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 And there stood a beautiful big gray cat!

"I can teach you to talk," said the Cat. And she did. She taught her so
well that the little kitten never again forgot how to mew, though she
played out on the soft, green grass with the dogs every day.

WHAT COULD THE FARMER DO?

BY GEORGE WILLIAM OGDEN

 There was an old farmer who had a cow,
 Moo, moo, moo!
 She used to stand on the pump and bow,
 And what could the farmer do?
 Moo, moo, moo, moo,
 Moo, moo, moo!
 She used to stand on the pump and bow,
 And what could the farmer do?

 There was an old farmer who owned some sheep,
 Baa, baa, baa!
 They used to play cribbage while he was asleep,
 And laugh at the farmer's ma.
 Baa, baa, baa, baa!
 Moo, moo, moo!
 He owned a cow and he owned some sheep,
 And what could the poor man do?

 There was an old farmer who owned a pig,
 Whoof, whoof, whoof!
 He used to dress up in the farmer's wig,
 And dance on the pig-pen roof.
 Whoof, whoof! Baa, baa!
 Moo, moo, moo!
 He owned a pig, some sheep, and a cow,
 And what could the poor man do?

 There was an old farmer who owned a hen,
 Cuk-a-ca-doo, ca-doo!
 She used to lay eggs for the three hired men,
 And some for the weasel, too.
 Cuk-a-ca-doo! Whoof, whoof!
 Baa, baa! Moo!
 He owned a hen, pig, sheep, and a cow,
 And what could the poor man do?

 There was an old farmer who had a duck,
 Quack, quack, quack!
 She waddled under a two-horse truck
 For four long miles and back.
 Quack, quack! Cuk-a-ca-doo!
 Whoof! Baa! Moo!
 With a duck, hen, pig, a sheep, and a cow,
 Pray what could the poor man do?

 There was an old farmer who had a cat,
 Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow!
 She used to waltz with a gray old rat
 By night in the farmer's mow.
 Mee-ow! Quack! Cuk-a-ca-doo!
 Whoof! Baa! Moo!
 With cat, duck, hen, pig, sheep, and a cow,
 Pray what could the poor man do?

FLEDGLINGS

BY LUCY FITCH PERKINS

 I saw a stork on a chimney high,
 And called to him as I passed by,
 "O stork! what'll you bring,
 Tucked away carefully under your wing?
 A baby sister and a brother,
 One for me, and one for mother."

"TIME TO GET UP!"

BY ELLEN FOSTER

Little Elinor Gray lived in a big city, but her grandmother lived in a
big house in the country. Elinor and her Nurse Norah were going to visit
her, and had to take a long ride in the railway-train, and another ride
in a carriage that Grandmother sent to meet them, so it was almost dark
when they drove up to the door.

Elinor's grandmother had two beautiful dogs--"Bruno," a big collie, and
"Bounder," a little fox-terrier. And when they saw the little girl jump
out of the carriage, they barked and barked because they were so glad to
see her. And they said to themselves (I _think_ they said to
themselves): "We will let her have a good sleep to-night, for she must
be very tired and it is nearly dark. But to-morrow, bright and early, we
will ask her to come for a romp with us in the garden, and show her how
much nicer it is to live in the country than in the city, where little
girls have to walk so quietly along the streets, and dogs have to be led
along the sidewalk, and cannot frolic on the soft green grass."

Elinor was very sleepy after her long ride in the train, and so, after
she had had her supper, her grandmother told her she might go to bed
early and get a good sleep, and that Nurse Norah would call her at seven
o'clock in the morning.

But what do you think happened? Why, Bruno and Bounder somehow got into
the house _before_ seven o'clock that morning, and came leaping up the
stairs, and went straight to Elinor's door. Elinor was a very sound
sleeper, and did not hear them at first, and did not wake up. But soon
Bounder began to scratch at the door with his little, sharp claws and to
make queer little whine-y sounds; and Bruno's bushy tail went "Rap! rap!
rap!" on the door, too. Then Elinor woke up, and listened a moment, and
then she said: "Oh, _I_ know what it is! It's those darling dogs!" And
she jumped out of bed and opened the door, and there, sure enough, was
Bounder, dashing right into the room, barking, "Good morning! good
morning!" and big Bruno, looking at Elinor as if saying, "Good morning!
didn't you hear us? It's time to get up!"

Elinor said: "Oh, you beauties! Yes, I know! And I'll get dressed right
away!"

But what do you think happened _then_! Why, Bruno and Bounder didn't
give her time even to call Nurse Norah and get dressed. You see, Bruno
and Bounder did not often have so nice a little visitor, and they were
ready to begin play that very minute. Bounder was jumping up and down
and all over the room, and at last he spied Elinor's slippers on the
floor and caught up one of them between his sharp little teeth and ran
round and round the room with it. But Bruno chased Bounder all round the
room trying to make him drop the slipper, while Elinor stood still and
laughed and laughed and laughed!

But just then Nurse Norah came rushing in from the next room, asking
what _was_ the matter and in a minute, the naughty Bounder was made to
give up Elinor's slipper, and Bruno chased him all the way out of the
house.

And just as soon as Elinor had had her breakfast, she ran out and had a
fine romp with Bruno and Bounder in Grandmother's garden.

 [Illustration: From the engraving of the painting by Arthur J. Elsley.
 "TIME TO GET UP!"]

MAGGIE'S VERY OWN SECRET

By SARA JOSEPHINE ALBRIGHT

(_For Very Little Folk_)

Mr. and Mrs. Squeaky were two little, gray mice. They lived away back in
the corner of a great, big, empty box in the cellar.

One morning Mr. Squeaky went up the cellar stairs on tiptoes, to hunt
for some bread and cheese in the kitchen.

All at once he heard some one talking, and he hid behind the broom and
was as still as he could be.

It was the little boy Johnnie, who lived up-stairs. He had a big hammer
and a saw in his hand, and he was talking to his little sister.

"I think that big, empty box down cellar would make a fine dolls' house,
Maggie. I can fix a little porch on it, and make an up-stairs and a
down-stairs," the little boy said.

"Oh, Johnnie, that will be lovely," his little sister said. "I'll do
something for you sometime. Maybe--maybe--I'll draw a whole slate full
of el'phants, for you to look at!"

Then they started down the cellar steps.

Mr. Squeaky was so frightened that he almost tumbled down the stairs.

"Oh, my dear," he whispered, "they are going to break up our house with
a big hammer and a saw, and make a dolls' house out of it! Let's run as
fast as we can!"

Poor little Mrs. Squeaky began to cry.

"Where shall we go?" she whispered. "Oh, I am so afraid, and there are
always those dreadful traps around to catch us!"

But they ran as fast as they could to the darkest corner. Mrs. Squeaky's
sharp little eyes saw a hole, and she ran into it, and Mr. Squeaky
squeezed in after her.

Now where do you think they found themselves? Right inside of an old
shoe! The hole that they came through was just a hole in the shoe and
made a nice little door. And there was ano

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