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THREE LITTLE KITTENS

THREE little kittens lost their mittens
And they began to cry,
"Oh, mother dear, we very much fear
That we have lost our mittens."

"I'll help you find them," cried Puss, Junior, looking in through the
door of a little green house.

"Will you?" said a little tabby cat.

"I think we lost them by the woodpile," said a little gray kitten.

"Perhaps we dropped them while playing hide and go seek," said a cute
black kitty.

"Come on, my little pussyfoots," cried Puss, Junior, with a grin. "I'm
pretty good at finding things--except people--I can't find my dear
father."

"How did you lose him?" asked the first little kitty, as they all ran
out into the back yard.

"I don't know any more than you know how you lost your mittens," replied
Puss, Junior, with a laugh.

"If you find our mittens we'll help you find your father," cried the
three little kittens. But, hunt as they might, no mittens were to be
found. Under the woodpile and back of the old well, behind the woodshed
and under the grape arbor, they hunted, but in vain.

[Illustration]

"You naughty kittens! Lost your mittens! Then you shall have no pie!"

"Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow."

"No, you shall have no pie."

"Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow."

"Have you looked in the barn?" asked Puss.

"No," cried the three little kittens.

"Well, that's a good place to look if you've been playing there,"
suggested Puss. So they all ran out to the barn. But just as they
entered the big door a little mouse scurried into a hole and a big gray
rat ran into the corn bin.

"Look here, little mouse, if you'll tell us whether you've seen any
mittens we won't hurt you," cried Puss. But the little mouse didn't
reply.

"My dear Mr. Rat," said Puss, Junior, speaking into a crack of the corn
bin, "if you'll tell us whether you have seen any mittens we'll promise
not to touch you." But the rat didn't answer.

"They're afraid of you," said the little black kitty.

"Then you ask them," whispered Puss, Junior.

"Did you see our mittens?" whispered the black kitty to the little
mouse.

"Yes," replied a squeaky voice. "I saw some mittens in the tool closet."
Then the little black kitty ran over to the tool closet, and pretty soon
he came dancing out on his two hind legs. "Here they are! Here they
are!" he cried, with a happy purr.

MR. RAT

THE three little kittens found their mitten