s that you spend the night in my house and
tell me some of your adventures."

Puss, Jr., bowed low and graciously. He was able now to reward the
little hen for showing him the way, and as the guest of the giant, it
would be much easier to find Jack. Puss made up his mind toward midnight
to hunt over the entire house for him.

PUSS DISCOVERS WHERE JACK IS HIDING

Puss, Jr., found the giant a very agreeable host. Perhaps it was because
Puss told so many interesting stories of what he had seen and done since
leaving the garret.

"By the time you find your father," roared the giant, for even when he
whispered it sounded like thunder, "you will have traveled far and wide,
my dear friend."

They were seated in the giant's great living-room. A huge pipe was in
his mouth, the smoke from which rose in a cloud as big as that from a
factory chimney. Puss, Jr., was not the least bit dismayed, however, for
he was naturally a brave cat, and his many adventures had given him an
air of assurance as well as a liberal education. He sat opposite the
giant and recounted his adventures one after another, much to the
delight of his great host. All the while, however, Puss was scheming as
to the best way to discover Jack. He had made up his mind firmly that
after his long climb up the bean-stalk, and the fact that he had been
so lucky as to make a friend of the giant, he would allow nothing to
turn him aside.

Finally the giant fell sound asleep. Puss carefully opened the door and
tiptoed into the kitchen, where the giant's wife was washing up the
supper-dishes. As he entered he noticed that the oven door was open just
a crack. "My good woman," said Puss, "your husband is asleep, so I have
taken this opportunity to thank you for the very fine supper of which I
have just partaken."

The giant's wife started at the sound of his voice and immediately
walked over and stood in front of the oven as if to guard it from view.

"Ha, ha!" said Puss to himself. "I'll wager Jack is in the oven. I
wonder why the good woman mistrusts me.

"Madam," said Puss, "I'm in search of a little boy named Jack, and I
have a message from his mother for him. Jack of the wonderful
bean-stalk, and I am sure he is in yonder oven."

Puss, Jr., heard a scratching sound, then a creak, and in a moment Jack
stepped from behind the giant's wife, after carefully closing the oven
door.

"How do you do," said Jack, coming forward, "and what does mother want?"