rst note something stirred on top of the
china closet. Then there was a short, protesting meow. Papa kept on
whistling. Kitty stood up and began to stretch. As the shrill music
continued, Topsy walked to the edge of the cupboard and looked down.

"Oh, there she is! there she is!" cried Alice. "Oh, my own dear kitty!
But what a funny place to hide in!"

Louder and shriller grew papa's whistling. Kitty jumped upon the
screen and then leaped to the table. Still papa whistled on. Topsy
sprang to the floor and, jumping into papa's lap, began to rub her face
against his breast. "Meow! meow!" she said. Still the shrill noise
did not atop. Pussy put her front paws high up on papa's chest and
rubbed her face against his chin, at the same time nipping it gently
with her teeth and calling, "Meow! meow!" which meant, "Stop! stop!
Please, master, I am here. What do you want? Oh, do stop that
dreadful noise!"

So papa stopped whistling and Alice and Topsy had a fine frolic before
bedtime.

This was the first and only time that Topsy was ever lost; but to this
day, she will sometimes steal away and sleep for hours on her lofty
perch, heedless of coaxing or scolding, and only dislodged at night by
papa's shrill whistle.

TOPSY STORIES.

V. TOPSY'S BABIES.

"I must teach the kittens some tricks," said Alice one day. "They are
getting so big and plump. Don't you think they are old enough to learn
to do things, mamma?"

"Well, little daughter, suppose you try teaching them," said mamma.

So Alice went to the door and called: "Kittens! kittens! kittens!
Come, Tip! Come, Trot! Come, kittens!" Now their real names were
Tipkins and Trotkins, but Alice always called them Tip and Trot for
short.

When the kittens heard their little mistress call, they came running as
fast as their fat little bodies and their short little legs would let
them come; for "Kittens, kittens, kittens!" almost always meant: "Here
is some nice warm milk to drink."

Alice gathered the funny little things up in her arms. They looked
just exactly alike, for Tipkins had a black spot on the end of his
tail, and Trotkins had a black spot on the end of his tail, too;
Tipkins' eyes were blue, so were Trotkins'; Tipkins' nose was black,
and Trotkins' nose was black, too. Alice often wondered how their
mother, Topsy, ever told them apart.

"Now," said the little girl, "you have grown to be such big pussies
that it is time you learned to