he, I'll be KIND to that poor little mouse;
"So come out Miss Mousey," our Ponto he said,
"And if anyone hurts you I'll bite off his head."

So the poor little mouse came out of the grate,
And ate with our Ponto out of his plate,
And always when Ponto laid down on the mat,
Beside him Miss Mousey in her little chair sat.

But one rainy night as Miss Mousey sat still,
A thing called a bat, came over the hill;
But Ponto says to him, "You are not wanted here,"
And sent the bat off with a flea in his ear.

The very same night as they lay on the mat,
What should come rushing in but a great big rat;
Up jumped Mr. Ponto and gave a loud bark,
And that rat scampered off out into the dark.

They had just got rid of the bat and the rat,
And what should come in but a GREAT TOM CAT;
Came jumping, springing, and bounding along,
And frightened Miss Mousey more than a gong.

He raced after mousey, around, in and out,
Through the house and the yard, and all round about;
To the East, to the West, to the North, to the South,
And at last caught her up in his great big mouth.

He squeezed her back hard and frighten'd her so,
She scarcely could say, "O, please let me go!"
But Tom spoke and said, "Mouse is very good meat,
And as I feel hungry, why, it's you I shall eat."

Tom let her go once, but caught her afresh,
Although Mousey made a most desperate dash;
And again Mousey pleaded, "Oh, please let me go";
But Tom only answered, "Decidedly No!"

But as luck should now have it, our Ponto came in,
And asked Mr. Puss, "What's this horrible din?"
Says Puss to our Ponto, "I've caught this sly thief,
And now I intend to bring her to grief."

Says Ponto to Puss, "The mouse is my friend,
And if you would hurt her, why I must defend
That nice little, kind little, good little mouse,
As long as she ever remains in this house."

Says Pussy to Ponto, "I pray you don't fret;
I'll love and I'll cherish your poor little pet;
She shall sleep on the mat, and we'll find her in food,
Because she is nice and because she is good."

So the nice little mouse, the dog and the cat,
all three ate together, and slept on the mat;
They sung, danc'd and romp'd with joy and merry laughter,
And as the old take says, "Lived happy ever after."

[Page 154--Pussy Land]

[Illustration: Startled Cat.]

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