d Sir Cat, that I have heard of
travelers being held up in yonder woods by the fairies. Indeed, they
take a mischievous pleasure in waylaying us mortals after sundown."

"Indeed!" said Puss. "Hereafter I shall take great pains to avoid the
forest after dark. I had a narrow escape."

Well, pretty soon the innkeeper placed the food upon the table and he
and Puss sat down to eat. But, oh, dear me! they had hardly commenced
when they heard a great commotion in the barnyard. Puss rushed to the
door just in time to see his Good Gray Horse gallop out of the stable
yard with more than a hundred fairies on his back, who drove sharp
little thorns into his sides and blew tiny horns in his ears.

"Whoa!" screamed Puss, rushing out-of-doors. The Good Gray Horse,
terrified by the cries of the fairies as well as excited by the stings
and blows, paid no attention to the voice of his small master, but
dashed out upon the highway, and in a few minutes disappeared down the
hill.

"What shall I do?" cried Puss, in dismay.

BICYCLE PUSS

"IF I had a horse in the stable I'd lend him to you," said the
kind-hearted innkeeper.

"Have you an automobile?" asked Puss.

"Not yet," replied the innkeeper. "But I have a bicycle which I will
lend you."

It took Puss but a moment to mount, and then off he went to catch his
Good Gray Horse, who, you remember in the last story, had been stolen by
the fairies.

But, oh, dear me! although it was early morning it seemed as if
everybody was up and out for a walk. First, an old rooster stood right
in the middle of the road and crowed:

"Cock-a-doodle do,
Your horse has lost a shoe."

"Where is it?" asked Puss, stopping as quickly as he could, while the
good-natured rooster hopped into the long grass and picked it up.

"Thank you," said Puss, hanging the shoe over his handlebar and setting
off once more.

But, oh, dear me! again, he had gone but a short distance when a
curly-tailed pig got right in his way, and of course Puss had to slow
up.

"If you're looking for a runaway horse, you'd better take the lane to
your right," said the pig, with a grunt and a twist of his curly tail.

So Puss set off again. But, oh, dear me! for the third time, just in
front of him was a big, fat cow who had to walk very carefully not to
touch the fence rails on either side of her. Puss rang his bell, but she
paid no attention to him whatever. She kept right on, swinging her tail