66 "When I was a little girl," said grandma, our kitties were cats. We had two big cats named Tom and Jim. I will tell you a story about them." GRANDMA'S STORY Tom was a yellow cat, with a white vest and a white nose. Jim was a black cat, with a white vest and two white feet. They lived in the barn, and caught rats. Sometimes they would come to the house to see me and to be fed, but they did not stay long. They had to work in the barn. One day, Mr. Brown, an the country, came to see us. into the barn, he saw the two old friend from When he drove big cats. "I see you have two fine cats," he said to my father. "I have not one, and the rats in my barn do no end of harm. Do give me one of those cats." "Very well," said father. "If you will carry him home, you may have Jim. He is as good as a rat dog to care for the barn." So when Mr. Brown started home in the evening, he placed Jim under the seat of the wagon, where he could not find his way out. late hid great II purr'ing nev'er stay Jin was carried far, far across the country, and late at night was put into Mr. Brown's barn. "Now, Jim," said Mr. Brown, "this is not your old home, but it will be a good one. I trust we may soon be great friends." Jim said not a word. He ran up the stairs as fast as he could and hid in the hay. The next morning, when father opened our barn door, there sat Jim in his old place on the floor. Tom lay beside him, purring for joy. Jim ran and hid in the hay when father called his name, and it was many days before he would let any one smooth his fur again. We never knew how he found his way home. "If he loves us well enough to come home again," said father, "and knows enough to find the way, he may stay here as long as he lives." And so he did. One evening a hen flew into an oak tree to sleep. In the middle of the night she dreamed that she must go to the mountains. If she did not go to the mountains, the world would come to an end. When the morning came, down she flew and started for the mountains. Soon she met a cock. "Good day, Cocky Locky," said the hen. "Good day, Henny Penny," said the cock. "Where are you going?" "I am going to the mountains, so that the world may not come to an end." "Who told you that?" asked the cock. "I dreamed it in the oak tree last night," said the hen. "I will go with you," said the cock. Soon they met a duck. "Good day, Ducky Lucky," said the cock. mountains, so that the world may not come to an end," said Cocky Locky. "Who told you that, Cocky Locky?" asked the duck. 66 Henny Penny told me," said the cock. "Who told you that, Henny Penny?" asked the duck. "I dreamed it in the oak tree last night," said the hen. "I will go with you," said the duck. So they went off together, up the long road to the mountains. |