I visited a friend’s home. They had a kitten. The kitten was black and white. He was a pretty kitten. It was the fall of the year. The dead leaves were on the ground. The kitten saw a pile of leaves in the yard. The wind blew the leaves. The leaves whirled round and round. The kitten ran after the leaves. He could not catch the leaves. One leaf stopped. The kitten thought it was a mouse. So he put the leaf into his mouth. When he found it was not a mouse, he dropped the leaf. But the kitten still chases leaves. I like to watch him play. The Kitten and the Falling Leaves See the kitten on the wall, Sporting with the leaves that fall, Withered leaves—one—two— and three— From the lofty elder tree! Through the calm and frosty air Of this morning bright and fair. _William Wordsworth_ Keeping Clean Did you ever see a mother cat wash herself? She wets her fur with her tongue. She washes her whole body that way. Then she washes her face with her wet paw. She uses her front paws for hands. She likes to keep herself clean. She wants the little kittens to be clean. So she washes them too. Mother cat’s fur is shiny. She is a very clean cat. She is cleaner than some children I know. [Illustration: Cat sitting] The Cat and the Rat Once upon a time I had a cat. He was a big cat. One day he was in the house. I opened the door. The cat went out-of-doors. After a while, he wanted to come back into the house. He mewed and scratched at the door. So I opened the door and let him in. I was surprised because he had a rat in his mouth. The rat was already dead. But the cat wanted us to see the rat that he had caught. I think the cat was proud of what he had done. The Ways of a Cat See the kitten, how she starts, Crouches, stretches, paws, and darts! _William Wordsworth_ The Cat and the Dog One Sunday we saw a big cat climb up a tree. Just then a dog came by. The dog tried to get at the cat. The dog stood at the foot of the tree and barked. The cat would not come down. The dog barked and barked. At last he became very tired. Then the dog went away. The cat looked all around. She did not see the dog anywhere. So she climbed down the tree. Then the cat ran home. [Illustration: Hens and Chickens] How to Get Breakfast Said the first little chick, With a queer little squirm, “I wish I could find A fat little worm.” Said the next little chick, With an odd little shrug, “I wish I could find A fat little bug.” Said the third little chick, With a shrill little squeal, “I wish I could find Some nice yellow meal.”