Puss repeated this little rhyme to himself as he looked at a lovely starthat shone in the heavens with a soft and silvery light.
"I always liked that little song," said Mother Goose. "I've heard ittime and again. Mothers always sing that to their babies just beforethey go to sleep."
"Do they?" asked Puss. "Mine never did. She used to sing about littlemice and birds."
Mother Goose laughed heartily. "It all depends on whose little baby youare," 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 hisgreat wings and steering with his tail to pay much attention to what histwo passengers were saying.
I don't know whether there was a sign up like the ones they have in thecars, "Don't talk to the motorman," or not. At any rate, the ganderobserved the law, for he made no answer. On and on they went, throughthe night. Past cloud and star, over river and valley, hill and dale,swiftly and silently, for after these few remarks both Mother Goose andPuss grew very sleepy.
It must have been well on toward morning before they awoke. Nestled on asoft, feathery gander's back, with the wind singing lullabies as youtravel swiftly underneath the stars, is quite sufficient to keep any oneasleep. It was indeed a mighty fine cradle, and if the morning sun hadnot poked his golden fingers into Puss, Jr.'s, eyes he might still havebeen sound asleep.
"Mother Goose," he cried, touching the dear old lady gently on theshoulder, "we are getting very near the earth. It's time for you to wakeup."
"To be sure it is," she replied, rubbing her eyes and arranging hercurls beneath her old peaked hat; "to be sure, and, dearie me! I believeI have actually overslept!"
They were now close to the earth. The cocks were crowing lustily in thebarn-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, Pussin 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 ofa modest little cottage, in the garden of which was growing an immensebean-stalk, reaching up and up until its top was hidden in the clouds.On approaching the front gate, a motherly-looking woman appeared in thedoorway 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 hereyes. "Have you seen anything of my son Jack?"
"No, ma'am," answered Puss. "Has he not yet climbed down thebean-stalk?"
"What!" exclaimed the good woman. "Do you mean to tell me he has climbedup this giant bean-stalk?"
"Indeed he has," answered Puss, "and if you will permit me I will climbup also. Maybe I shall find him near the top, or possibly entangled inthe vines."
The good woman gladly gave her consent and Puss sprang nimbly up thevine-like ladder. Up and up he climbed until he was lost to sight amidthe white clouds in the sky. At last he reached the top, and, lookingabout him curiously, wondered which way to turn. Suddenly he heard agentle cackling near at hand, and a small hen crawled out of a thicketthat 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 sayingthat 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 hismother 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 steeperand steeper. Near the top of the hill was the giant's house. But Pusswas not afraid and boldly followed the little hen through the greatdoorway and presently found himself in the presence of the giant.
"GOOD MORNING, MA'AM," SAID HE, LIFTING HIS CAPPOLITELY]
"Come, chick," cried the giant, not noticing Puss. "Come, chick, and layme a gold egg!"
"I'm so tired to-day," she replied, "won't you let me off just foronce?"
"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 offthe little hen, and that is that you spend the night in my house andtell me some of your adventures."
Puss, Jr., bowed low and graciously. He was able now to reward thelittle hen for showing him the way, and as the guest of the giant, itwould be much easier to find Jack. Puss made up his mind toward midnightto 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 becausePuss told so many interesting stories of what he had seen and done sinceleaving the garret.
"By the time you find your father," roared the giant, for even when hewhispered 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 inhis mouth, the smoke from which rose in a cloud as big as that from afactory chimney. Puss, Jr., was not the least bit dismayed, however, forhe was naturally a brave cat, and his many adventures had given him anair of assurance as well as a liberal education. He sat opposite thegiant and recounted his adventures one after another, much to thedelight of his great host. All the while, however, Puss was scheming asto the best way to discover Jack. He had made up his mind firmly thatafter his long climb up the bean-stalk, and the fact that he had beenso lucky as to make a friend of the giant, he would allow nothing toturn him aside.
Finally the giant fell sound asleep. Puss carefully opened the door andtiptoed into the kitchen, where the giant's wife was washing up thesupper-dishes. As he entered he noticed that the oven door was open justa crack. "My good woman," said Puss, "your husband is asleep, so I havetaken this opportunity to thank you for the very fine supper of which Ihave just partaken."
The giant's wife started at the sound of his voice and immediatelywalked 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. Iwonder why the good woman mistrusts me.
