ixpence,
A pocketful of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing.
Wasn't that a dainty dish
To set before the king?

Well, when little Puss, Junior, heard those blackbirds singing he halted
before the castle and knocked on the gate.

"You must have a thousand canaries."

"Canaries nothing," replied the old retainer. "The King's twenty-four
blackbirds are singing."

But, goodness, gracious me! all of a sudden something happened. And it
was even worse than when the raven cried, "Croak!" and the farmer's mare
fell down and broke her knee. For just then, while

The maid was in the garden
Hanging out the clothes,
Down came a blackbird
And snapped off her nose.

[Illustration]

Perhaps he was angry because he hadn't been invited to sing for the
King. I'm sure I don't know, but, anyway, he was a mighty mean bird, let
me tell you.

"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" cried the poor maid, and she sat down on a garden
bench and began to weep. Just then the four and twenty blackbirds jumped
out of the pie and flew into the garden to look for that naughty bird.
But they couldn't find him. Oh, dear, no! He was far away by that time,
maybe at the North Pole of Mother Goose Land, which they tell me is a
frosted stick of sugar candy.

"Oh, what shall I do?" sobbed the maid, still holding her poor nose in
her hands.

"You had better call in the doctor," suggested Puss.

"He lives a good two miles from here," said the old retainer, "and our
telephone is out of order."

"I'll go fetch him," said Puss. "Dry your eyes, pretty maid!" And,
jumping on his Good Gray Horse, he galloped away. And the four and
twenty blackbirds flew after him so that in case the naughty blackbird
came back to nip little Puss, Junior's, nose they would be there to
protect him.

DOCTOR FOSTER

DOCTOR FOSTER went to Glo'ster
In a shower of rain;
He stepped in a puddle up to his middle,
And never went there again.

Which was a mighty lucky thing, for, goodness knows, perhaps the poor
maid never would have had her nose mended if Puss hadn't found the good
doctor at home.

Well, as soon as he learned what was the matter, he jumped up behind
Puss, and the Good Gray Horse kicked out his heels and galloped away,
and the four and