* * * "All the same," said Chatter Chuk to himself, as, snug at home, he trembled at the thought of his late peril, "I shall keep away from old Juggerjook after this. I am very sure of that!" "Mama," said Fuzzy Wuz, nestling beside her mother in the burrow, "why do you suppose the fierce Men let us go?" "I cannot tell, my dear," was the reply. "Men are curious creatures, and often act with more wisdom than we give them credit for." [Illustration: "What you burying, a bone?" "Nop, interning a muzzle."] THE LITTLE GRAY KITTEN BY MARY LAWRENCE TURNBULL Once upon a time there was a little gray kitten, who had wandered far away from home. At first she liked all the strange sights she saw, but by and by she began to feel very homesick, and wished she was once more cuddled up with her brothers and sisters. Now the only word this little gray kitten knew was "Mew, mew!" So when she was lonely she would say "Mew;" when she was hungry, "Mew;" when she was cold or tired, glad or sad, it was always "Mew." At home they knew what she meant when she said "Mew," but out in the wide, wide world, nobody seemed to know. Wandering along the street, she came upon a little squirming earthworm. "Mew," said she, meaning, "Where is my home?" The earthworm, however, did not notice little gray kitten, but crawled away across the street. Next, the little gray kitten met a butterfly on the top of a dandelion. "Mew," said the little gray kitten, meaning, "Can you tell me where my home is?" But the butterfly did not say anything, and flew away. [Illustration: "SHE CAME UPON A LITTLE EARTHWORM."] [Illustration: "THE BUTTERFLY FLEW AWAY."] [Illustration: MISCHIEF FROM AN ENGRAVING OF THE PAINTING BY FRED MORGAN.] [Illustration: "THEN SHE SPIED A ROBIN."] [Illustration: "SOON SHE MET A BIG RED COW."] The little gray kitten walked on, and then she spied a robin on a stone wall near-by. "Mew," said the little gray kitten, "Where is my home?" But the robin, cocking his head on one side, answered, "Chirp, chirp," and then spreading his wings, flew away. [Illustration: "RUNNING ALONG SHE CAME UP TO A BIG BLACK DOG."] She felt very sad indeed, but running along she came up to a big black dog. "Mew, mew!" said the little gray kitten, "Oh, can you not tell me where my home is?" But the big black dog shook his tail, and barked "Bow-wow, bow-wow-wow-wow!" so loudly that the little gray kitten ran away from him as fast as she could go. The little gray kitten was very tired, but she still ran on, and soon met a big red cow. "Mew, mew-ew," said the little gray kitten, "Can you not tell me where my home is?" [Illustration: "'OH, YOU DEAR FLUFFY GRAY BALL,' SAID THE LITTLE GIRL."]