But what puzzled pussy truly, and aroused her fears, Was the length to which had grown her kitten's once small ears. Most amazing, most alarming, was that sight to her; Green and round her eyes were swelling, stiff and straight her fur. "Poor wee kitty! what a pity you're deformed!" thought she; "Surely this has somehow happened since you went from me. But you're welcome home, my kitten; mother's love is strong, Though I will confess I wish your ears were not so long." So the tiny little rabbit grew contented quite, And our visitors like to call and see the pretty sight Of nice old Tabby playing with her rabbit-kitty gray; And she doesn't dream of her mistake, although, the truth to say, Her own true kitten went the road that many kittys go; For John the coachman took it to the horse-pond just below. But I think it is most cruel to drown a little cat; And I trust all girls and boys will have too much heart for that. THE BOYS AND UNCLE JOSH. BY W. O. STODDARD. "Hey Billy, my boy! Going skating?" "Yes, Uncle Josh, Joe Pearce and me. The big pond's frozen solid." "Is it safe?" "Charley Shadders he says it's twenty feet thick in some places." "Twenty feet thick! I declare! That's pretty thick ice. How did he know?" "I don't know. I guess he guessed at it. He's an awful guesser." "I should say he was. Twenty feet thick! Why, Billy, the water's only five feet deep in summer." "Oh, but," exclaimed Joe Pearce, who had been listening with all the eagerness of twelve years old, "it swells water to freeze it, Uncle Josh." "So it does, so it does. But I never heard of a swell like that." And Uncle Josh--for he was uncle to all the small boys in the village--shook his fat sides with laughter, but it was not all about the remarkable ice, for his next question was, "But, Billy, you've put all your skating on one foot. How's that?" "'Cause it's all in one skate." "Well, it's big enough. Why don't you divide it, and give the other foot a fair share?" "I've put mine on the other foot," shouted Joe, trying to balance himself on one leg and hold up an uncommonly large skate for inspection. How those skates were strapped on! They were even steadied with pieces of rope, and had bits of wood and leather stuffed in under the straps to make them fit. "You see, Uncle Josh," explained Billy, "my brother Bob he went away to college, and left his skates, 'cause, he said, the college was out of ice this winter. And Joe Pearce he didn't have any. And Christmas forgot to give me any. And so we divided 'em, and took the sled, and we're going to the big pond." "That was fair. Only you haven't divided the sled." "The sled won't divide," said Joe, with a solemn shake of his curly head; "but I'd like to divide my skate with my other foot." "I'll tell you what, boys," suddenly exclaimed Uncle Josh, "let's have a little Christmas of our own." "Have you got any?" asked Billy.