PUSS AND SEVERAL ACQUAINTANCES JOURNEY TO THE WEDDING
Reading edition
Robin rose up early, Before the break of day; He flew to Jenny Wren's house, To sing a roundelay. He met the Cock and Hen, And bade the Cock declare, This should be his wedding-day, With Jenny Wren, the fair. The Cock then blew his horn, To let the neighbors know This was Robin's wedding-day, And they might see the show.
Puss, Jr., was also up bright and early. He carefully polished his red-top boots and dusted his cap with the long feather in it. Then he started out for the woods.
"Cock-a-doodle-do!" cried the rooster.
"How do you doodle-do, my noble Sir Chanticleer?" asked Puss, bowing. "I am on my way to Cock Robin's wedding; he has given me an invitation," he added, as the rooster stopped crowing to listen.
A little squirrel ran down from his tree and stood upright on his hind legs as Puss came to the edge of the woods. "Follow me," said Puss. "There is to be a fine wedding in your forest city this morning." So the little squirrel ran after Puss.
Presently they came to a little pond. On a big log sat a very friendly-looking old bullfrog. "Ker-chunk, ker-chunk!" he cried.
"Get off your log and come with us," said Puss, Jr. "There is to be a grand wedding in the woods."
The bullfrog jumped off his log into the water with a great splash and swam to the shore. Scrambling up the bank, he followed Puss and the squirrel. The three had only gone a little ways when they came to a chipmunk.
"Hello, Chip!" cried the little squirrel. "Don't you want to join us?"
"Where are you going?"
"To a wedding," said Puss, Jr.
"All right," said the chipmunk, and he ran up and joined Puss, Jr.'s, little party. After going for some distance they came to a brook.
"How shall we get across?" asked Puss, Jr.
"I'm all right," said the bullfrog. "I'll swim." And with a beautiful dive he landed in the middle of the stream and swam away to the other bank.
"I wish my boots were rubber," said Puss. "I might wade across and carry you two on my back."
While they were wondering what to do, a muskrat swam up to the bank and said: "Why don't you walk over Beaver Dam? It's only a little distance from here."
"Will it be perfectly safe?" asked the little squirrel, timidly.
"Certainly, my dear friends," replied the muskrat. "You run along the bank and I'll show you the way."
So Puss and his small comrades followed the little muskrat till they reached Beaver Dam.