Puss Junior and Robinson Crusoe

<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</SPAN></span></p> <h2>THE YELLOW HEN</h2> <div class='cap'>WELL, a big husky giant didn't jump into the trolley car, as I feared he might in the last story, so little Puss, Junior, kept up his search for his dear father until late in the evening when he came to a city on Goosey Gander River. For the moment I've forgotten the name, but if I remember it I will tell you later. At any rate, it won't matter much, for Puss didn't stay there long. Well, as I was saying, he entered the city, tired and hungry, for he had traveled far that day, and as he walked up the brightly lighted street he heard a man say:</div> <div class='poem'> "Saw ye aught of my love a-coming from the Opera?<br/> <span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">Around her throat a string of pearls,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">And on her neck two little curls;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">Saw ye aught of my love a-coming from the Opera?</span><br/></div> <p>"My good man, I'm a stranger and have just arrived. I have seen no string of pearls nor little curls on any pretty little girls," answered Puss wearily, for he was too anxious to find a night's lodging to notice pearls and curls.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</SPAN></span></p> <p>"Dear me!" sighed the man, and he took off his opera hat and flattened it and then snapped it out again, which made a little newsboy open his eyes and say, "Do it again, Mister; it sounds like a pistol." But the man wouldn't, so the little newsboy ran off and Puss turned away, for he had no time to be talking to operagoers at that time of evening. By and by he came to a narrow street at the end of which shone a little light. So he turned down and presently found himself in front of a little house. In the hammock on the front porch sat a pretty yellow hen, swinging back and forth, and every now and then singing to herself:</p> <div class='poem'> "It's after ten! It's after ten!<br/> <span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">Time for bed for Yellow Hen."</span><br/></div> <p>"Good evening!" said Puss, taking off his plumed hat and bowing politely. "May I ask for a night's lodging. I'm tired and footsore, and have traveled many miles in New Mother Goose Country."</p> <p>The little Yellow Hen flapped her wings and fluttered down to the piazza. "Come," she said, stretching out her right wing. "Travelers are always welcome. We hear<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</SPAN></span> little down at the end of this narrow street. Tell me some news, my good Sir Cat."</p> <p>"Are you sure you are not too sleepy?" asked Puss. "It was only a few minutes ago you were singing 'It's after ten, it's after ten; time for bed for Yellow Hen!'" But the little hen only laughed and said, "I must wait up for Mr. Rooster."</p> <div class='poem'> "He's the Cock at early dawn<br/> <span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">Who blows on the Mayor's auto horn</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">To wake the city and stir the men</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 0.5em;">To be up and at their work again."</span><br/></div> <p>Just then a gaily feathered rooster walked up the steps, but what he said I shall have to tell you in the next story, for it's so late now that I must say good-night.</p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />