<h2><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</SPAN></span> <SPAN name="dandy" id="dandy"></SPAN>PUSS MEETS YANKEE DOODLE DANDY</h2>
<p class="cap2">THE broad highway was somewhat dusty and not nearly so pleasant as the
cool, shady path through the woods. At the same time Puss felt that it
was leading him on toward his journey's end, and the thought that then
he would find his dear father made his heart beat fast with hope.</p>
<p>He began to whistle, when suddenly he heard the sound of hoofbeats. Then
a voice commenced singing, loudly and clearly:</p>
<div class="block">
<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span class="io">"Yankee Doodle came to town,<br/></span>
<span class="i2">Riding on a pony;<br/></span>
<span class="i0">He stuck a feather in his cap<br/></span>
<span class="i2">And called it macaroni.<br/></span></div>
<div class="stanza">
<span class="io">"Yankee Doodle came to town,<br/></span>
<span class="i2">Yankee Doodle dandy,<br/></span>
<span class="i0">He stuck a feather in his cap<br/></span>
<span class="i2">And called it sugar candy."<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p>Down the road came a pony at a mad gallop, and seated upon his back was
a very queer-looking person. In his cap was a long feather<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</SPAN></span> and in his
right hand was a big whip. The pony was galloping along at a great rate,
and every now and again his rider would give a tremendous whoop, like an
Indian brave. "Yankee Doodle Dandy!" he yelled, and then the pony would
stand up on his hind legs and neigh.</p>
<p>"Look out!" yelled the rider, as he approached Puss. "Don't you see you
are in the way?"</p>
<p>"Am I?" said Puss, drawing to one side of the road.</p>
<p>"Well, not now," said the rider, drawing rein and looking at Puss with a
good deal of interest. "Where's your horse?"</p>
<p>"Where's my horse?" repeated Puss, looking about as if he expected to
find one.</p>
<p>"Yes, where's your steed?" continued the stranger.</p>
<p>"Haven't got any," said Puss. "My two legs are all that I have to carry
me."</p>
<p>"Get up behind me," said the stranger. "My name is Yankee Doodle Dandy,
and a Yankee is always willing to give a fellow-traveler a lift, whether
he be on the high seas or on the road."</p>
<p>"Thank you, my fellow-traveler," replied Puss, and he sprang nimbly to
the saddle and clung tightly to the coat-tails of Yankee Doodle Dandy.</p>
<p>"Git-ap!" cried the latter, and away went the pony down the road. In a
short time the towers and church steeples of a town came into view.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</SPAN></span>Suddenly a queer-looking figure tumbled down from the sky on to the road
just in front of them. Yankee Doodle Dandy reined in his horse just in
time; otherwise he would have run over the Man in the Moon.</p>
<p>"Why don't you fall any other place but right in front of my horse?"
asked Yankee Doodle Dandy, in a stern voice.</p>
<p>"Couldn't help it," answered the Man in the Moon. "You must remember
it's not such an easy thing to hit the exact spot you intend to when you
jump all the way from the moon. It's almost impossible. I've even heard
that an aeroplane has some difficulty in dropping bombs so that they hit
the mark."</p>
<p>"Well, I've heard that, too," admitted Yankee Doodle Dandy, "although up
to this time Yankeeville has not suffered from any air attacks."</p>
<p>"Well, don't be too sure," answered the Man in the Moon. "I've seen a
few things from my moon house that you never even dreamed of."</p>
<p>"Did you never hear the rhyme about the Man in the Moon?" Puss asked,
politely.</p>
<p>"No, I never did," said the Man in the Moon.</p>
<p>"What!" exclaimed Puss in surprise.</p>
<div class="block28">
<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
<span class="io">"The Man in the Moon came tumbling down<br/></span>
<span class="i2">And asked the way to Norwich;<br/></span>
<span class="i0">He went by the south and burnt his mouth<br/></span>
<span class="i2">With eating cold pease porridge."<br/></span></div>
</div></div>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</SPAN></span>
"Ha, ha!" laughed the Man in the Moon, "you are joking; I'm sure you
are," and he turned his footsteps toward the south.</p>
<p>"'He went by the south and burnt his mouth,'" said Puss.</p>
<p>"We can't help it," said Yankee Doodle; "he will go that way."</p>
<hr />
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