on
and drawn his weary feet forward.

Jack be nimble,
Jack be quick,
And Jack jump over the candlestick.

Over the candlestick leaped a small boy, and with a laugh turned toward
the open door.

"Can _you_ jump over a lighted candlestick?" he asked.

"I never tried," said Puss, "but I guess I can."

"Don't singe your tail!" cried Jack, as Puss prepared himself for the
jump.

"Don't worry," replied Puss, Jr. "I think too much of my tail to spoil
one single little hair."

Gathering himself together, Puss jumped nimbly over the candle.

"Good for you!" cried the little boy.

"Oh, that's nothing," replied Puss. "I once belonged to a circus."

"You did?" cried the little boy. "Tell me about it."

"Well," said Puss, "there isn't much to tell. I was walking along one
day and came up to a big tent. A man asked me if I would not like to
join, and I said yes."

"What did you do?" asked the little boy.

"Oh, I rode a horse around the ring. I jumped through hoops covered with
tissue-paper, and I never slipped off. It was pretty good fun," sighed
Puss, Jr. "But, dear me, I'm so hungry! Can't you get me some milk?"

"Of course I can," replied the little boy; "you just sit down and see
that the candle doesn't blow out, and I'll run and tell mother." In a
few minutes he returned, followed by a motherly-looking woman.

"Why, it's Puss in Boots!" she said.

"No, madam," replied Puss; "but I'm his son, and have been these many
months trying to find my dear father."

"And you haven't found him yet?" said the good woman.

"No, not yet," replied our little hero, "but I hope to very soon."

"Well, you shall have a good supper," said the kind woman, "for my
little boy tells me you are hungry."

In a few minutes Puss was eating a hearty supper, and then he followed
the little boy up to his bedroom, where they both slept soundly all
night long after mother had blown out the light.

OLD KING COLE'S FIDDLERS ARE RATHER RUDE TO PUSS

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
And he called for his pipe,
And he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.
And every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
"Tweedle dee, tweedle dee," said the fiddlers;
"Oh, there's none so rare as can compare,
With Old King Cole and his fiddlers three."

Cole Castle was a very magnificent one. Puss looke