Part 9 (1/2)

With a bound Spot jumped back to the fence.

”Meow, meow!

I've no place to eat, I've no place to sleep, I've only the street.

Meow, meow, meow!”

So she trotted along the fence. In a little while sniff! went her little pink nose again. She smelled more smoke. She stopped by a house with two chimneys. The smoke came out of both chimneys! ”Where there are two fires there must be room for me,” thought Spot. She jumped off the fence and pattered to the door. By the door there were two empty milk bottles.

”Where there is so much milk there will be some for me,” thought Spot.

But the door was shut tight. Spot ran to the window. It was open! In skipped Spot. There was another warm, warm kitchen and there was another stove. Spot trotted softly to the stove and curled up happy and warm.

She closed her eyes and softly sang:

”Purrrr, purrrr, Curling up warm To a ball of fur, I close my eyes And purr and purr.

Purrrr, purrrr, Purrrr, purrrr.”

”Ssssspt!” hissed something close by. Spot leapt to her feet. ”Ssssspt!”

she answered back. For there in front of her stood an enormous black cat. His back was humped, his hair stood on end, his eyes gleamed and his teeth showed white.

”Ssssspt! leave my rug!

Ssssspt! leave my fire!

Ssssspt! leave my milk!

Ssssspt! leave my home!”

Spot gave one great jump out of the window and another great jump to the top of the fence. For Spot was little and thin and the great black cat was strong and big. And he didn't want Spot in his home.

Poor Spot trotted along the fence, thinking:

”Meow, meow, I've no place to eat, I've no place to sleep, I've only the street, Meow, meow, meow.”

In a little while she smelled smoke again. Sniff! went her little pink nose. This time she stopped by a house with three chimneys. The smoke came out of all the chimneys! ”Where there are three fires there _must_ be room for me,” thought Spot. So she jumped off the fence and pattered to the door. By the door were three empty milk bottles! ”Where there is so much milk there must be children,” thought Spot and then she began to feel happy. But the door was shut tight. She trotted to the window. The window was shut tight too! Then she saw some stairs. Up the stairs she trotted. There she found another door and in she slipped. She heard a very pleasant sound.

”I crickle, I crackle, I flicker, I flare, I jump from nothing right into the air.”

There on the hearth burned an open fire with a warm, warm rug in front of it. On the rug was a little table and on the table were two little mugs of milk. Spot curled up on the rug under the table and began to sing:

”Purrrr, purrrr, Curling up warm To a ball of fur, I close my eyes, And purr and purr.

Purrrr, purrrr, Purrrr, purrrr.”

Pat, pat, pat, pat, pat, pat, pat, pat! Spot heard some little feet coming. A little boy in a nightgown ran into the room. ”Look,” he called, ”at the pretty spotted cat under our table!” Then pat, pat, pat, pat, pat! And a little girl in a nightgown ran into the room. ”See,” she called, ”the p.u.s.s.y has come to take supper with us!” Then the little boy, quick as a wink, put a saucer on the floor and poured some of his milk into it and the little girl, quick as a wink, poured some of hers in too.

In and out, in and out, in and out, went Spot's pink tongue lapping up the milk. Then she sat up and washed her face very carefully. Then she curled up and closed her eyes and began to sing. That was her way of saying ”Thank you, little boy and little girl! I'm so glad I've found a home!”