old apple tree,
All covered with blossoms so fair,
I never have seen, though I'm over thirteen,
A horse that could fly thro' the air."

Just then the innkeeper's wife came in, and when she saw the little bird
on the window sill close to Puss, Junior, she cried, "Time for little
birds to be in their nests." So the little bird flew away, and as soon
as Puss had eaten his dinner he again mounted his Good Gray Horse. After
a while he met an old man and a little dog. The little dog was carrying
a basket in his mouth and the little old man a big pipe, from which the
smoke curled up in the shape of a bird. All of a sudden he gave a puff
and, would you believe it, a glossy gray pigeon flew away.

Pretty soon the smoke again curled up from the pipe into the form of a
pigeon, and then, just as before, the little old man gave a puff, and
away flew a pigeon, only this time it was grayish blue.

I don't know how long this would have gone on if the little old man had
not suddenly turned around.

"You have a wonderful pipe," said little Puss, Junior. "I've never seen
one like it."

"There are lots of strange things in Mother Goose Land," answered the
little old man. "If you are a traveler, as I think you are, you will
meet with many strange adventures."

Then with a bow he turned in at the gate of a little pink-and-blue
cottage, at the rear of which stood a pigeon house on top of a tall
pole. As Puss turned around for a last look, again the smoke from the
little old man's pipe changed into a pigeon, which flew straight toward
the little pigeon house.

Well, after that Puss rode along for some time, and by and by the moon
came out and dimly lighted the road, which now led through a forest. It
was very quiet, except for the tooting of an owl or the cry of a tree
toad.

Little Puss commenced to whistle when, all of a sudden, the Good Gray
Horse jumped to the side of the road, and there, right in front of him,
stood a tiny fairy, dressed in green. "Halt, Sir Cat!" he cried, waving
his silver wand.

THE HOLD-UP

"OH, who is so merry, so merry, heigh ho!
As the light-hearted fairy, heigh ho, heigh ho!"

As soon as the little fairy I mentioned in the last story finished his
song Puss, Junior's, Good Gray Horse stood up on his hind legs, for he
wasn't used to these little people of the forest, you see.

"Whoa, my good steed," cried Puss. "Don't you see it's o