d up at the great
walls and sighed. "I wish I would find my dear father here, but I
suppose I won't."

"No, you won't," cried a voice, and one of the three fiddlers poked his
head out of a window and laughed loud and long. "There are no cats in
this castle."

"No cats allowed here," cried the third fiddler, appearing at the
postern gate.

Puss, Jr., almost felt like crying. "Did you ever hear of Puss in
Boots?" he asked.

"Certainly," replied all three fiddlers at once, "but he doesn't live
here. No cats do. We make all the noise in this castle. You don't think
for a moment Old King Cole could stand any more noise, do you?"

"My father wouldn't make any noise," replied Puss, Jr., indignantly.

"I never heard of a cat that didn't," said one of the fiddlers.

"All cats make an awful noise at night," said another.

"They meow and cry like everything on the back fence," said the third
fiddler. "They make more noise than a fiddle, and a worse noise than a
fiddle out of tune."

"I don't like you," said Puss. "People who don't like cats are not to be
trusted."

"Ha, ha!" laughed all three fiddlers, "you're jealous of us!"

"Not the least," replied Puss, stoutly. "I'm not jealous at all. I'm
just indignant that you should make such a remark about my family."

"No harm meant," said the three fiddlers, "no harm meant, my good Sir
Cat."

"Very well, we won't argue the matter," said Puss, "for a traveler has
no time to argue if he would reach his journey's end. Time is precious,
and I must be on my way. Only let me tell you, I have heard many a
fiddle that made a worse noise than a cat," and with this parting remark
our little hero continued on his way.

THE MILLER OF THE DEE

"What a lovely old mill!" thought Puss, Jr. "Is that your 'hush-a-by
baby upon the tree-top'?" he asked the miller on entering the old mill.

"No, sir-ee!" answered the jolly miller, with a jolly laugh. "Haven't
you ever heard the song about me? This is the way it goes:

"There was a jolly miller once
Lived on the River Dee;
He worked and sang from morn till night,
No lark so blithe as he.

"And this the burden of his song
Forever used to be:
'I care for nobody! No, not I!
And nobody cares for me!'"

"Doesn't anybody care for you?" asked Puss. "It seems strange, for you
are so jolly."

[Illustration: "AREN'T WE GREAT FRIENDS?" ASKED THE MILLER]

"Well," answered the miller, "