAH FOR THREE LITTLE KITTENS”
Grandpa Growler walked right in andsaid,
[Pg 59]
[Pg 60]
“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, ifthe porridge had not smelled so good.
All of a sudden the Three Little Kittensjumped on the table and began to eat porridgeas fast as they could.
“Ho, ho,” cried the Three Bears, “so wehave more visitors.” They thought theThree Little Kittens so cute they huggedthem most too hard but Grandpa Growlersaid,
“Make your best bow, you Three Little Kittens,
[Pg 61]
And ask, politely, for news of the mittens.”
“THE MITTENS!” shouted the ThreeBears 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.
[Pg 62]
“Curly-Tails,” said Trot.
They had a fine visit with the ThreeBears and by and by went merrily homewardin the moonlight.
Grandpa Growler swung a lighted lanternbefore them growling softly all thetime.
He was very fond of fish and kept sayingunder his breath, “I wish I had sometrout, I wish I had some salmon. I amso hungry I could eat Three Little Kittens.”
The Three Little Kittens were not atall afraid for this was one of GrandpaGrowler’s jokes.
[Pg 63]
THE THREE LITTLE FOXES RAN AWAY AGAIN
When they got home Old Mother Kit-Catsaid,
“If I were a fairy to grant you a wish,
What would you like to eat better than fish?”
[Pg 64]
“FISH” roared Grandpa Growler soloudly that the roof nearly came off.
Old Mother Kit-Cat brought in a dishof 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.
[Pg 65]
All this time Three Little Foxes wearingthree pairs of mittens were dancingmerrily 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 Totsleepily.
“You mean Curly-Tails,” said Trot.
The Little Old Man of the Fire sanghis song, but I don’t know what he knewabout the matter.
[Pg 66]
CHAPTER V. THE SURPRISE PARTY
Old Mother Kit-Cat sat knitting asusual one evening and her needleswent “click, click, click,” when “a rap-a-tap”was heard at the door and in walkedGrandpa Growler saying,
“A surprise party, a surprise party,
Here I am alive and hearty.”
Old Mother Kit-Cat’s eyes got as big assaucers and she said, “I am afraid you letthe Cat out of the Bag that time Grandpa.Who told you about a surprise party?”
Grandpa Growler replied,
[Pg 67]
“I say such funny things most of the time,
Whether I’m talking in prose or in rhyme.”
He growled so pleasantly at that, thatthe Three Little Kittens got the very bestrocking chair for him and the hair-clothfootstool, and said, “Sit here, grandpa, inthe rocking chair by the fire.”
Old Mother Kit-Cat was wondering ifhe was really only joking about a surpriseparty when “rap-a-tap” was heard on thedoor and the Three Little Bears came in.
They cried out,
“A surprise party we think very good,
We are the Three Bears that live in the woods.”
[Pg 68]
They had no sooner seated themselveson three little stools by the fire when“rap-a-tap,” sounded on the door again.
Old Mother Kit-Cat straightened hercap and called.
“Come in, come in, the hearth is wide,
There’s room for one and all inside.”
They all held their breath for no onecame in this time.
The Three Little Kittens whispered toeach other “What if it should be the ThreeLittle Foxes coming in next? What if itshould be the Three Little Foxes who stoleour mittens?”
The Three Little Curly-Tails came innext, with a hop and a skip and a bound.
[Pg 69]
The next minute there was heard agreat rumbling and tumbling and GrandpaGrowler, who stood with his eyes to thekey-hole said, “Some one is coming in awheel-barrow.”
Then the whole company shouted,
“Oh Grandpa Growler, the secret is out,
’Tis Mother Catastrophe, without a doubt.”
Sure enough, Old Uncle Mouser waswheeling Old Mother Catastrophe nearerand nearer every minute.
He kept saying over and over, “I hopeno one has taken my red plush-linedbasket, I hope no one has taken my redplush-lined basket.”
[Pg 70]
They came in, and Old Mother Catastropheshook the dust off her fur andwhiskers and she said every one looked toher as big as life and twice as natural.
Then the Ground-Hog came in mutteringabout his shadow, but the Beaver senta note of regret for he was too shy forcompany.
I do not suppose they would have hada bit to eat for refreshment if The LittleOld Man of the Fire had not been there.