"Madam," said Puss, "I'm in search of a little boy named Jack, and Ihave a message from his mother for him. Jack of the wonderfulbean-stalk, and I am sure he is in yonder oven."
Puss, Jr., heard a scratching sound, then a creak, and in a moment Jackstepped from behind the giant's wife, after carefully closing the ovendoor.
"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 tellyou, should I have the good fortune of meeting you, that she hoped youwould return home, for she is so lonely."
"That I will," answered Jack, "as soon as I have the opportunity." Hehad hardly finished speaking when the heavy tread of the giant washeard. Jack jumped back into the oven, while the giant's wife commencedtalking 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 sufficientinterest to keep you awake?"
"They were," replied the giant, somewhat taken aback by the answer hereceive
d. "I guess I have the habit of falling asleep after supper. It'smighty difficult to break a habit."
"It is, indeed," said Puss. "I feel sleepy myself. Will you allow me notto 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 clockstrike twelve. Softly he tiptoed down the stairs, holding his boots inone paw and his staff and cap in the other. When he reached the greatliving-room he peeped cautiously in.
There sat the giant in the big arm-chair, fast asleep, the poor littlehen 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 Itold him stories last night that he would not make the little hen layher 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 intohis head, and, turning toward the kitchen, he opened the door verysoftly and peered in. To his great delight he saw Jack sound asleep inthe big rocking-chair that the giant's wife sat in during the fewmoments 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 wasindeed a problem. Should Jack give a scream the giant would wake andrush 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 theacquaintance of the giant. He wouldn't care for my stories. He'd justeat me up."
"That he would," said Puss. "He's no good, either. He broke his promiseto me last night," and then Puss told Jack how the giant had said hewould let the little hen off for once if Puss would tell some of hisadventures.
"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 sideall night long. She's in the great living-room on the table, not daringto 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 wasnot working as rapidly as Puss, Jr.'s.
"Take her home to your mother," whispered Puss. Together they crept intothe room where the giant still lay snoring. Jack carefully picked up thelittle 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 thelittle 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 aforest. The land was rather low and marshy, and the path was none toodry. He gingerly picked his way, avoiding as well as possible the muddyspots. 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 afrog. On his head rested a large stove-pipe hat, much worn andweather-beaten. A large cigar was in his mouth, on which he puffed awayvigorously, the clouds of smoke streaming out behind him like a longgray feather.
"Hello, Mr. Rowley!" cried Puss.
The frog turned. Taking the cigar out of his mouth, he answered, "How doyou 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 hadenough fuss when I left home. You see, my people didn't want me to go atall."
"Then why did you?" asked Puss, who by this time had come up to thefrog.
"Because I was tired to death of the old pond," replied Rowley. "One hasgot to see the world some time, and when one is young is the time andnot 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 hishead 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 usbe comrades. For it is lonesome business, this traveling alone, and Iwould have a good friend to talk to while we trudge along."
"But I already have a companion," answered Mr. Rowley. "Don't youremember 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," saidPuss, 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 Imust continue my journey."
PUSS IS HEARTILY WELCOMED BY JACK THE JUMPER
It was near nightfall. Puss, Jr., was weary and footsore, for he hadtraveled far. No one had given him a thing to eat all day, and he wasfaint from want of food. Darkness was coming upon him and he lookedabout him to find a place to sleep.
In the distance a little light caught his eye, and, hastening his stepstoward it, he soon came to a small cottage. Looking through the opendoor, he was surprised to see resting on the floor a small brasscandlestick. It was the flame from this that had attracted his attentionand 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 towardthe 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 thejump.
"Don't worry," replied Puss, Jr. "I think too much of my tail to spoilone 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 oneday and came up to a big tent. A man asked me if I would not like tojoin, 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 withtissue-paper, and I never slipped off. It was pretty good fun," sighedPuss, 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 seethat the candle doesn't blow out, and I'll run and tell mother." In afew 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 manymonths 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 mylittle boy tells me you are hungry."
In a few minutes Puss was eating a hearty supper, and then he followedthe little boy up to his bedroom, where they both slept soundly allnight 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 greatwalls and sighed. "I wish I would find my dear father here, but Isuppose I won't."
"No, you won't," cried a voice, and one of the three fiddlers poked hishead out of a window and laughed loud and long. "There are no cats inthis castle."
"No cats allowed here," cried the third fiddler, appearing at thepostern gate.