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Puss Junior and Robinson Crusoe

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<hr style="width: 65%;" />[14] <h2>A TURTLE AND A FISH</h2> <div class='cap'>AS I told you in the last story, the Fox promised to help Puss and pretty soon he led him out of the little log house and through a thick undergrowth of young timber until they came to a river. "Now, the robbers will never think for a moment that you would travel by water," said the Fox with a grin. "Here is a little boat," and he pushed aside the bushes behind which lay a rowboat with a pair of oars.</div> As Puss got in, the Fox gave him some parting directions. "Follow the stream until you come to a lake. Then leave your boat and follow the right bank until you come to a bridge. After that you will find the highway which will take you to the castle of my Lord of Carabas, where your famous father, Puss in Boots, lives." "Thank you, my good friend," cried our little hero, pushing off from the shore, and in a few minutes he was gliding down the stream. "Heigh-ho!" he sighed. "This is a new[15] way to travel, but I have had many experiences, so why not a rowboat instead of a gander or an automobile," and he bent to his rowing and by and by he came to a bend in the river, and as it was late in the afternoon, he decided to land and camp for the night. But no sooner had he landed on the bank than a large turtle came up to him and said: "This is Turtle Island. No one is allowed to land unless he has a permit." Of course, little Puss, Junior, didn't have one, but after a moment's reflection, he said: "I am about to visit my father, the famous Puss in Boots, and if I cannot remain here for the night, I may have an accident on the river. Please let me stay." "Very well," said the Turtle, scratching his head, "you may remain on my island," and then he crawled away to his own house on the hill, which Puss could see in the distance. I think the Turtle was a disagreeable sort of person not to have asked our little traveler to spend the night with him, but then, you know, there are some disagreeable people even in New Mother Goose Country, and the Turtle was one of them.[16] The next morning, bright and early, Puss, Junior, got up and cooked his breakfast, and then he jumped into his rowboat and started off and by and by, as he was gliding along, a big fish came up to the surface and said, "Helloa, there!" At first Puss was startled, for he didn't see the fish, but as soon as he did, he replied: "Don't get in my way! I might push my oar in your eye." This made the fish laugh so hard that he cried, and after that he laughed some more, only he didn't cry that time. "Where are you going?" he asked. "To the castle of my Lord of Carabas," replied Puss. "A long journey, my brave little cat," said the fish, "but keep up a brave heart. You are already more than half way across New Mother Goose Country." <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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