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Adventures of Puss in Boots, Jr.

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<h2>[16] PUSS SEES THE COW JUMP OVER THE MOON</h2> PUSS, JR., trudged along bravely for some time, but, finding it very dusty, he left the road and climbed over the low stone wall that bordered the big pasture on his right. "It's funny to see the moon in the daytime," he remarked as he crossed the long green meadow dotted everywhere with yellow cowslips; "I don't understand it," and he looked curiously at the big, white moon which hung low in the skies just overhead. As he spoke, across the grass hopped a big silver spoon, closely followed by a dish with a blue border, which rolled along over the ground at a great rate. "Wow, wow! Ha, ha!" laughed a little dog from the other side of the fence. "Keep on rolling; you'll tire him out pretty soon." Puss, Jr., watched the funny race with much amusement until he was startled by a voice at his side, saying, "Glad to see you," and, turning around, he saw a small cat with a fiddle under her paw. <div class="figcenter"> [17] <ANTIMG src="images/i003.png" width-obs="400" height-obs="455" alt="" title="" /> PUSS, JR., TRUDGED ALONG BRAVELY [18]</div> [19] "Hey diddle-diddle," she sang in a high, sweet voice, and scratched away on the strings like a player in an orchestra. "Tell me," Puss, Jr., said to her as the music stopped for a moment, "why is the moon out to-day? I thought it only came out at night." "Why, don't you know?" she replied. "It is going to let the cow jump over it to-day." "Indeed! and when does that happen?" "Oh, any minute now; in fact, there she comes through the gate." And, sure enough, across the fields a beautiful black-and-white cow came leisurely toward them. "Good morning," she exclaimed, as she neared our two friends, and, turning to the cat with the fiddle, she said: "Are you ready? If you are, just strike up a lively tune so that I can get into step before I try for my jump." Puss, Jr., was so interested that he forgot to ask another question, but stood still while the cow commenced to prance around, keeping perfect time to the music. "Faster, faster!" she called, as she swung into a canter. "I'm going to get a flying start; you know, if you get a flying start the higher you will fly when you do fly." This undoubtedly was true, for in a moment more she rose gracefully from the ground toward the moon. "Be careful!" screamed the Man in the Moon,[20] leaning out as she approached near enough for his voice to reach her. "Be careful and don't clip off a piece with your hoof as you go over!" She did as he told her, and sailed over in a long, sweeping curve and landed safely in a patch of clover at the other end of the field. "Great!" exclaimed Puss, Jr. "You did it splendidly!" "Oh, that's nothing!" she answered, although she seemed rather proud of her feat. "Oh, that's nothing at all!" "I don't agree with you," he replied. "I should think you'd be very proud of your feet; they're as good as wings." The Jumping Cow paid no more attention to him, but munched away at the clover like an ordinary cow. "She won't say another word to-day," whispered the cat behind her fiddle; "but if you're around this way to-morrow morning and it's a nice day she may try another jump." "I'm sorry," Puss, Jr., replied, "but by that time I shall be far away upon my journey. Thank you just the same." And with these words he took off his hat to Miss Pussy and resumed his travels along the cool, shady path through the woods. <hr /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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