He sang to the Three Little Kittens sosoftly that no one else heard,
“Coffee, some sugar, and tea will do,
Make up some cookies and rich pies too.”
[Pg 71]
The Three Little Kittens went hurryingand scurrying into the kitchen.
They ran this way, and that way, cookingtea and coffee and mixing up cookiesand pies.
The Three Little Foxes wearing threepairs of mittens danced up to the windowand said,
“You cannot cook, for so we’ve heard,
Three Little Kittens, ’tis quite absurd.”
The Three Little Kittens were so surprisedthat they dropped their three littlespoons into their three little bowls, butthe Little Old Man of the Fire said, quiteas though nothing had happened.
“MOST ANYTHING YOU’LL LEARN TO DO,
[Pg 72]
IF YOU WORK TO MAKE THE WISH COME TRUE.”
Now the Three Little Foxes danced thisway, and that way, and came up again tothe kitchen window.
The Three Little Foxes shouted,
“More sugar, more spice,
Make everything nice.”
They troubled the Three Little Kittensso they could not think straight to savetheir lives.
The Little Old Man of the Fire suddenlydarted through the open door shouting,
“I’ll burn your bushy-tails ’tis true,
Come on, I’ll run a race with you.”
[Pg 73]
The Three Little Foxes could feel theOld Man’s hot breath and they scamperedoff as swiftly as the wind.
The Little Old Man of the Fire shouted,
“I can travel even faster,
And I’ll bring you a disaster,
Take off the mittens, take off the mittens,
For they belong to Three Little Kittens.”
At this, the Three Little Foxes lost notime you may guess.
They threw the mittens down by thebank of a river near by.
The Little Old Man of the Fire shouted,“Sink or swim, sink or swim,” and he[Pg 74]pushed the Three Little Foxes into theriver and they had to swim all the wayhome.
The Little Old Man of the Fire pickedup the mittens and washed them nicely,then he took them back home and hungthem on the line to dry.
All this time the Three Little Kittenswere baking and stewing, and by and bythey had a regular Surprise Party mealready, and all the animals cried, “Hurrah,hurrah, for the Three Little Kittens.”
After they had eaten everything theycould lay their paws on, Old Uncle Mousertold stories, and Old Mother Catastrophesaid, as the clock struck ten,
“Mother Catastrophe, old and gray,
[Pg 75]
Should start out now on the homeward way.”
This ended the party, and Old UncleMouser got the wheel-barrow, though helooked longingly, at the red plush-linedbasket that waited him by the fire.
There was the greatest shaking of pawsyou ever saw and Grandpa Growler said,
“I’m old and stiff, you may believe,
I’ll stay all night now, by your leave.”
As the guests went home Old MotherKit-Cat said,
“I really believe my dear little kittens,
On the clothes line I see three pairs of mittens.”
The Three Little Kittens went with a
[Pg 76]
hop and a skip and a bound to gettheir mittens and Three Little Foxes cametagging them, as if they were playing hide-and-seek.
The Three Little Kittens cried,
“We are Three Little Kittens who lost our mittens,
And here they are on a line so dry,
We are Three Little Kittens who lost our mittens
And now we will call, Good bye, good bye.”
“Not so fast,” said Grandpa Growler,“What will Kit-Cat do with the new mittensshe has knit for you?”
Old Mother Kit-Cat said,
[Pg 77]
“They were made for Kittens, one, two, three
I will put them up on the Christmas tree.”
The Three Little Foxes ran away againfor they saw the Little Old Man of theFire, coming after them, and the ThreeLittle Kittens joined paws and dancedround and round in a ring, while TheLittle Old Man of the Fire said,
“Good bye, good bye,” we say and then,
Just open the book and read again.
The Three Little Kittens cried,
WE’RE THREE LITTLE KITTENS WHO FOUND OUR MITTENS,
[Pg 78]
TO READ THIS BOOK I’M SURE YOU’LL TRY.
WE’RE THREE LITTLE KITTENS WHO FOUND OUR MITTENS,
AND NOW WE CALL ‘GOOD BYE, GOOD BYE’.
The Three Little Kittens ran merrilyhome in the moonlight, wearing their mittens.
Transcriber’s Notes
pg 52 Changed: May we find out mittens? to: May we find our mittens?
pg 61 Changed: They they cried, to: Then they cried,
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