A PUSSY CAT PARTY

When Billy's mother decided to give him a birthday party, she pounced upon the pussy cat plan, partly because pussy-willows are still flourishing in April, but mostly because she knew that kittens and cats are favorites with nine and ten year olds.

The invitations were folded kitty-cornered and inside of each appeared a fat fuzzy little gray puss taken from a real pussy-willow branch. "Puss" had pen and ink ears, whiskers and tail, and likewise a tiny red-painted fence post upon which to sit.

The first game was a good romp at "Puss-in-the-Corner." That was followed by the foolish but funny "Poor Pussy."

While the children were still in a circle for that, Billy's mother explained a new game. It was called "Kitty Kitty" and was carried out on the lines of "Spin the Platter." In every child's ear Billy whispered the name of some sort of cat, as for instance, tiger, "yaller," green-eyes, double-toes, maltese, Angora, black and white, gray.

He then occupied the center of the circle and spun a tin pieplate. As he did so he called out one of the names he had assigned and counted rapidly out loud up to ten. Thus, "Green-eyes, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."

The child who had been given the name "green-eyes" was supposed to jump up and snatch the pie tin before Billy had finished counting to ten. If "green-eyes" failed, then he had to take Billy's place. Billy, too, of course, had a pussy cat label.

Another circle game that was fun was called "Pussy's Prowlings." It was on the order of stage-coach. Billy's mother told the story of a kitty's wanderings and before she started to tell it, she whispered to each child the name of something which was to appear in the story. For instance, she gave out "haymow," "milk dish," "mouse hole," "catnip."

Every time she mentioned any such name in the process of telling the story, the child who had it was expected to rise from his chair, turn around three times and sit down again. When the words "pussy's prowlings" were mentioned, all the players jumped up and exchanged seats. The story teller also tried to get a seat, and if she succeeded the child who was finally left without one had to continue the story.

PUSSY'S PROWLINGS

Once there was a PUSSYCAT named BLINKY who said to herself one day, "I'm tired of MILK to drink and I'm oh, so hungry for MOUSE. I must go on a MOUSE hunt."

So BLINKY stole out of the red BRICK HOUSE where she lived very happily with the JONES FAMILY. She pattered down the back DOORSTEPS where her MILK SAUCER was set and she scampered along the winding PATH to the BARN.

(That's the way PUSSY'S PROWLINGS began.)

Up the LADDER to the HAYMOW she crept and through the heaps of sweet clover HAY to a HOLE IN THE WALL. There BLINKY knew lived a MOUSE. So she crouched close to the MOUSE HOLE, as still as still could be and watched, and she watched and she watched and she watched.

But that MOUSE must have been away from home or else very busy down in its HOLE, for it never once stuck its little NOSE out. And when BLINKY had watched there in the HAYMOW for three long, long hours, she was so hungry that she couldn't watch for that MOUSE a single minute more.

She thought of the MILK SAUCER by the back DOORSTEPS and she said to herself, "If I can't have MOUSE, MILK won't taste so bad after all."

So BLINKY made her way back through the heaps of HAY and scrambled down the LADDER to the HAYMOW and ran along the winding PATH to the back DOORSTEPS. And there, sure enough, was a SAUCER full of MILK all ready for her to drink. So BLINKY lapped it up very hungrily and was perfectly happy!

(And that's the way PUSSY'S PROWLINGS ended.)

The next game was called "Hunt the Mouse." Billy had hidden a chocolate mouse somewhere in the room and the children were asked to be kitties and try to find it. Whenever anyone came very near the hiding place, Billy miaowed loudly, or if everyone was very far from it, Billy would mew only faintly. The "kitty" who found the mouse kept it for a reward.

In another room the children had a chance to hunt for those mittens which the "naughty kittens" once lost. Many tiny red paper mittens were scattered throughout the room and were much more easily found than the mouse.

The supper table delighted the children. In the center of it sat a big stuffed toy cat surrounded by chocolate mice, and at each child's place a tiny white plush cat with the child's name on a paper tied to the neck had been placed. Such toys can usually be bought in five and ten cent stores.

Pussy-willow sprays laid flat on the tablecloth decorated the table gracefully. The napkins were the paper ones which feature black cats at Hallowe'en.

Little ramekins of creamed chicken pleased the children. With the chicken, Billy's mother served "kitty-cornered" sandwiches of brown bread filled with cream cheese and chopped nuts. There was hot cocoa too, and for the last course individual molds of chocolate blanc mange with whipped cream and a candied cherry on top. Needless to say there was a birthday cake which was brought in ablaze with candles and set before Billy to cut.

Each guest received a souvenir chocolate mouse and was ready to declare upon departure at six that the pussy cat party had been, oh, so jolly!