LITTLE SIR CAT

Little Sir Cat Meets Tom, the Piper's Son

One can't stay with a circus and travel up high mountains and cross rivers and visit castles and dungeons, so Little Sir Cat said good-by to the kind circus people and little Tom Thumb, who was making so much money exhibiting himself that he wanted to remain with them until he had made a million dollars.

So once more Little Sir Cat was traveling alone. Well, on he tramped till by-and-by he came to a village, and as he walked down the main street

But when he saw Little Sir Cat, he almost dropped his candy, for he had never seen a cat with boots and spurs riding on a pony. But Little Sir Cat only grinned and said: "Pick up your candy, Johnny Curlytop, for candy doesn't grow on trees, and you are a lucky boy to have a lollypop."

LITTLE SIR CAT MEETS TOM, THE PIPER'S SON

Well, just then, all of a sudden, a boy ran down the street with a little pig under his arm.

screamed a green poll parrot from her cage.

"Why, it's Piggie Porker," cried Little Sir Cat, "the little pig I helped through the fence. O, please let him go. It's Piggie Porker."

"Piggie what?" asked Tom, scratching his head.

"I want to go home to mother," squealed Piggie, and this so surprised Tom that he dropped Piggie, who, quick as a wink, darted between his legs and ran away. And, would you believe it? Little Sir Cat jumped on his back, and off they went down the street to the country. Pretty soon Piggie stopped to rest, and Little Sir Cat jumped down to the ground. "How did you ever get caught?" he asked.

"I disobeyed mother," answered Piggie when able to speak, for he was all out of breath with running, you see. "I squeezed through the fence and ran out to the road, and then that bad boy caught me. Oh, dear, oh, dear!"

Poor little Piggie's pink nose was very red and his cheeks wet with tears. "Don't cry," said Little Sir Cat kindly, "you can't be far from home." And then together they ran across the meadow to the wood to look for the path that led to Piggie's cabin. And pretty soon Piggie found it, so off he scampered.

"I hope mother won't scold me for being away so long—I hope she won't."

In the distance he could see the stout figure of his mother standing in the cabin door. At the sight of her Piggie began to cry, he was so glad to be home again.

And his mother never punished him after all, but just hugged him until he squeaked, "Oh, mother, you're squeezing the breath out of me!"