Whiskers kept very close to the wall and ran until he saw a white
jacket hanging on a nail.

Pinkie Whiskers saw that the jacket had pockets, so he ran up the side
of the wall and hid in one of the pockets. He had just nestled down for
a little nap, for he was very tired, when along came the owner of the
jacket. He took it off from the nail and put it on.

Pinkie Whiskers, did not know what to do, but he decided to keep very
still. The waiter took his tray of food and went into the dining room.
Pinkie Whiskers peeped out of the pocket and saw many tables with people
about them.

Pinkie Whiskers' head was still out of the pocket when the waiter went
up to a table to serve a lady. She saw Pinkie Whiskers and screamed, "A
mouse! a mouse!"

Now, Pinkie Whiskers knew that he was a rat and not a mouse, so at
first he did not think that she meant him, but when all of the ladies
jumped up from the table and started to run, Pinkie Whiskers jumped from
the pocket and ran too.

He hid behind the leg of a big chair and did not move until he felt the
ship stop and saw everyone going ashore. He started to go ashore too and
as everyone had bundles and baggage, he picked up a small hand bag, an
umbrella, a can and a cage filled with butterflies, grasshoppers and a
lady-bug.

He had only gone a short way when the door of the cage flew open and the
insects flew out.

"I never had so much trouble in all my life," complained Pinkie
Whiskers.

He ran after them and caught as many as he could and put them back into
the cage for he wanted to take them home as presents to his dear ones.

CHAPTER XIII

Pinkie Whiskers found it very hard to travel over the country road with
all of his baggage. He caught his feet in the cage and fell over it
several times.

He did not know the way home and he had to ask every little wild
creature that he met where the cheese factory was.

At last he met Billy Jay, for Billy Jay had gone out to search for him.
Billy Jay felt sure that Pinkie Whiskers was not drowned and when he met
his little friend coming down the road he was not even surprised.

"Hello, Billy Jay!" shouted Pinkie Whiskers. "You see that I am coming
home."

"Hello, Pinkie Whiskers!" cried Billy Jay. "I never was so glad to see
anyone in my life. Let me carry something for you."

"All right, you may carry my handbag, if you wish," said Pinkie
Whiskers.

Now that Pinkie Whiskers had company, it did not seem any time a