nap without
being stared at by this old dog. I think it's about time I took my
neighbor's advice and taught him to keep his eyes and his nose where
they belong."

Then Miss Kitty Cat jumped. She jumped off the window ledge straight at
old dog Spot, who was still gazing up at her from below.

When he saw her coming he gave a startled yelp and tried to dodge her.
But he was too slow. Miss Kitty Cat landed squarely on his back and
clawed him savagely.

Old Spot dashed half way across the farmyard, then dropped suddenly and
rolled over and over on the ground.

The next instant he was on his feet again and tearing toward the barn.
Though Miss Kitty had dropped off his back and was already on her way to
the house he did not look around to see what had become of her.

Spot bolted through the barn door and scurried into an empty stall,
where he jumped into the manger and cowered down in the hay that half
filled it, and moaned.

[Illustration: Spot Bolted Through the Barn Door.

(_Page 16_)]

It was the stall next to the old horse Ebenezer's. And that mild fellow
peered over at him in wonder. "What has happened?" he inquired.

"The cat scratched me," Spot told him. "I was teasing her and she wasn't
at all nice about it."

"What were you doing--pointing at her?" Ebenezer asked him.

"Yes!"

"I suppose it made her wild," the old horse remarked. "And a wild cat is
a dangerous creature."

Spot whined fretfully. He wished he could lick his wounds. But how can
one lick scratches when they are behind one's ears?

"I was a wild dog for a few moments," he groaned. "I never dreamed she
would plump down on me like that."

"Haven't you ever heard of it's raining cats and dogs?" Ebenezer said.
"Well, to-day it rained cats."

IV

THE WOODPILE

Farmer Green always had a woodpile in the back yard. Sometimes it was
big. Sometimes it was little. Sometimes it was mostly made up of
four-foot logs. Sometimes the logs were all split and sawed, ready to
burn.

When Farmer Green and the hired man had nothing more pressing to do they
set to work on the woodpile. It was surprising how fast the big sticks
grew into firewood under their axes and saws.

One day they started sawing and splitting when Johnnie Green and old dog
Spot were roaming through the woods. And when Johnnie and Spot came
back home, just in time for dinner, they found a great heap of firewood
lying on the ground where there had been nothing but dirt wh