attracted his
attention, and with a final burst of speed he reached it and crawled
into a hole before Puss had the opportunity to seize him by the tail.

"Oh, pshaw!" cried Puss, sitting down on the log. "I surely thought I
had him."

"You did, eh?" squeaked the little mouse, peering out of his hole and
laughing at poor Puss. "I prefer to be inside this log rather than
inside even so famous a character as Puss in Boots, Junior."

"How do you know my name?" asked Puss, surprised at what he heard.

"Why, I'm one of the three blind mice whose tails the farmer's wife cut
off," said the mouse.

"I thought there was very little tail to you," said Puss, "or else you
went into the hole so fast that it made your tail look very short, for I
couldn't even get a little hold on it."

"Well, having my tail clipped did me some good," said the mouse.

PUSS HELPS A STRANGER CATCH A RUNAWAY PIG

"To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,
Home again, home again, jiggety jig.
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,
Home again, home again, jiggety jog.
To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,
Home again, home again, market is done."

A funny little man came dancing down the road. Before him he drove a fat
pig, which squeaked and grunted loudly. To one of its hind legs was
fastened a rope, the other end of which the funny little man held
tightly in his hand.

"To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,
Home again, home again, jiggety jig."

sang the little old man. "How do you like my piggety pig?" he asked,
looking up at Puss, Jr., who had stopped his good gray horse to watch
the funny sight.

"He looks like a fine pig," replied Puss.

[Illustration: "TO MARKET, TO MARKET, TO BUY A FAT PIG"]

"Whoa, there, piggety pig!" cried the old man as the pig began to
struggle to get away.

"Look out!" cried Puss. But the warning came too late. The pig had
wriggled his foot out of the noose and went racing down the road.

"Take me up behind you!" cried the little old man. "Then let us follow
and catch him."

"Jump up! Quick about it!" cried Puss, Jr.

In a moment the little old man was on the good gray horse, who
immediately set off at a gallop to overtake the piggety pig. It was a
long race, for he had a good head start and terror lent wings to his
feet.

"Git up!" cried Puss, digging his heels into the sides of the good gray
horse. "Git up! Don't you see the pig is getting away from